Jan. 22, 2010
Arlington, Texas -
Sam Houston State Game Notes 
Game 18
UT Arlington at Sam Houston State
January 23, 2010 at 2 p.m.
Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum -- Huntsville, Texas
Radio: KHVL 1490 AM
UTA-SAM HOUSTON STATE SERIES
The Mavericks lead the all-time series against the Bearkats, 37-12... UTA has won the last 15 meetings between the pair including victories of 87-73 in Arlington and 83-65 in Huntsville last year... Sam Houston's last victory over UTA was a 72-62 victory in Huntsville in 2001.
THE BEARKATS
Sam Houston enters the contest with a 4-11 season record and an 1-2 mark in Southland Conference play... The Bearkats held off a furious comeback by Texas State Wednesday... Down 21 points in the second half, the Bobcats rallied to cut the margin to three points in the final seconds... But Sam Houston hung on for the 85-81 victory... Six of the defeats during the eight-game losing streak came on a month-long road swing in which SHSU matched up with outstanding programs from the Southeastern, Big 12, Mountain West and Conference USA on some of their trips.
LAST GAME - STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 79 AT UT ARLINGTON 85
The Mavs earned their second conference win of the season Wednesday night against Stephen F. Austin at Texas Hall... Meghan Nelson led the team with a career high 33 points on 13-of-22 shooting from the field, including 7-of-10 from the free throw line... UTA finished the game shooting 47.8 percent from the field to the LadyJacks 40.8 percent... the Mavericks out-rebounded SFA by a 48-40 margin and dominated the paint, 44-14... UT Arlington used its speed to their advantage recording 16 fast break points compared to two for Stephen F. Austin but the LadyJacks bench put in work recording 24 points to UTA's 12.
AT THIS POINT
UT Arlington enters Saturday afternoon's contest with a 7-10 overall record and a 2-2 mark in SLC play... the Mavs are coming off an 85-79 home win over Stephen F. Austin Wednesday night... Meghan Nelson guided the Mavs to a win after pouring in a career high 33 points on 13-of-22 shooting from the field, including 7-of-10 from the free throw line... Tamara Simmons added 19 points and Shalyn Martin finished with 16... away from Texas Hall, UT Arlington is 3-6 and 1-1 in conference action... Nelson continues to have the hot hand for UTA, averaging 16.6 points per game... on the defensive end, Martin leads the team with 8.6 rebounds per game.
Meghan Nelson RECORDS CAREER-HIGH 33 POINTS IN SFA WIN
UT Arlington senior guard Meghan Nelson scored a career-high 33 points to lead the Mavs to their second conference win of the season in an 85-79 decision over the visiting Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks... A native of Cedar Hill, Texas, Nelson's 33 points are the most points scored in a conference game this season.
1,000 POINT WATCH
Guard Meghan Nelson started her senior season with 627 total points, so far this year Nelson has collected 250 points in 15 games... she needs 123 points to become the 16th player in UTA Women's Basketball history to record 1,000 career points... With 12 games remaining in the regular season and Nelson steadily averaging 15.6 points per game and she is well on her way to reaching this milestone... Last season, Nelson finished her junior year with 343 points and 11-games into the 2008-09 campaign she had only 90 points... Nelson leads the Mavericks offense having finished in double-figures in all 16 games and has scored 15 or more points in 11 games.
MAVERICKS IN THE CONFERENCE
After a 33-point performance at home against Stephen F. Austin, Meghan Nelson jumped one spot up in scoring in conference action with her 20.5 points per game... Ricshanda Bickham of Nicholls State leads the field with 20.8 points per game... Shalyn Martin is second in rebounding with 10.0 per game... she has recorded double-double performances in consecutive games and six on the season... Donna Dike ranks second in blocked shots with 1.8 per game.
NELSON EARNS ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM HONORS
Senior Meghan Nelson finished the week scoring in double-figures in all four games for the Mavs... led the Mavericks in scoring against Texas Tech and San Francisco at the Basketball Traveler's Classic in Lubbock, Texas... finished the tournament the with 43 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals... was selected to the four man all-tournament team... best performance of the weekend came against Texas Tech, collecting 16 points on 7 of 13 shooting from the field in 23 minutes of action.
NELSON LEADS THE WAY
Offensively the Mavericks are being led by senior Meghan Nelson... Nelson has scored in double-figures in all of the Mavericks 17 games and has scored 15 or more points in 12 games... leads the team with 16.6 points per game and is second in the Southland Conference in scoring.
NELSON ADDS ANOTHER PIECE OF HARDWARE
Senior Meghan Nelson added another piece of hardware to her trophy case on Sunday, December 20 at the St. John's Holiday Invitational in Jamaica, NY... against St. John's, Nelson finished with a game high 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the floor, including 4-of-5 from the free throw line and added five rebounds and two steals... Nelson followed that performance with 12 points and four boards against UAB on Sunday.
MAVERICKS PICKED TO FINISH 2ND IN LEAGUE
The Mavericks received 53 points and three first-place votes in the coaches' poll. The Mavs tallied 55 points and five first-place votes in the SID poll. Overall UT Arlington was picked second behind Lamar, who finished third in the West Division last season. The Cardinals received 59 points and six first-place votes for the top spot. Last year's defending champion UTSA earned 50 points and two first-place votes while A&M-Corpus Christi collected 34 points and one first-place vote.
