Tuesday, March 9 - 2:30 p.m.
The Merrell Center - Katy, Texas
Radio: KHVL 1490 AM

The Sam Houston State women's basketball team makes its first appearance since 2004 in the State Farm Southland Conference Post-Season Classic Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. at the Merrell Center in Katy, TX. As the tournament's No. 6 seed, the Kats will face off with No. 3 seed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, a squad Sam Houston had two close encounters with during the regular season.

The 2010 Sam Houston State women's basketball season has been a year of firsts for the program.

Tuesday's game marks the Kats' first appearance in Southland post-season play since 2004. The 11-17 record this year mark SHSU's first double digit victory season in women's basketball since 2000. The 8-8 league mark is Sam Houston's first .500 or above conference record since going 11-7 in 2000.

Two Sam Houston players, seniors Whitney Smith and Brittany Brooks, both entered the Bearkat women's 1,000 career point club this year, the first time two Kat women have scored more than 1,000 career points in the same season since 1982.

Sam Houston won six of their last eight games in the regular season to storm into the tournament as one of the hottest teams in the league.

Both Sam Houston's games with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi this season were nail-biters. On Saturday January 30 in Huntsville, the Islanders' Jade Davis scored 18 points including five points in overtime as Corpus Christi rallied from 12 points down to defeat the Kats 76-69 at Johnson Coliseum. 

Brittany Brooks led Sam Houston with 24 points. The Bearkats built a 32-28 halftime lead and were up 47-35 after a Brooks' 3-pointer with 15 minutes left in regulation.

During the next 10 minutes, A&M-Corpus Christi went on a 17-5 run to tie the contest 52-52 on a free throw by Adrienne Scott with 5:04 to play. After a pair of lead changes, TAMUCC went ahead 63-58 on a pair of free throws by Davis with 53 seconds left. Five seconds later, Brooks was fouled on a three point attempt and made all three free throws to cut the margin to 63-61. Ray Alexander made a steal and dribbled in for a layup with 10 seconds remaining forced overtime. 

During the extra period, Sam Houston hit only one of its 11 shots while the Islanders had two field goals and went 9-of-10 from the line. The Islanders outscored the Kats 13-6 in the extra final minutes.

In the rematch in Corpus Christi on Feb. 13, Elisa Beagle's put-back after her own missed free throw with eight seconds left gave A&M-Corpus Christi an 81-80 win. Whitney Smith had given the Bearkat women a five-point lead with 38 seconds remaining. Smith hit consecutive baskets, the second a follow shot after an offensive rebound to put Sam Houston up 80-75.

But the Islanders hit a 3-pointer and Davis rebounded a miss shot by the Bearkats. Beagle was fouled to put her at the free throw line down two with eight seconds to play.  Beagle, who led Corpus Christi with 16 points, made the first free throw before missing the second then making the game-winning play.

Smith paced Sam Houston with 18 points. Freshman Chanice Smith added 17 points. Two other Bearkats scored in double figures as Ray Alexander scored 16 and Brittany Brooks totaled 15.  The biggest statistical difference in the contest came at the free throw line. A&M-Corpus Christi was 13 of 19 at the charity stripe while Sam Houston went to the line only three times, making two.

Sam Houston's trio of four-year seniors is providing the leadership for the women's basketball team this year. Guards Brittany Brooks and Ray Alexander and forward Whitney Smith are combining for 39.1 points a game. Brooks leads the team with a 14.5 average. Smith is scoring 12.2 points and leading the Kats with 7.4 rebounds per game. Alexander adds 12.2 points per contest.

Also playing important roles for Sam Houston this season are 5-9 freshman Chanice Smith (8.25 points per game), 6-2 sophomore Bre Agnew (5.7), 5-10 sophomore Khamra Echols (5.2), 6-0 freshman Clarke Davis (4.0) and 5-11 Sequeena Thomas (3.8).
Agnew and Clarke join the three fourth-year seniors in the Bearkat starting lineup.

Go to Southland Tournament Central for more information or by call the SHSU Athletic Ticket office at  936 294-1729. The Sam Houston athletic ticket office is located in the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium. Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. By purchasing tournament tickets through the SHSU Ticket Office, fans will assured of seats in the SHSU section of the Merrell Center.