Stephen F. Austin
Bethune Cookman Wildcat Invitational
Ladyjacks Finish Fourth at Season-Opening Wildcat Invitational
10/23/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Bowling
2016 Bethune-Cookman Wildcat Invitational
Boardwalk Bowl | Orlando, Fla.
Result: Stephen F. Austin finishes fourth overall with an 8-4 record
Up Next: at Sam Houston State Track Kat Clash | Nov. 4-6 | Houston, Texas
ORLANDO, Fla. – Stephen F. Austin finished fourth at its season-opening event at the Bethune-Cookman Wildcat Invitational. The Ladyjacks went 1-2 over the final day’s best-of-seven bracket play, closing out the opening weekend with an 8-4 overall mark.
Earning the number three seed due to scoring average, SFA’s first bout of the day was another rematch with top-ranked Nebraska. The Ladyjacks and Cornhuskers split the opening four games with SFA winning the second (207-193) and fourth (229-191). SFA then found its groove in the final two games, defeating Nebraska 174-161 and 209-171 to take the opening match 4-2.
Up next was the first meeting of the year with Piney Woods rival Sam Houston State, a match which began with a 213-177 Ladyjack victory. After dropping the second and third games, SFA responded with a 211-158 win in game four. But unlike the opener against Nebraska, the game four win failed to jump start a winning streak as the Ladyjacks fell 237-223 and 199-179 in the final two games, dropping the match 4-2 and sliding into the consolation match.
Meeting up with Maryland-Eastern Shore for the first time this year, SFA won the second game 189-169, but quickly found itself in a 3-1 hole after dropping the third and fourth. The Ladyjacks kept the match alive with a 199-175 victory in game five, but the Hawks took game six 193-166 to seal the win, giving SFA the fourth-place finish.
Sam Houston State won the season-opening tournament, edging Arkansas State 4-2 in the championship match. Nebraska finished fifth overall with Monmouth, Fairleigh Dickinson, Tulane, North Carolina A&T and Prairie View A&M rounding out the top-10.
With the fourth-place finish, SFA extended its’ program record streak of consecutive top-10 team finishes to 33 tournaments, dating back to the 2011-12 season. The Ladyjacks have finished in the top-five in five-straight events, beginning with a third-place finish at last season’s Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawk Classic Feb. 19-21.
SFA will return from sunny Florida and will have a week off before preparing for its second tournament of the year. The Ladyjacks will make the short trip down to Houston for the Sam Houston State Track Kat Clash, being held November 4-6.
2016 Bethune-Cookman Wildcat Invitational Final Day Results
Best-of-seven baker-style bracket
Match One: SFA 4, Nebraska 2
L, 190-179; W, 207-193; L, 215-172; W, 229-191; W, 174-161; W, 209-171
Match Two: Sam Houston State 4, SFA 2
W, 213-177; L, 235-216; L, 199-141; W, 211-158; L, 237-223; L, 199-179
Match Three: Maryland-Eastern Shore 4, SFA 2
L, 192-173; W, 189-169; L, 205-185; L, 224-165; W, 199-175; L, 193-166
-SFA-
