HUNTSVILLE – Some nights just mean more than others. For the Sam Houston women's basketball team, Thursday night was one of those nights.
The Bearkats (7-12, 2-6 WAC) welcomed back head coach
Ravon Justice, who returned after missing the last two months on the sidelines, and did so in style, taking down defending WAC champion and league-leading California Baptist, 73-65, at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.
CBU (15-3, 6-1 WAC) entered riding a 23-game win streak in WAC play dating back to February of 2020, and a 10-game win streak this season before running into the Kats.
Up against one of the league's best, Bearkat point guard
Faith Cook was at her best, pumping in a career-high 32 points and hitting 15-for-16 from the foul line to pace things for Sam Houston who did not trail at all in the second half.
Madelyn Batista continued to make her case as one of the top bigs in the WAC, putting in 18 points while pulling in a career-high 16 rebounds. In all, the Kats shot 41.1 percent from the floor, but made things difficult all night for the Lancers on the defensive end, forcing 20 turnovers and holding CBU to just 5-for-23 shooting from 3-point range.
CBU had entered the game having made no less than 10 3-pointers in each of its last five games and committed 20 turnovers for only the second time this year.
Ana Olaeta led CBU with 17 points, while Caitlyn Harper had 16 and Sydney Palma had 14.
For the Kats,
Damaya Telemaque put in nine points and
Kaylee Jefferson had eight, while getting key minutes from players such as
Devyn Wilson,
Sydnee Kemp and
LeAndra Echi.
The Kats finished strong in both of the opening quarters to take a lead into the break, going on an 8-2 spurt to close the opening period and a 7-2 run to end the half.
They led 29-24 behind 16 points from Cook who hit a 3-point bucket late in the half and then two more free throws to end it. Meanwhile, CBU entered the game having hit at least 10 3-point buckets in five straight games, but was just 2-for-12 from distance in the half.
CBU cut the lead to just two points early in the third quarter, but an 8-0 Bearkat run followed, capped by a bucket from Batista, pushing the lead to double digits for the first time at 37-27, four minutes into the period. The Lancers would not go away, though, getting a quick five points at the end of the quarter to enter the final 10 minutes down just 47-43.
But that was as close as they would get as the Kats hit 14-for-16 from the foul line in the fourth quarter to never let CBU closer than seven points at any point the remainder of the way.
The Kats, who have now won two in a row after opening up WAC play with six straight losses, will have the chance to make it a 3-game streak on Saturday when they host Seattle U. The game is set for a 3:00 p.m. start and will be aired on ESPN+.
