The Houstonian, March. 1, 2011

The Independant Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University

Vol 117— Issue 12

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

WHAT’S ON THE WEB Visit our website to participate in our latest multimedia projects or post your comments on the stories in this issue at HoustonianOnline.com

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The Oscars, Page 5

Photo courtesy of Lancashire County Council | Flickr

INDEX

Viewpoints.................page 2 Special.......................page 3

Entertainment............page 5 Sports.........................page 6 Sports.........................page 7

News..........................page 4 Special.......................page 8

Jessica Priest | The Houstonian

Middle East affects gas prices

By Stephen Green Viewpoints Editor

Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian

ON THE RISE. According to information on GasBuddy.com gas has reached its highest point since September of 2008. William Green, Ph.D, professor of economics at SHSU, attributes this to the recent events in the Middle East.

Currently, gas prices in Huntsville average $3.21 per gallon, which is still $0.17 lower than that of the United States.

How can you help?

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Pay half an adoption fee (An adoption fee costs $85) Donate the following items: • Paper towels • Trash bags • Laundry detergent • Copier paper • Bleach • Fabuloso • Towels • Blankets Enroll in the shelter’s volunteer course and sign up for volunteer opportunities, which may include, but are not limited to walking the dogs, playing with the puppies and cats, and answering phones.

Make a monetary donation

For more information on the shelter, call Lemmon at (936) 295-4666 or visit its web site at www.ritabhuffanimalshelter.org.

Summer and spring break are quickly approaching, which has students and travelers wondering when the rise in gas prices will end.

“I don’t like gas prices being half of what I make... talk about being a mood killer,” Kenziee-Taylor Pope, junior said.

“Not only do I not get paid enough, now half of my check is used just to get me to work.”

Pope said that if the rise continues, then she would have to start walking.

“I honestly would much rather get up 30 minutes earlier to walk to school and work since I work on campus,” Pope said.

Currently, gas prices in Huntsville average $3.21 per gallon, which is still $0.17 lower than that of the United States.

According to information on GasBuddy.com gas has

reached its highest point since September of 2008.

William Green, Ph.D, professor of economics at SHSU, attributes this to the recent events in the Middle East.

“I think probably a great deal can be attributed to uncertainty of the oil supply,” Green said.

“In all likelihood, the amount of oil coming from Libya has been decreased significantly.”

Starting on Feb. 22, Libyans have been protesting the reign of President Moammar Gadhafi, who has been increasingly violent.

On Feb. 27, the United Nations unanimously passed sanctions against Libya in response to Gadhafi’s actions.

Green said that fear of losing supply can cause the production of goods to increase from other areas when a producer such as Libya gets shutdown.

— See PRICES, page 3

On a paw and a prayer Donations save Rita B. Huff animal shelter from closure

By Jessica Priest

Multimedia/Web Editor

Walking into the Rita B. Huff Humane Society for the first time, visitors are caught with not only a whiff of the many stray animals housed there, but also one of vast despair.

Puppies whimper in their crowded cages. Dogs clamor for five minutes of attention.

Cats cling to students for as long as it takes to capture their heart.

All that’s really missing is Sarah McLaughlin’s gutwrenching song “In the Arms of an Angel,” which ideally would be playing over the loud speaker, but isn’t.

That’s when it normally hits people.

They discover that they aren’t sitting behind a TV in the comfort of their own home.

— See SHELTER, page 3

Jessica Priest | The Houstonian

HELP ARRIVES. Not long after Tori Brock, a Huntsville Item staff reporter, publicized Rita B. Huff’s financial woes in the city’s newspaper donations for the animal shelter came pouring in. So far, the shelter has raised more than $14.000, according to a Huntsville Item article entitled, “Community answers call for help.”

Kats catch what Bears couldn’t

Texas marijuana bill goes to committee

By Erin Peterson

Associate News Editor

House Bill 548, which calls for reduced fines for possession of marijuana, goes to the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee in the Texas Legislature today.

The bill would lower the penalties for possession of one ounce or less of marijuana to a Class C Misdemeanor, reducing the fine from $2000 to $500 and eliminating the possibility of a criminal record.

However, possession that is measured to be two ounces or less or more than one ounce is still considered to be a Class B Misdemeanor, which calls for a fine up to $2000 and up to 180 days in jail.

