Women hope to spoil Islander Homecoming Saturday
2/5/2016 12:50:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Help The Success Continue
Become a Bearkat Champion Now
Sam Houston will take on A&M-Corpus Christi Saturday at 2 p.m. in the fourth contest on a five-game road swing for the Bearkat women's basketball team.
It's homecoming for the Islanders at the American Bank Center and the contest has important implications for the Kats' hopes of returning to the Southland Tournament this March. The top eight teams (excluding Abilene Christian and Incarnate Word) earn tournament berths in Katy. With a 4-6 league record, the Sam women currently hold down a position among the top eight. The Islanders are on the outside looking in with a 3-7 SLC record.
RADIO SATURDAY
The Sam Houston versus A&M-Corpus Christi women's basketball game will be broadcast live on KHVL 104.9 FM.
ALL-TIME SERIES BETWEEN ISLANDERS AND BEARKATS
Saturday marks the 23rd time the Kats and the Islanders have met in women's basketball. TAMUCC leads the series 14 victories to eight. The Islanders won both games last year (63-50 in Huntsville and 60-52 in Corpus Christi).
LAST TIME OUT - HOUSTON BAPTIST 67, SAM HOUSTON 63
Dogged by 20 fouls and 19 turnovers, Sam Houston fell 67-63 at HBU last Saturday. Angela Beadle and Kamry Orr fouled out. Still the Kats kept the contest close as Shernise Robertson led the Kats with 25 points. Beadle totaled 12 points and 12 rebounds.
ISLANDERS SCOUTING REPORT
Brittany Mbamalu leads the A&M-Corpus Christi women with 10.7 points per game. The 5-8 sophomore guard is the league's top three-point shooter with 61 buckets from beyond the arc this season. Point guard Jennifer Ramirez is the Islanders' floor general, averaging 3.2 assists per contest. Carmesha Davis, a 6-1 post player, is tough on the boards with 6.8 rebounds per game.
The Islanders, 6-15 for the season, have come on strong lately. A&M-Corpus Christi has won three of its last five games with victories over Southeastern Louisiana, New Orleans and Incarnate Word.
COACH BRENDA WELCH-NICHOLS SAYS
“Playing five consecutive road games is a challenge in the Southland Conference. The girls have to keep fighting and playing hard. We get past these next two road games and we play five of our last six at home.”
BEARKAT PAIR MOVING UP IN CAREER STANDINGS
Senior center Angela Beadle now ranks No. 9 in Sam Houston women's career scoring (1,156 points). She needs 25 points pass Brittany Brooks (1,180 in 2007-10). Beadle stands as the Kats' career leader in blocks (162). Beadle ranks No. 3 in Kat career rebounds (864).
Senior guard Shernise Robertson has climbed to No. 17 in Sam Houston all-time scoring with 903 points. Her career average of 18.8 points per game is tied as the best in Bearkat women's annals. Sherry Pfister averaged 18.8 points from 1980 to 1983. Sam Houston head coach Brenda Welch-Nichols averaged 17.8 points from 1988 to 1989.
STRONG FRESHMAN CLASS
Four freshmen are making their mark for the Bearkat women this season. Two are starting. Guards Laurynn McGowen and Kamry Orr are the team's third and fourth leading scorers with averages of 7.5 and 7.4, respectively. Freshmen 6-1 Ashleigh Cooper and 5-10 Lydia Baxter have been playing well inside.
SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE STAT RANKINGS
Sam Houston's Shernise Robertson again leads the Southland Conference in scoring, this year with 18.6 points per game. Angela Beadle is ninth in the league with a 14.4 average.
The pair also rank high in several other SLC categories. Robertson is second in three-point accuracy (.416), fourth in total three-pointers (52) and free throw percentage (.848), sixth in assists (3.2) and 11th in steals (1.7). Beadle leads the Southland in both field goal percentage (.525) and blocked shots (41) and is second in rebounding (9.9).
TRANSFER STEPPING UP
Jasmine McCants, a 6-0 junior transfer from Alabama Southern Community College, is also seeing action at the post. She has pulled down 56 rebounds in her 19 appearances.
