Seniors Excited To Return To Katy
3/9/2016 10:02:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Three members of Sam Houston's 2016 women's basketball team that will begin play in the Southland Conference Tournament at the Leonard Merrell Center in Katy Thursday at 1:30 p.m. were part of the Bearkats' last visit to the event.
Seniors Angela Beadle, Amanda Barnes and Jasmin Anderson all were members of the 2013 squad that won a Southland Conference co-championship and became the first Bearkat women's team to reach the tournament championship game.
“It's a great thrill to get back to Katy,” Beadle said. “That's been our goal all year. Once you're in the tournament anything can happen.”
As a sophomore for the 2013 team, Beadle left her mark on the Southland Conference Tournament. Scoring 19 points in Sam Houston's 67-61 semifinal victory over No. 3 Lamar and grabbing 11 rebounds in the championship game against Oral Roberts, Beadle earned all-tournament honors. She joins her 2013 teammate Sequeena Thomas and her head coach, Brenda Welch-Nichols, as three of the only four Bearkat women to earn all-tournament at the Southland event. Andee Sheiron, who received the honor in 1997 after Sam Houston reached the semifinals in Shreveport, La., is the fourth member of the quartet.
The all-tournament honor was a thrill for Beadle but it was overshadowed by the disappointment of losing in the finals to Oral Roberts. Sam Houston bounced back to play Tulane a close game in the Bearkat's first appearance in the NCAA's Women's National Invitational.
"Everyone is excited about the tournament," Beadle said. "We've had some big wins here in the final two weeks and we're ready."
This year Beadle and fellow senior Shernise Robertson enter the tournament as two of the 15 players who have been honored as 2016 All-Southland Conference selections.
Robertson, a first team selection, leads the Southland in scoring for the second year in a row, a feat accomplished by only four other players in league history. Beadle, a second team all-league honoree, leads the league in field goal accuracy (.549), is second in rebounding (10.5) and fifth in scoring (15.5).
Sam Houston will play Nicholls in the first round at 1:30 p.m. Thursday. The Colonels enter the tournament 8-10 in conference play and stand as the No. 6 seed. Sam Houston produced a 7-11 league mark and is the conference's No. 7 seed. Nicholls defeated Sam Houston 67-63 in their only meeting of the season in Huntsville January 13. Beadle led the Kats with 18 points and 11 rebounds in the contest.
Central Arkansas (26-3, 16-2 Southland) is the No. 1 seed in the women's tournament. The Bears, who are riding a seven-game winning streak, receive a bye into the semifinals.
No. 5 seed Houston Baptist and No. seed 8 Lamar open the women's basketball tournament Thursday at 11 a.m. HBU completed league action at .500 with a 9-9 mark while the Cardinals posted an 7-11 conference record.
The winner of Game One will take on No. 4 McNeese State Friday at 11 a.m. The Cowgirls finished the regular season 11-7 in conference action. Lamar and McNeese both went one-and-done in last year's tournament. The winner will advance to take on No. 1 seed Central Arkansas Saturday at 1 p.m. for the semifinals
Northwestern State locked up the No. 2 seed after finishing 13-5 in league play and 19-10 overall in the regular season. The Demons return to Katy as the 2014 and 2015 Southland Conference Women's Basketball Tournament title winner. Northwestern State, like UCA, has a double bye into the semifinals.
Thursday's Nicholls versus Sam Houston winner will advance to take on No. 3 seed Stephen F. Austin Friday at 1:30 p.m. The Ladyjacks posted a 12-6 league record after starting conference action 1-5. That game will decide who advance to the semifinals to take on No. 2 seed Northwestern State Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
For the first time, all rounds of the women's tournament will be televised. The first and second rounds along with the semifinals will be available solely on ESPN3, while the championship game will be covered exclusively on CBS Sports Network.
The winner of the tournament will receive the Southland's automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. The selection show is Monday, March 14 at 6 p.m., CT, on ESPN.
Thursday, March 10
Game 1: No. 8 Lamar vs. No. 5 Houston Baptist, 11 a.m. (ESPN3)
Game 2: No. 7 Sam Houston State vs. No. 6 Nicholls, 1:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
Friday, March 11
Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. No. 4 McNeese State, 11 a.m. (ESPN3)
Game 4: Winner Game 2 vs. No. 3 Stephen F. Austin, 1:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
Saturday, March 12
Game 5: Winner Game 3 vs. No. 1 Central Arkansas, 1 p.m. (ESPN3)
Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. No. 2 Northwestern State, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
Sunday, March 13
Championship Game, 11:30 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