After being charged with an offense under Section 481.121 of the Health and Safety Code, this bill would also require that the defendant by placed on deferred adjudication to successfully complete a drug abuse awareness and education program, as well as calls for the court, community supervision and/or corrections department to take on the administrative costs for the required program, which must be approved by the Department of State Health Services.

In addition, the bill would call for justice and municipal courts to be added to the list of courts to which persons whose licenses have been suspended may apply for an occupational driver’s license.

The bill has a lot of support from NORML Kats, the Sam Houston State University chapter of NORML, a nonprofit, lobbying organization that works to reform marijuana laws. “[With this bill, marijuana] will no longer leave a criminal stain on the lives of young people,” the organization said on their website.

Also on the horizon are the Tim Timmons Compassionate Care Act and the Karen Heikkala Act. The Timmons Act would set up a network of dispensaries to provide safe, effective medical marijuana for critically ill patients suffering from AIDS, cancer and other serious diseases, while the Heikkala Act would provide an affirmative defense for legal out of state marijuana users.

HISTORICAL BIRTHDAY

SHSU To Celebrate Birthday, Texas’s 175th Anniversary

Sam Houston crowd gets a laugh watching Sam Houston outplay Colorado in extra inning, weekend tournament brings team to 6-2

By Zachary Birdsong Contributing Reporter

Huntsville- The Bearkats had a strong outing this weekend, winning all four games that they played in the Bearkat Baseball Tournament. The Kats were able to beat both the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-3) and the University of Northern Colorado Bears (0-4) twice during the series and improve their record to 6-2 on the season.

The Tournament kicked off Friday night, when the Kats played the Bears.

Seniors Ryan Mooney, Chris Andreas and Braeden Riley led the way for an offense that combined for a total of 15 hits in an 11-4 win for the Kats. Mooney finished with a single and a triple, while Riley finished with a single and a double.

Andreas ended the night going 3-4 with three RBIs, and a solo homerun.

Sophomores Jessie Plumlee and Greg Olsen added two RBIs a piece.

The offense was helped out by a strong

pitching performance from Senior Matt Shelton who went six innings, gave up eight hits while striking out three.

The tournament resumed Saturday night for the Kats as they took on the Cornhuskers.

A dominant pitching performance from Senior Brent Powers (1-0) held the Cornhuskers in check as the Kats cruised to any easy 7-1 win.

Powers pitched five innings, gave up six hits and one run, while striking out five in the win.

Both Mooney and Andreas each had three hits, and the offense totaled for 14 hits in the game. Andreas drove in one run, while Senior Payton Wisener drove in two runs.

Both the Cornhuskers and Kats had a short rest as the two resumed play against each other Sunday morning.

In a game that went back and forth, late hitting helped the Kat’s as they prevailed, 10-9.

— See CATCH, page 7

Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian

UNIVERSITY TRADITION. Beginning at 10:30 a.m. the traditional march to Sam Houston’s gravesite at Oakwood Cemetery will assemble behind Austin Hall and proceed to the general’s grave at around 10:40 a.m

By Meagan Ellsworth Editor-in-Chief

The traditional “March to the Grave,” birthday cake and toast, as well as a dedication of a cabin utilized by the University’s namesake will all be a part of the birthday celebration of Gen. Sam Houston on Wednesday, March 2.

Festivities, which will also commemorate the 175th Anniversary of Texas Independence, will kick off at 9:15 a.m. at the Sam Houston Statue and Visitor’s Center with refreshments.

Beginning at 10:30 a.m. the traditional march to Sam Houston’s gravesite at Oakwood Cemetery will assemble behind Austin Hall and proceed to the general’s

grave around 10:40 a.m., led by the SHSU ROTC down University Avenue.

Scott Sosebee, executive director and editor of the East Texas Historical Association, will speak at the ceremony, which will begin at 11 a.m. at Houston’s gravesite in Oakwood Cemetery.

— See MARCH, page 3

Viewpoints

Page 2 Tuesday, March 1, 2011

houstonianonline.com/viewpoints

Freshman fifteen: a weekly limit?

Stephen Green thinks that fast-food, lack of kitchen contributes to college obesity Hi, my name is Stephen, and I don’t realize how much I eat.

