Bowlers Win Five of Six Matches Friday
2/12/2016 8:22:00 PM | Women's Bowling
The No. 4 ranked Sam Houston women's bowling team won five of their six matches in the opening round of the SFA Lumberjack Classic Friday.
Two of the victories came over nationally-ranked opponents and the other three came over Southwestern Athletic Conference foes as the Bearkats upped their overall dual match record to 69 wins and only 21 losses this season.
The tournament is being held at the Lanes Off Belaire located at 4191 Bellaire Blvd. in Houston.
Sam Houston's only loss came to defending NCAA champion and No. 2 ranked Nebraska. The Cornhuskers posted a pin fall total of 1,067 to the Kats' 903.
Friday's most thrilling match of came in a two-pin 980 to 978 victory over No. 6 Wisconsin-Whitewater. The Bearkats had to post their high total of the day knocking down 243 pins in the fifth game to win.
“It was a huge comeback for us,” Sam Houston head coach Brad Hagen said. “We doubled in the tenth to force Whitewater to have to double to win. We picked up some quality wins today and must continue to do so the next two days.”
The Kats opened the day's total pin baker play with a 1,035 to 846 victory over No. 14 LIU-Brooklyn. Sam Houston followed up with a 1,019 – 787 win over Texas Southern, a 1,002 – 608 victory versus Grambling and a 958 – 819 defeat of Southern.
While winning only three of its five matches, No. 11 North Carolina A&T leads the tournament's total pins standings with a 204.3 average. Nebraska went 5-1 Friday and stands second in pin count with a 204.2 mean. No. 7 Fairleigh Dickinson (4-2, 202.4), No. 1 Arkansas State (4-1, 199.7), No. 8 Stephen F. Austin (4-1, 198.4) and No. 3 Vanderbilt (4-2, 196.6) rank third through sixth.
Sam Houston stands in seventh place with a 196.6 average in the Bearkats six games Friday.
The tournament continues Saturday with traditional team play. Total pins from the first two day's play will determine seedings for best-of-seven baker bracket play to complete the event on Sunday.
