Thursday, January 8
Lynchburg, Va.
4:00 PM
9-4,2-0CUSA
59
at
53
Liberty
8-6,2-1CUSA
1
2
3
4
F
Sam Houston
13
15
8
23
59
Liberty
8
15
11
19
53
Photo by: Zach Warnell
Kats knock off Liberty
1/8/2026 7:34:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Sam Houston Bearkats dug deep to knock off the defending Conference USA champion Liberty Flames, 59–53, on Thursday night at Liberty Arena.
Sam Houston (9–4, 2–0 CUSA) led nearly the whole way, building a five-point advantage in the first half before the Flames (8–6, 2–1 CUSA) surged in the third quarter to cut the deficit to two. The Bearkats responded with stifling defense down the stretch, pulling away in the final two minutes to secure the program's first win in six tries over Flames.
Deborah Ogayemi paced Sam Houston with a season-high 17 points and 11 rebounds, recording her second straight and fifth double-double of the season. Nyla Inmon narrowly missed a double-double, finishing with 15 points and nine boards, while Fanta Kone added 12 points, knocking down both of the Bearkats' makes from beyond the arc.
Sam Houston outscored Liberty 23–19 in the fourth quarter, despite the Flames trimming the margin to three with six minutes remaining. The Bearkats forced 20 turnovers and collected 13 steals, led by Aysia Ward-Strong and Inmon, who each recorded four.
With the victory, Sam Houston secured its best 13-game start since the 2019–20 season and tied its longest win streak of the year.
UP NEXT
The Bearkats head to face Delaware on Saturday at Bob Carpenter Center in Newark, Del. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. ET, with the game streaming on ESPN+.
Â
Sam Houston (9–4, 2–0 CUSA) led nearly the whole way, building a five-point advantage in the first half before the Flames (8–6, 2–1 CUSA) surged in the third quarter to cut the deficit to two. The Bearkats responded with stifling defense down the stretch, pulling away in the final two minutes to secure the program's first win in six tries over Flames.
Deborah Ogayemi paced Sam Houston with a season-high 17 points and 11 rebounds, recording her second straight and fifth double-double of the season. Nyla Inmon narrowly missed a double-double, finishing with 15 points and nine boards, while Fanta Kone added 12 points, knocking down both of the Bearkats' makes from beyond the arc.
Sam Houston outscored Liberty 23–19 in the fourth quarter, despite the Flames trimming the margin to three with six minutes remaining. The Bearkats forced 20 turnovers and collected 13 steals, led by Aysia Ward-Strong and Inmon, who each recorded four.
With the victory, Sam Houston secured its best 13-game start since the 2019–20 season and tied its longest win streak of the year.
UP NEXT
The Bearkats head to face Delaware on Saturday at Bob Carpenter Center in Newark, Del. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. ET, with the game streaming on ESPN+.
Â
Team Stats
SHSU
LIB
FG%
.375
.333
3FG%
.154
.313
FT%
.714
.588
RB
40
38
TO
18
20
STL
13
7
Game Leaders
Pts
17
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballWBB: Highlights vs Kennesaw State
Saturday, January 31
WBB: Ravon Justice Interview Kennesaw St
Saturday, January 31
WBB: Ravon Justice Press Conference
Friday, January 30
WBB: Highlights vs Jax State
Thursday, January 29