Going into college, I was ready to live my life fat free.

I had finished losing 70 lbs. over the past three years. I was always the heavier kid in my family. My mom, dad and brother could look eat food and lose weight.

Mainly, all I did was cut back portions and eat less overall.

But then I moved into my dorm. Within a week I had found every fast-food restaurant, including those on-campus. I also found pizza delivery and the fan-favorite, Café Belvin. The idea of allyou-can eat seemed to be more of a challenge than a statement.

Since last semester, which was my first, I have gained 35 lbs. That’s over half of the weight I had lost in the years prior.

Now if that had been anyone else I would probably have said, “I’m sorry, put the fork down and chain the refrigerator.”

Personally, it was so easy to gain weight because I didn’t realize what I was eating or how fast and easy it was to eat. With no kitchen at my disposal, buffets, fast-food, large schedule and a demanding job at the Houstonian, it’s easy to see how I was distracted into eating my way into my homegrown fat suit.

I doubt the problem is limited to me. America is the fattest nation with over 30.6 percent of citizens falling into the obese category, according to nationmaster.com. You would think a country who leads other nations in academics would know better…oh, wait.

Obesity is something I find is an epidemic that

A better idea Lotis Butchko advocates a woman’s right to choose In 1969 Norma L. McCorvey found out she was pregnant for the third time.

Under the current Dallas law, she could only get an abortion if she had been raped or there had been a case of incest. After panicking she told the clinic that she had been raped, but was still turned down since there was no police report. Finally, she just had the child.

That story is one of the cornerstones of American law. McCorvey, and her attorneys would go on to sue the Dallas County District Attorney Henry Wade.

Using the alias Jane Roe, McCorvey’s case eventually made it to the Supreme Court, where it was argued on two separate occasions.

In the end, the case was ruled a win for Roe in a 7-2 vote, and in the decision, the court considered abortion a fundamental right.

I bring all this up because it appears that our good friends, the Gaysis Old People (GOP), have decided that Roe v. Wade is no longer an essential part of our community. Leave it to the Republicant’s to find a way to get rid of abortion and claim that it was part of their way to save us, the taxpayers, money.

A couple of weeks ago the GOP tried to change abortion by redefining rape. Yes, you read that correctly. Basically, the Grumpy Old People wanted to take away federal funding for rape by changing it to only funding abortions for “forcible rape.” I suppose we can ignore stupidity of that statement, otherwise I will waste a hundred words on how dumb that sounds.

Under the new Forcible Rape Only Bill, women who were drugged, had limited mental capacity or were underage during the sexual act (statutory rape) didn’t qualify. Where do I start?

I can’t even begin to imagine what being raped

is like, nor would I want to. Having your body taken advantage of by anyone else should be punishable by castration. But, now to tell people, might I add people who pay your salary, that you won’t federally fund them after they have been raped is ridiculous.

Luckily, they dropped the ball on that argument and have now taken to something even more stupid. I wouldn’t expect anything else. Now the Geezers On Patrol want to take full aim at Planned Parenthood. The plan now is to take away their funding.

Great, so let’s not directly go after the Roe v. Wade case, instead lets tip toe our way around it and make getting abortions impossible.

Thanks.

What really annoys me here, is the reason behind these issues. The Geezers are saying that people don’t want their tax money to go to this, but don’t we all pay taxes to things we don’t support? I didn’t support the war in Iraq, and our money went to that.

I don’t support John Boehner using spray on tans, but again there goes my money.

And now I have to hear an argument, that abortions are a waste of my tax paying money? Sure, let’s just forget about those millions spent on Iraq, or the very costly Patriot Act, which essentially gives me no privacy.

Here is a better idea, if you are going to take peoples’ rights to their own body away, I want to start adding them and gaining money. I have never smoked, but how about we legalize marijuana.

Taxes on that will make considerable revenue, and at the same time not cost the taxpayers money to put all the marijuana possessors in jail.

After all, if I got to choose what I pay taxes for, I wouldn’t be paying for Chris Lee’s Craigslist sex-mail.

will be difficult to cure.

Americans eat out 4 to 5 times a week at the nation’s more than 160,000 fast food restaurants, according to www.ucsdnutritionlink.org.

