HUNTSVILLE– The Sam Houston women's basketball team will be looking to avenge a pair of earlier defeats within Conference USA play this weekend when it hits the road to face FIU and Liberty, beginning Thursday morning in Miami. 

Coach Ravon Justice's Bearkats picked up their first win of CUSA play on February 1 with an epic fourth-quarter comeback over WKU, but followed the victory with a pair of narrow defeats at Johnson Coliseum to both FIU and Jax State.  

The Kats and Panthers will be meeting for the second time in less than two weeks when Sam Houston hits the sand near South Beach on Thursday morning. Tipoff for the early affair is set for 10:00 a.m. CT and will be aired on ESPN+.  

Sam Houston then heads up the East Coast for its first-ever trip to Liberty on Saturday afternoon. That tipoff is set for 1:00 p.m. CT and will also be aired on ESPN+. 

Series vs FIU 
This will be the second-ever meeting between SHSU and FIU with the first coming on Feb. 3 in Huntsville, a 71-65 FIU victory. 

The Kats fell just short of its second consecutive victory that ight, despite a big third quarter which had the teams tied at 48-48 apiece going into the final stanza. Kassidy Dixon led SHSU with 17 points, while Shanti Henry had 13.  

Series vs Liberty 
Saturday will be the Kats' first trip to Lynchburg and its second meeting with the Flames this year. Liberty picked up an 84-77 win in Huntsville on Jan. 20. Sam Houston outscored Liberty 25-15 in the final quarter, but ultimately were unable to claw all the way back from what was a 17-point deficit at one point.  

Liberty's Emma Hess turned in a huge game for the Flames with 30 points and five rebounds, while Sydnee Kemp led SHSU with 17. 

QUICK HITTERS 
- Since she took over the SHSU program for the 2018-19 season, Coach Ravon Justice's teams have taken full advantage of their trips to the charity stripe, ranking in the top 10 in the nation in free throw attempts and makes in four of her first five years at the helm. This year is no different as the Kats enter Thursday's game ranked second in the nation with 25.9 free throw attempts per game, and third in the country with an average of 17.81 made foul shots per game.

- Raanee Smith continues to leave her mark on each game with her work on the boards, ranking second in Conference USA with 9.0 rebounds per game. However, her work on the offensive glass has stood out even more. She currently leads CUSA and ranks fourth in the nation with 5.0 offensive rebounds per game.   

Follow the Kats 
For updates on Bearkat Women's Basketball, be sure to check GoBearkats.com and follow @Bearkats_WBB on X and @BearkatsWBB on Instagram.