Sports Update for Sept. 22

FOOTBALL

O. J. Moore put the Devils up 7-0 by returning the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. But Mississippi Valley never got closer to the goalline than the 32-yard line the rest of the game as the Bearkats held the Devils to just 182 total yards.

Randle led the defense with three sacks for 14 yards in losses and a total of seven tackles. Three interceptions in the second quarter broke the game open for Sam Houston, who went on to win 45-7.

DeJuan Davis returned a pass theft 33 yards to set up a 42-yard Joey Price field goal. Robert Herron's 28-yard interception return set up an eight yard touchdown run by Maurice Harris. Then, Courtney Boston picked off another pass and ran it back 27 yards for a score.

Jason Godfrey, a true freshman playing his first college game, scored three touchdowns on runs of four, one, and five yards. Sophomore quarterback Travis Tobaben, playing only his third college game, completed 18 of 33 passes for 200 yards to direct the Kats to scoring drives of 63, 80, 48, and 44 yards.

The victory gives Sam Houston State a 2-2 season mark going into their final non-conference game of the 2002 season Saturday Sept. 28 at Western Illinois. The Bearkats open Southland Conference action Oct. 12 at Jacksonville State.

In other Southland action Saturday, Nicholls State defated Jacksonville State 14-6, Northwestern State lost to Georgia 45-7, Southwest Texas defated Texas Southern 17-10, and Northern Iowa defeated Stephen F. Austin 31-24.

VOLLEYBALL

The Bearkats, now 8-5 for the season, battled from a two games to one deficit to defeat Stephen F. Austin in five games Tuesday in Nacogdoches. Sartain totaled 21 kills in SHSU's 28-30 32-30 17-30 30-20 15-10 victory.

Sam Houston State split on a two-game road swing to Louisiana. Friday, Sartain collected 17 kills as the Bearkats slammed Louisiana-Monroe 30-19 30-20 30-26. Saturday, a surprising Northwestern State ended the Kats's winning streak with a hard-fought 34-32 30-28 30-18 victory in Natchitoches. Sartain led SHSU with 14 kills.

The Bearkats return home to Johnson Coliseum for three important Southland Conference matches this week.

Tuesday (Sept. 24) at 7 p.m., SHSU plays host to Texas-San Antonio on "Orange Crush" night at Johnson Coliseum. Friday (Sept. 27) at 7 p.m. the Bearkats play Lamar University on "Wear Orange " night at Johnson. Saturday (Sept. 28) at 4 p.m. the opponent is McNeese State as the Kats host "Student Organization Day" at Johnson.

CROSS COUNTRY

The Bearkats took first place in the team standings for the men's four mile race with 43 points. University of Houston was second with 63 points, followed by Stephen F. Austin 82, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 90, Texas-Arlington 99, Texas A&M 135, TCU 157, Texas Southern 234, and Prairie View A&M 253.

Joe Amburn of Sam Houston State was second in the collegiate standings with a time of 24:09. Isai Llanes was eighth at 24:44.

The Sam Houston State women placed fifth in the women's two mile race. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi placed first with 38 points, one ahead of second place TCU. Houston was third with 76 followed by Texas A&M 99, Sam Houston 123, Texas-Arlington 135, and Texas Southern 198.

Alayne Thompson of TCU was the top collegiate finisher with a time of 19 minutes, six seconds. Gaby Mendoza led Sam Houston State with a 15th place finish (20:35).

Next action for the Bearkat cross country team is Saturday, Oct. 5, when Sam Houston State will run in the Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree in Stillwater, Ok.

GOLF

Lamar University won the meet with a team score of 286-277-284--847. Chris Stroud of Lamar took individual medalist honors, winning a sudden death playoff after he, Jeremiah Shields of Arkansas State, and Shawn Stefani of Lamar all tied for first place at 211.

The Bearkats's 54-hole team total was 284-292-297--873.

Next action for the Sam Houston State men will be the Louisiana-Monroe Fred Marx Intercollegiate Sept. 23-24 at Bayou DeSaird Golf Club in Monroe, La.

Sophomore Raman Saran finished 23rd individually to lead the Sam Houston State women's golf team as the Bearkats placed ninth as team in their first tournament of the 2002-03 season, the North Texas Eagle Invitational at Oakmont Country Club.

Saran's 54-hole total was 79-82-72--233. The Bearkats as a team totaled 317-325-304--946.

Other Sam Houston State scores were Kristen Cook, 29th, 77-81-78--236; Kayla Duhr, 36th, 81-80-77--238; Brittany Spieth, 49th 80-88-77--245; and Emily Ogilvy, 60th, 89-82-83--254.

Oral Roberts won the tournament team title with a 296-295-307--898 total. Randi Gauthier of North Texas was the individual medalist with a four-under par 69-71-72--212.

Next action for the Bearkat women will be the fifth annual University of Arkansas Razorback Invitational at Pinnacle Country Club in Fayetteville, AR, Oct. 7-8.

WOMEN'S TENNIS

Shelander took the consolation singles title in the number three flight at TCU, defeating Rosa Diaz-Guzman of Tarleton State 6-3 6-3 and Kristin Beedy of North Texas 6-3 6-1.

Next action for the Sam Houston State women's tennis team will be the University of Houston Cougar Fall Classic on Oct. 11-13.

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Media Contact: Paul Ridings
Sept. 22, 2002
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