When you consider the high fat content of most restaurant foods, everything quickly adds up. The problem isn’t inflated, bloated or plumped up by the media. It affects people everyday, like me, who don’t realize what they are doing to their own body.

It’s quite a geographical juxtaposition; some children in Mexico don’t know when their next meal will be, while American children couldn’t imagine life without 12 McNuggets® and a large Dr. Pepper ®. Don’t forget the fries.

I’m not going to sit here and be hypocritical. I have eaten more than my fair share of fast-food and will continue

to do so until I get a kitchen where I can cook my own, somewhat healthier, meals.

Colleges will continue to make money off of a freshman’s food addiction.

Most colleges don’t provide kitchen access. This limits the ability of students to make healthy choices for themselves.

Fast food restaurants will continue making money off of fluffy people like myself.

McDonald’s made $22.6 billion in 2008 alone. That’s a lot of McFlurry’s.

At the end of the day, only one person can make the decisions necessary to lose weight. My goal is to lose the weight I’ve gained and get in better shape so that I won’t die going up the hill every morning.

- Stephen is the Houstonian Viewpoints editor.

Comedy Corner

All cartoons courtesy of creators.com.

Robin Johnson.........................................................936-294-1499

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“Paws UP” to SHSU baseball and men’s basketball for winning their games this week.

You snooze, you lose

Ryan Leonard shames the political left and the Tea Party Voters elected the other guy? No worries! Just run away! I get that these few politicians who are holding up the final vote are looked at as heroes by the ones they’re lobbying for, and I can get behind that.

Honestly, I find myself a little jealous sometimes. I wish that my representatives would go to such extremes to block bills that I’m against.

Imagine if Republicans had used some sort of trick to block passage of Obamacare until after November when they had the votes to stop it altogether. Wouldn’t that have been outstanding? No? Only when your side does it? I see…

We did get a glimpse of what a Republican-led dirty trick looks like, though.

Early Friday morning, after 61 hours of debate, the bill to limit state employee’s rights to collectively bargain passed the house. The Democrats? Sound asleep.

Should the Republicans have waited until everyone was ready to vote on the bill? Yeah, of course, but the bill still would have passed.

In the end, the Fleebaggers threw paper, beverages and incited the crowd as they screamed, “Shame! Shame!

Shame!” So to recap, a Republican-led dirty trick amounts to debating on a bill, then voting on it. AKA, Democracy. You snooze, you lose, Fleebaggers.

- Ryan is a recurring columnist for the Houstonian.

Dear Sam Houston Students, Staff and Faculty and Alumni:

Faculty Adviser

STAFF Kolby Flowers................................................................. Senior Reporter Lotis Butchko.................................................................Sports Reporter Jessica Gomez......................................................................Photographer April Sanders............................................................................Copy Editor

“Paws DOWN” to the possibility of students carrying concealed handguns on campus.

Letter to the Student Body

Editorial

Mike Silva.............................................................................Senior Editor Jessica Priest.......................................................Multimedia/Web Editor Erin Peterson..................................................................Associate Editor Stephen Green..............................................................Viewpoints Editor Brandon Scott.........................................................................Sports Editor Thomas Merka........................................................Entertainment Editor Jared Wolf........................................... ............................Graphic Coordinator

“Paws UP” to former SHSU track athlete, Michael Courtney for winning the 400 meter title in the U.S. Indoor Track and Field Championship.

A long time ago in a land far, far away, a kid who was a few ribbons short of a kite string opened fire at Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, critically wounding her and killing six others. The political left took advantage of the opportunity by blaming Sarah Palin, the Tea Party and anyone else they didn’t like. You see, it was violent rhetoric that convinced the shooter to act. Never mind that he had no connection to Sarah Palin or the Tea Party. Ignore the fact that politicians regularly use maps that “target” districts that are deemed important.

These are not the facts you’re looking for.

Well, all of that talk about toning down the rhetoric and pleading for civility has been shot out the window since the protests in Wisconsin erupted. There have been politicians inciting violence, encouraging protesters to “get a little bloody.”

There are Facebook groups dedicated to slandering Republicans and signs, signs, everywhere a sign. My personal favorite is one that says “reload” next to a picture of Governor Walker with; get this, crosshairs over his face. Yeah, glad to see that new age of civility is being respected by all.

