Photo by: DJ Shafer
Kats push on to CUSA semifinals
3/21/2025 7:16:00 PM | Women's Bowling
HARAHAN, La. – The Bearkats are peaking at the right time.
No. 7 Sam Houston kept its winning streak alive by knocking off another top seed Friday morning to set up a showdown with No. 1 Jax State at the CUSA Bowling Championship. The only two unbeaten teams will meet in the semifinals on Saturday at 9 a.m.
Friday morning, the Gamecocks faced off against No. 5 Arkansas State in a highly anticipated national championship rematch. JSU swept both the traditional and baker games, sending the Red Wolves to the contender's bracket. The Bearkats pulled their second upset of the tournament, defeating No. 3 Vanderbilt.
In the contender's bracket, No. 4 Wichita State won over No. 9 Tulane in a best-of-seven tiebreaker, eliminating the Green Wave from the tournament. No. 6 Stephen F. Austin won both points in traditional and baker over No. 2 Youngstown State, also eliminating them from the tournament.
Friday afternoon, both contender's bracket matches (Match 13: No. 3 Vanderbilt, No. 4 Wichita State & Match 14: No. 5 A-State, No. 6 SFA) split traditional and baker, forcing best-of-seven tiebreakers. It was the first time in the history of the CUSA Bowling Championship for two matches to go into a best-of-seven tiebreaker at the same time.
Wichita State won the first three games and Vanderbilt responded with a win after the Shockers' third point. Ultimately, the Shockers took the fourth game, eliminating the Commodores.
Match 13 was a back-and-forth battle between the Ladyjacks and Red Wolves in the of the best-of-seven series. A-State started off on a high, winning the first three games, but SFA came back to win the next two games. Arkansas State came out on top, earning their fourth and eliminating SFA.
A-State and Wichita State will face off Saturday at 9 a.m. along with the Bearkats and Gamecocks. Saturday afternoon, the losing team of Match 15 (SHSU v. Jax State) will fall in the contender's bracket, facing the winning team of Match 16 (A-State v. Wichita State).
Round Four Results
Match Nine – No. 4 Wichita State 2 (1082-970-4), No. 9 Tulane 1 (985-1024-1)
Match 10 – No. 6 SFA 2 (987-1018), No. 2 Youngstown State 0 (973-978)
Match 11 – No. 1 Jax State 2 (1111-1041), No. 5 A-State 0 (982-1011)
Match 12 – No. 7 Sam Houston 2 (895-939), No. 3 Vanderbilt 1 (869-913)
Round Five Results
Match 13 – No. 3 Vanderbilt 1 (1087-986-1), No. 4 Wichita State 2 (1052-1006-4)
Match 14 – No. 6 SFA 1 (991-917-2), No. 5 A-State 2 (990-1032-4)
Updated Bracket (PDF)
Up Next – Round Six (Saturday, March 22 at 9 a.m. CT)
Match 15 – No. 1 Jax State vs. No. 7 Sam Houston (Semifinals)
Match 16 – No. 5 A-State vs. No. 4 Wichita State (Contender's Bracket Match-Up)
Round Seven (Saturday, March 22 at 2 p.m. CT)
Match 17 – Losing Team of Match 15 vs. Winnings Team of Match 16
Championship Format
The Conference USA Championship is determined by the mega-match format. A mega-match encompasses three different rounds or points, and a team must get to two points to win the match.
The first round is the traditional format. Each team in the match has five players bowl a full game, and each individual's total score is added together for the team total. Whichever team has the highest score from all five individual games wins the point and leads the mega-match 1-0.
The second round of the mega-match is the Baker total pinfall portion, which consists of five games. The winner is determined by adding the pinfall of all five games together. In the Baker format, lineups are comprised of five bowlers with each being responsible for two frames in each game. The leadoff player bowls in frames one and six. The second person in the lineup bowls in frames two and seven, etc. If the team that wins the traditional round also wins the Baker pinfall round, they win the match 2-0. If the team that lost the traditional round wins the Baker point, the mega-match is tied 1-1 and goes to a best-of-seven Baker match play format.
In the best-of-seven tiebreaker format, instead of adding five games together to determine a total, all that matters is the score each game. Winning 300-175 of 176-175 has the same weight. The first team to four games wins the point and wins the mega-match 2-1.
