Saturday, March 7
Huntsville
2:00 PM
vs
NM State
Photo by: Trinity Pringle
Kats close out regular season with win over Aggies
3/7/2026 6:12:00 PM | Women's Basketball
HUNTSVILLE -Â Sam Houston closed out the regular season with a dominant 71-55 victory over New Mexico State on Senior Day Saturday afternoon at Johnson Coliseum.
The Bearkats (17-11, 10-7 CUSA) jumped out to an early lead and went ahead by 15 points in the first half before the Aggies (9-21, 5-12 CUSA) responded with a 12-2 run midway through the third quarter to cut into the deficit. Sam Houston answered in the fourth with a 7-0 run to pull away and secure the 16-point victory.
Fanta Kone and Deborah Ogayemi each recorded career highs with 23 points to lead the Bearkats. Kone scored 17 of her points in the first half while adding seven rebounds, five assists and five steals. She also connected on one of Sam Houston's two 3-pointers in the contest.
Ogayemi shot 8-of-16 from the field and went 7-of-10 at the free throw line while adding eight rebounds and a career-high seven steals. Nyla Inmon contributed nine points, six rebounds and five assists, while Esther Rodellar added five points on a perfect 2-of-2 shooting performance, including a 3-pointer.
Sam Houston controlled the game in the paint, outscoring New Mexico State with 46 points inside. The Bearkats forced 25 Aggie turnovers and converted them into 22 points while also winning the rebounding battle, 36-30. Defensively, Sam Houston recorded 17 steals, led by Ogayemi's seven and Kone's five.
The 16-point margin marks the Bearkats' second-largest conference victory of the season, trailing only the 70-51 win over Jacksonville State.
With the win, Sam Houston finishes the regular season in a four-way tie for third place in the Conference USA standings with Missouri State, Liberty, and Middle Tennessee.
Up Next
Sam Houston will travel to Huntsville, Alabama next week to compete in the Conference USA Tournament. All tournament games will be streamed on ESPN+, with the championship game set to air on CBS Sports Network.
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The Bearkats (17-11, 10-7 CUSA) jumped out to an early lead and went ahead by 15 points in the first half before the Aggies (9-21, 5-12 CUSA) responded with a 12-2 run midway through the third quarter to cut into the deficit. Sam Houston answered in the fourth with a 7-0 run to pull away and secure the 16-point victory.
Fanta Kone and Deborah Ogayemi each recorded career highs with 23 points to lead the Bearkats. Kone scored 17 of her points in the first half while adding seven rebounds, five assists and five steals. She also connected on one of Sam Houston's two 3-pointers in the contest.
Ogayemi shot 8-of-16 from the field and went 7-of-10 at the free throw line while adding eight rebounds and a career-high seven steals. Nyla Inmon contributed nine points, six rebounds and five assists, while Esther Rodellar added five points on a perfect 2-of-2 shooting performance, including a 3-pointer.
Sam Houston controlled the game in the paint, outscoring New Mexico State with 46 points inside. The Bearkats forced 25 Aggie turnovers and converted them into 22 points while also winning the rebounding battle, 36-30. Defensively, Sam Houston recorded 17 steals, led by Ogayemi's seven and Kone's five.
The 16-point margin marks the Bearkats' second-largest conference victory of the season, trailing only the 70-51 win over Jacksonville State.
With the win, Sam Houston finishes the regular season in a four-way tie for third place in the Conference USA standings with Missouri State, Liberty, and Middle Tennessee.
Up Next
Sam Houston will travel to Huntsville, Alabama next week to compete in the Conference USA Tournament. All tournament games will be streamed on ESPN+, with the championship game set to air on CBS Sports Network.
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Players Mentioned
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