Then there’s the case of the Flee Party, or Fleebaggers as I like to call them now (Turnabout is fair play, friends). November didn’t go so well for you?

The Houstonian EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Meagan Ellsworth...............................................................936-294-1505

Paws Up, Paws Down

BUSINESS MANAGER

Brittany Hampton...................................................936-294-1500 ADVERTISING MANAGER

Branden Price............................................................936-294-1503 HEAD ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Chelsea Boyd...................................................................................

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Chanel Montgomery........................................................................

Tuesday’s Issue............... Friday at 2:00 p.m.

Thursday’s Issue........... Tuesday at 2:00 p.m.

The Houstonian would not survive were it not for the continued involvement and dedication of the SHSU student body. We welcome all column submissions and letters to the editor. If at any time you feel the need to express an opinion, please do not hesitate to email your thoughts or drop by our office in the Dan Rather communications building. We look forward to hearing from you and thank you as always for your continued support of the Houstonian.

Stephen Green Viewpoints Editor sgreen@houstonianonline.com

The individual opinions on the Viewpoints page are not necessarily affiliated with the view of The Houstonian or SHSU. The Houstonian is published semi-weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is a news publication of Sam Houston State University, a member of the Texas State University system, and is produced by students. It is self-supporting and welcomes all advertisers. Those interested in placing ads or classifieds should call (936) 294-4864. The Houstonian is a member of the Associated Press.

THE INVESTITURE OF

Dr. Dana L. Gibson

S A M H O U S TO N S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y

Tuesday, March 8, 2011 Ceremony

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm, Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum

Reception

4:00 pm - 6:00 pm, Lowman Student Center Ballroom

STUDENT SERVICES PRESENTS:

Saturday, March 5th Presidential Investiture 5K & Fun Run 7:30 am, Bowers Stadium Please visit www.shsu.edu/studentactivities for details

Saturday, March 5th SGA Bearkat All Paws In - Investiture Edition 8:30 am, Bearkat Plaza Please visit www.shsu.edu/~org_sga for details

Monday, March 7th Presidential Investiture Student Reception 10:00 am - 12:00 pm, LSC Lobby & LSC Art Gallery

For more information contact Student Activities at 936.294.3861 or studentactivities@shsu.edu Sam Houston State University is A Member of The Texas State University System

Arts & Entertainment

Page 5 Tuesday, March 1, 2011

houstonianonline.com/entertainment

A Common Thread Brittany Pires discusses similarities found in nominees for the 2011 Academy Awards

By Brittany Pires

Contributing Writer

Although there is not a religious category at the Oscars, many of the nominees for best picture Academy Award of 2011 have spiritual undertones that appear in many scenes, characters and ideas throughout their scripts.

It is not uncommon for the top films to have common themes and many directors are aware of the similarities when they are filming.

Yet some of the films might seem unlikely in promoting religious ideas unless reading between the lines. The films demonstrate a focus on families, personal redemption, confronting and overcoming struggles, and the classic battle of good and evil, all of which are substantial ideas in most religions.

Regarding family life, some films touch on controversial issues, such as gay marriage or single parenting, while others relate to overcoming family struggles and the importance of family unity and sacrifice. “Toy Story 3” and “Black Swan” feature moms, but no dads, while in “The Kids Are Alright,” two teens experience a non-traditional home-life of growing up with two mothers.

Paul Asay, associate editor for Plugged In, a youth culture and media website produced

by Focus on the Family, believes family to be foundational for who we are as people and what we become, and the Academy Award nominees, in their own way, really reflect that.

“But this year’s nominees also give us a look at what happens when something in a family goes wrong, or a family goes through a really difficult transition,” Asay said. “Many of these films deal with people trying to patch up their relationships with their families, or fix circumstances brought on by their families.”

The Catholic News Agency reported last year that a review in L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper, hailed “Toy Story 3” for showcasing “important themes such as the value of friendship and solidarity, the fear of feeling alone or rejected, the unavoidability of growing up and the strength that comes from feeling like you belong to a family.”

Each film offers strong ideas about family structure and explores different parts of life that many overlook when watching them. In “Winter’s Bone,” a 17-year-old struggles to keep her family together, while Micky Ward in “The Fighter” must balance his difficult family life which continues to affect his career. Cobb from “Inception” gives a great deal of importance to his family, and wants nothing more than to return and be a real father to his children.

