Kats look to keep momentum vs Celts
11/29/2018 11:25:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Game 7
Saturday, Dec. 1 • Huntsville • 3:00 p.m. • Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum (6,100)
Sam Houston State (3-3, 0-0 Southland) vs St. Thomas (2-3, 0-0 RRAC)
Live Stats • BSN YouTube • KSHU 90.5 FM • @BearkatsWBB on Twitter
HUNTSVILLE – The Sam Houston State Bearkats will look to build upon the momentum of last week's road win on Saturday when they return to Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum to take on St. Thomas.
The game can be watched on the Bearkat Sports Network's YouTube channel or listened online on KSHU 90.5 FM. Live stats will also be available while updates can be received by following @BearkatsWBB on Twitter.
SERIES vs ST. THOMAS
This will be just the second meeting between the Celts and Bearkats after St. Thomas nearly pulled off an upset in Huntsville just a year ago. The Kats got a rebound-putback from Kiera McKinney in the final minute of play to hold off St. Thomas by a bucket at Johnson Coliseum. SHSU trailed by as much as nine in the first half before coming back for the win. Rachel Harrell had a then career high 15 points in the game.
TAKEAWAYS FROM LADY EAGLE THANKSGIVING CLASSIC
- Jenniffer Oramas and Jaylonn Walker were each named to the all-tournament team after the Kats' 1-1 weekend in Hattiesburg. Oramas averaged 21.0 points and 6.0 assists per game over the weekend, while Walker averaged 19.5 points, 3.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds.
- Oramas' 28 points in the loss to Troy set a new career high for the junior guard. The total is the fourth most by a Southland Conference player this season, and the most points by a Bearkat since Angela Beadle had 28 points against Lamar on March 2, 2016.
- Sam Houston's win over Southern Miss was the program's first non-conference road win since a 53-51 win at Texas Southern during the 2015-16 season.
- The Kats still trailed by as much as 13 in the third quarter against Southern Miss, but made up for it and then some. Still, after erasing the lead once, they still trailed 58-56 before Dominique Maxwell nailed her first bucket of the game, a 3-pointer at the 4:01 mark of the fourth quarter that put the Kats ahead for good. That triple sparked a 7-0 spurt in a span of less than three minutes for SHSU to pull out the win.
- Along with Oramas and Walker turning in big weekends, SHSU got another strong weekend from Amber Leggett. The freshman made her first two starts of the season and took advantage of it, following up her 23 points in the win over Wiley College by reaching double figures twice with 10 points against Troy and 12 against Southern Miss. She has reached double figures in scoring in four of the Kats' six games this year.
KATS HIT CENTURY MARK
With a pair of free throws by Tia Harston in the final minute of the game, the Bearkats hit the 100-point plateau in its early-season win over Jarvis Christian. It was the first time Sam Houston had scored 100 points in a game since a 102-72 win over Nicholls all the way back in the 1994-95 season, a span of 671 games.
They followed it up two games later with 101 points against Wiley College. Those games are just the fourth and fifth times in program history that the Kats have scored 100 points in a game. It is also just the second time it has happened twice in the same season. The first time came in 1987-88 when they scored a program record 128 points and then later 101 points, both in wins over UT Pan American.
TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF
- One of the biggest impacts that Coach Ravon Justice has made on the Bearkats this season has been on the defensive end, and the numbers are speaking as such. After forcing only 14 turnovers in the season opener at LSU, the Kats have since forced at least 24 turnovers in each of their last five games. SHSU only forced that number of turnovers in two games last year, and prior to last season had not forced at least 24 turnovers in a single game since 2010-11.
KATS LOOKING TO KEEP WINNING AT HOME
- With its win over Wiley College, Sam Houston improved to 2-0 at Johnson Coliseum this year. It is the team's first 2-0 start at home since 2015-16 when they won games against LSU-Alexandria and Our Lady of the Lake. They will be going for the program's first 3-0 start at home since the 2013-14 season when they host St. Thomas on Saturday.
HARRELL, ORAMAS MOVING UP SHSU 3-POINT RECORD LIST
With two seasons left to play, junior guards Rachel Harrell and Jenniffer Oramas have the chance to move up the list at SHSU in made 3-point field goals. Just over midway through their playing careers Harrell has already canned 86 triples and Oramas has 65. Harrell only needs three more 3-pointers to move into the all-time top 10 at SHSU. Britni Martin holds the SHSU all-time record for made 3-point field goals with 311.
KATS PICKED 13TH IN SOUTHLAND PRESEASON POLLS
If the Bearkats needed any added motivation for the season, they got it when the Southland Conference preseason poll was released in October. The Kats were selected to finish 13th in the 13-team league in a vote of SLC coaches and sports information directors.
OH CANADA
Toronto native Dominique Maxwell finished with 10 points against Wichita State, marking the third straight game for her to score exactly 10 points to open the season. She only reached double figures in scoring one time in all of 2017-18, when she scored 10 points in the 2017-18 season opener at Arkansas.
HAYNES MAKING IMPACT IN FIRST YEAR
Coach Ravon Justice's addition of La'Sha Haynes from her days at Prairie View is working out so far for the Kats. In addition to her six steals against Wichita State, Haynes added a team-high eight rebounds. She's averaging 6.5 rebounds per game - 12th in the SLC - and has led the Kats on the glass four times, including against three of its four D1 opponents.
