Sam Houston State is looking their third straight win as they host Lamar today at Johnson Coliseum.
The Bearkats are attempting to go above .500 in the Southland Conference for the first time since their first conference game of the season. The Kats currently sit at seventh place despite their 5-13 overall record. SHSU is coming off a nail-biting win over Stephen F. Austin State in the Battle of the Piney Woods.
The Cardinals are second in the SLC with a 9-10 overall record, with a 6-2 SLC record. Lamar looks to continue their winning ways after an 80-64 win over Houston Baptist on Saturday.
Looking at the two teams closer, Lamar ranks fourth in the SLC in scoring while the Kats are 11th. Lamar likes shooting three-pointers as the Cardinals rank second in attempts with 411 in the season. SHSU has almost half the attempts but ranks second in the SLC with 32.6 percent shooting percentage compared to Lamar’s 31.6 percent, which ranks sixth in the conference.
SHSU junior guard Shernise Robertson, the SLC player of the week, leads all SLC players, averaging 19.3 points per game. Robertson has had five straight games with at least 20 points, including two 30-point games. Lamar’s top scorer, junior guard JaMeisha Edwards, is eighth in the conference with 13.7 PPG.
The teams are opposites when comparing the turnover margin. The Cardinals are first in the SLC, averaging 3.79 fewer turnovers than their opponents. The Kats on the other hand are ranked last with 4.13 more turnovers than their opponents. Lamar also leads the conference with 12.05 steals per game.
Injuries have depleted the Kats this season as they have sometimes only dressed three players on the bench. If the Kats can bring a strong bench presence Thursday to give the starters a break for a few minutes, it would help the Kats late in the second half to make a run if needed.
Robertson might not be able to have a high scoring affair Thursday if the Cardinal defense double teams like the Jacks did Saturday. If Robertson can distribute the ball to her teammates, any Kat shooter can get into a streak and score more than twenty points.
The Kats can win the game if there is a strong post presence by junior post Shadijah Moore along with a high offensive performance from the guards. Moore is the only post player the Kats have dressed out this season as senior post Angela Beadle is still sitting out. Moore leads the team in rebounds as she averages 6.3 rebounds per game.
SHSU dropped both games to the Cardinals last season and if the Kats limit their turnovers and can continue shooting lights out as they have lately, they can surprise the Cardinals.
Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. Prediction: Lamar 60 SHSU 68