Apart from family life, the films offer other ideas that have become prevalent in our society and raised questions on the spiritual landscape and social values of today. The “Black Swan” demonstrates the idea of personal transformation as a ballerina pushes herself to the limit to become the role she is playing. Similarly, “The King’s Speech” is the story of King George VI and his journey to overcoming his stutter and discovering his identity in the public eye as well as in private.

Perception versus reality is the main idea in “Inception,” in which a group learns to steal through people’s dreams. This film was said to be a complex idea of the mind and dreams, which also play a vital role in spiritual and religious ideas.

Many of the characters in these films are all looking for a sense of peace, closure or reconciliation following some sort of adventure. In “127 Hours,” it takes being

Box Office Results Results taken from the weekend of Feb. 25-27

1.

3.

2.

4.

trapped in a canyon for five days for Aron Ralston to realize just how important life is. James Franco plays a gritty mountain climber whose arm becomes trapped by a boulder while exploring a canyon in Utah. He ultimately cuts off his arm—an association with the verse, “If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off,” said by Jesus in Mark 9:43 (KJV).

“One thing these films definitely have in common is faith,” Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship member, Amy Turek said. “Many of the main character go through some sort of setback or dilemma, and they are forced to have optimism, even though the endings are not always positive.”

The Coen brothers’ remake of “True Grit” not only received 10 nominations for different Academy Awards, but covers life-and-death issues without a great deal of violence or profanity. It begins with a Proverbs quotation and ends with “Leaning on the ever-lasting arms.” In the film, Mattie discovers the high cost of vengeance and the battle of good versus evil.

Last year, the nominees reflected themes of humanity and interspecies with movies such as “Avatar” and “2012.” This year, however, ideas are more positive and pertain to technology and changes in society. “The Social Network” not only is wholly about a technological advancement, but about the beginnings and endings of friendships and the trust that goes along with it. The analysis of these films has become a strong topic in the media. Blogs such as Spiritual Popcorn discuss the impact of the films on a spiritual level in various categories.

Coincidentally, “almost all of the top films have relatively little explicit religious

dimensions to them,” said Brent Plate, a writer who teaches religious studies at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. “But these films are asking the same questions that religions ask: Where did we come from, how did we get here, where are we going and who are we?”

Best Picture The King’s Speech

Documentary Feature Inside Job

Actor in a Leading Role Colin Firth - The King’s Speech

Documentary Short Subject Strangers No More

Actor in a Supporting Role Christian Bale - The Fighter

Film Editing The Social Network

Actress in a Leading Role Natalie Portman - Black Swan

Foreign Language Film In A Better World

Actress in a Supporting Role Melissa Leo - The Fighter

Makeup The Wolfman

Animated Feature Film Toy Story 3

Music (Original Score) The Social Network

Art Direction Alica in Wonderland

Music (Original Song) Toy Story 3

Cinematography Inception

Short Film (Animated) The Lost Thing

Costume Design Alice in Wonderland

Short Film (Live Action) God of Love

Directing The King’s Speech

Sound Editing Inception

Graphic by Thomas Merka | The Houstonian

Oscar Results

Sports

Page 6 Tuesday, March 1, 2011

houstonianonline.com/sports

twitter.com/HoustonianSport

Victory propels men’s hoops Cardinals steal one at Johnson

Men’s hoops enter last week of regular Smith records career high in loss against Lamar season with victory at Montagne Center

By Brandon Scott

K atistics

Sports Editor

HUNTSVILLE -- The Bearkats traveled to the Montagne Center to do against Lamar, exactly what Northwestern State did to them at Johnson Coliseum last Wednesday - seperate themselves from ‘middleof-the-pack’ .500 teams in conference, while walking away with a much needed road victory.

Gilberto Clavell scored 22 points including six free throws in the final minute to lead Sam Houston State to a 67-60 Southland Conference men’s basketball win.

Drae Murray scored 13 points and Josten Crow added nine for the Bearkats. Crow scored the go-ahead points on a jumper with 9:41 to play to put Sam Houston up 41-40.

The Kats never trailed again.

Anthony Miles led Lamar with 14 points.

Sam Houston hit 47 percent from the field while the Cardinals managed only 37 percent.