How To Keep Up
The tournament bracket, results and TV links can be found on our Championship Central page. Each round of the tournament will be streamed live on ESPN+. Admission to the championship is free.
No. 7 Sam Houston kept its winning streak alive by knocking off another top seed Friday morning to set up a showdown with No. 1 Jax State at the CUSA Bowling Championship. The only two unbeaten teams will meet in the semifinals on Saturday at 9 a.m.
Friday morning, the Gamecocks faced off against No. 5 Arkansas State in a highly anticipated national championship rematch. JSU swept both the traditional and baker games, sending the Red Wolves to the contender's bracket. The Bearkats pulled their second upset of the tournament, defeating No. 3 Vanderbilt.
In the contender's bracket, No. 4 Wichita State won over No. 9 Tulane in a best-of-seven tiebreaker, eliminating the Green Wave from the tournament. No. 6 Stephen F. Austin won both points in traditional and baker over No. 2 Youngstown State, also eliminating them from the tournament.
Friday afternoon, both contender's bracket matches (Match 13: No. 3 Vanderbilt, No. 4 Wichita State & Match 14: No. 5 A-State, No. 6 SFA) split traditional and baker, forcing best-of-seven tiebreakers. It was the first time in the history of the CUSA Bowling Championship for two matches to go into a best-of-seven tiebreaker at the same time.
Wichita State won the first three games and Vanderbilt responded with a win after the Shockers' third point. Ultimately, the Shockers took the fourth game, eliminating the Commodores.
Match 13 was a back-and-forth battle between the Ladyjacks and Red Wolves in the of the best-of-seven series. A-State started off on a high, winning the first three games, but SFA came back to win the next two games. Arkansas State came out on top, earning their fourth and eliminating SFA.
A-State and Wichita State will face off Saturday at 9 a.m. along with the Bearkats and Gamecocks. Saturday afternoon, the losing team of Match 15 (SHSU v. Jax State) will fall in the contender's bracket, facing the winning team of Match 16 (A-State v. Wichita State).
Round Four Results
Match Nine – No. 4 Wichita State 2 (1082-970-4), No. 9 Tulane 1 (985-1024-1)
Match 10 – No. 6 SFA 2 (987-1018), No. 2 Youngstown State 0 (973-978)
Match 11 – No. 1 Jax State 2 (1111-1041), No. 5 A-State 0 (982-1011)
Match 12 – No. 7 Sam Houston 2 (895-939), No. 3 Vanderbilt 1 (869-913)
Round Five Results
Match 13 – No. 3 Vanderbilt 1 (1087-986-1), No. 4 Wichita State 2 (1052-1006-4)
Match 14 – No. 6 SFA 1 (991-917-2), No. 5 A-State 2 (990-1032-4)
Updated Bracket (PDF)
Up Next – Round Six (Saturday, March 22 at 9 a.m. CT)
Match 15 – No. 1 Jax State vs. No. 7 Sam Houston (Semifinals)
Match 16 – No. 5 A-State vs. No. 4 Wichita State (Contender's Bracket Match-Up)
Round Seven (Saturday, March 22 at 2 p.m. CT)
Match 17 – Losing Team of Match 15 vs. Winnings Team of Match 16
Championship Format
The Conference USA Championship is determined by the mega-match format. A mega-match encompasses three different rounds or points, and a team must get to two points to win the match.
The first round is the traditional format. Each team in the match has five players bowl a full game, and each individual's total score is added together for the team total. Whichever team has the highest score from all five individual games wins the point and leads the mega-match 1-0.
The second round of the mega-match is the Baker total pinfall portion, which consists of five games. The winner is determined by adding the pinfall of all five games together. In the Baker format, lineups are comprised of five bowlers with each being responsible for two frames in each game. The leadoff player bowls in frames one and six. The second person in the lineup bowls in frames two and seven, etc. If the team that wins the traditional round also wins the Baker pinfall round, they win the match 2-0. If the team that lost the traditional round wins the Baker point, the mega-match is tied 1-1 and goes to a best-of-seven Baker match play format.
In the best-of-seven tiebreaker format, instead of adding five games together to determine a total, all that matters is the score each game. Winning 300-175 of 176-175 has the same weight. The first team to four games wins the point and wins the mega-match 2-1.
How To Keep Up
The tournament bracket, results and TV links can be found on our Championship Central page. Each round of the tournament will be streamed live on ESPN+. Admission to the championship is free.
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