Every game becomes increasingly critical for the Kats. The loss against Northwestern was troubling because of the two-game road trip against Lamar and SFA, before finishing the season at home against Texas State this Saturday.

SHSU is looking to avenge a Jan. 26 loss against SFA. The Kats are one game behind the Lumberjacks, who they defeated in last year’s Southland Conference Championship game.

In fact, while the implications between the men and women Piney Wood rivalry are reversed, there is a shared redemptive nature this week for Bearkats everywhere.

Even if the players don’t actually dislike each other,

MEN’S HOOPS RESULTS

SATURDAY, Feb. 26

SHSU 67 LAMAR 60

STANDINGS

EAST DIVISION McNeese State Northwestern State Nicholls State Southeastern LA Lamar Central Arkansas

18-9 (10-4) 17-12 (9-5) 13-11 (7-7) 13-13 (7-7) 12-16 (6-8) 5-22 (1-13)

WEST DIVISION

Texas State 15-13 (10- 4) Stephen F. Austin 18-8 (9-5) SHSU 15-12 (8-6) UTSA 14-13 (7-7) UT - Arlington 13-14 (7-7) Texas A&M-CC 8-21 (3-11)

WOMEN’S HOOPS RESULTS

SATURDAY, Feb. 26

LAMAR 99 SHSU 88 Jessica Gomez

The Houstonian

SENIOR LEADER. Gilberto Clavell (above) continues to be one of the top players in the conference. His efficiency around the basket is at the center of the Bearkat offense

Sam Houston State would rather not finish the 201011 school year with losses to SFA in football as well as basketball shutouts.

But more importantly, the men’s basketball team still has a legitimate shot at repeating as conference champs, or making it interesting at the very least.

Throw the records out of the window. The starting lineup for the Bearkats features five players with championship rings.

This last week of qualifying competition will tell a lot about the adjustment the Kats have made over the past year.

Coach Hooten, by all accounts, is a promising young college coach. He’s quick to point out Murray and Lance Pevehouse are playing significantly more minutes than they did last season.

Aside from the flashes in which these players have shown they were ready for the big moment, that moment has finally arrived.

STANDINGS 21-6 23-5 17-10 13-14 12-14 8-19

(13-1) (12-2) (9-5) (8-6) (4-10) (3-11)

WEST DIVISION

UTSA

14-13 (10-4) (9-5) 11-16 (8-6) 9-18 (4-10) 7-19 (4-10) 2-25 (0-14)

Sam Houston State 15-13 Stephen F. Austin Texas State UT Arlington Texas A&M-CC

By Brandon Scott Sports Editor

EAST DIVISION McNeese State Lamar Central Arkansas Northwestern State Southeastern LA Nicholls

Courtesy of SHSU Athletics (CLOCKWISE) Sequeena Thomas, Chanice Smith, Britni Martin and Clarke Davis are just few of the players the Bearkats will need leaders from going into the Southland Conference post-season tournament

Want more SHSU sports?

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Chanice Smith scored a career-high 29 points for Sam Houston but it wasn’t enough as the Cardinals defeated the Bearkats 99-88 in a high-scoring Southland Conference women’s basketball game Saturday afternoon at Johnson Coliseum.

Nine players, five for Lamar scored in double figues , including Jenna Plumley’s game-high 35 points, as Lamar upped its record to 23-5 for the season and 12-2 in Southland action.

Four Bearkats tallied double digits. Sequeena

Thomas scored 21 points and had 12 rebounds. Clarke Davis scored 15 points and Britni Martin totaled 12.

Kalis Loyd scored 22 points and Monique Whittaker, Jasmin Henderson and Trashanna Smith added 15, 11 and 10 points respectively.

Smith led both teams with 14 rebounds.

Sam Houston (15-13, 9-5) held two brief one point leads in the first half, but Lamar pulled away for a 52-43 halftime lead. The Cardinals were up by as many as 22 points in the second half.

The Kats host SFA Wednesday night.

The Lumberjacks defeated SHSU in the previous meeting, Jan. 26.

Sports

Page 7 Tuesday, March 1, 2011

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Kats stumble on victory Lee College provides little struggle for tennis squad

By Amy Turek

Contributing Reporter

Courtesy of SHSU Athletics

Mark Johnson (left) and Braeden Riley (right) are both in their last seasons with SHSU. Johnson will retire at the end of the season, after 41 years of coaching. Riley recorded the most hits in a single season as Bearkat (111)

From CATCH page 1

Down 7-4 in the sixth inning, SHSU scored five runs including a grand-slam

by Andreas that put the Kats on top 9-7.

“It was huge,” Andreas said. “Give credit to the guys who got on base in front of me. It’s always big late in the ball game when you get a big hit and we got it at the right time.”

In the top of the ninth inning the Cornhuskers added two runs and tied the game at nine.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Riley doubled to left field and Senior Daniel Nottebart hit a fly-ball to left field that was lost in the sun by the Cornhusker defender.

The ball dropped in for a walk off RBI single.

Andreas led the Kat’s offense and finished the game

going 3-4, with a pair of homeruns and six RBIs. Senior and Starting Pitcher Brandon Kimbrel, had a decent performance going 4.2 innings, giving up eight hits and five runs, while striking out two. It was Sophomore Michael Burchett that picked up the win for the Kats. Burchett pitched three innings, gave up three hits and one earned run.

The game against the Cornhuskers was the first of a double-header for the Kats, who faced the Bears shortly after. The Kats started off slow in their second game, and found themselves trailing early and at the end of four innings, SHSU trailed by their largest margin 8-2.

The Kats never gave up and kept themselves in the game. In the ninth inning trailing 11-6, the Kats scored five runs, including a big two out home-run by Senior Doug Oney and sent the game to extra innings.

In the 11th inning, Sophomore Greg Olsen was able to reach base on a one out walk, and steal second.

Sophomore Tyler Jones was able to hit a single up the middle that drove in Olsen, and put the Kats up for good, 12-11.

“I take my hat off to the teams that were here,” SHSU Head Coach Mark Johnson said. “They’re both good ball clubs. I thought we had a great weekend. It was a really good weekend for us. I was pleased.”

After an exhausting weekend, the Kats have a short break. SHSU will host and compete this upcoming weekend in the Bearkat Baseball Invitational, against the University of Michigan Wolverines (0-6) and the University of Massachusetts Minutemen (0-0). The first game for the Kats is Friday at 6:30 pm against the Wolverines.

HUNTSVILLE -- The Bearkat tennis team was convincing in Friday matches against the Lee College Lady Rebels with a 6-1 win.

The Lady Bearkats won the doubles point with wins in all four doubles matches.

No. 1, Nadya Dubyanskaya and Tatyana Postnikova cruised to a 7-2 lead and served for the match but were broken and lost three straight games before closing it out on their serve for an 8-6 win.

In other doubles matches, No. 2 Cally Woerner and Sheridan Currie won 8-4; Doubles No. 3 Imke Jagau and Natalie Petaia won 8-1; and Doubles No. 4 Kayla Stevenson and Anrinette Botha won 8-1.

In singles, No. 1 Imke Jagau survived a tough match after dropping the first set 6-3 and being down 1-5 in the second. Jagau won six straight games to win the second set. Because Bearkat wins in other matches already secured the win for Sam Houston, a super tiebreaker was played to decide the match. Jagau jumped to a 6-0 lead then

Courtesy of SHSU Athletics

Singles No. 1 Imke Jagau (above) survived a tough match after dropping the first set 6-3 and being down 1-5 in the second.

closed the match out winning 10-5 in the tiebreaker to win 3-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-5).

Jagau said she was giving her opponent what she wanted in the first set, hitting the balls at the pace she liked and over hitting her own shots.

“My teammate came on [in the second set] and she just told me to keep the balls in the court, don’t go for too m u c h , make her do the mistakes,” Jagau said.

“My game was to keep the balls in the court on her backhand, which is her weaker point and just wait she Courtesy of SHSU Athletics until WINNER. Tatyana Postnikova (above) partnered over hit the with Nadya Dubyanskaya to win No.1 doubles shot.”

In other singles matches, No. 2 Postnikova lost 6-4, 6-0; No. 3 Dubyanskaya won 6-1, 6-1; Singles No. 4 Botha won 6-4, 6-3; Singles No. 4 Currie won 6-1, 6-0; and Singles No. 5 Petaia won 6-0, 5-7, 6-3.

“In the first set I was hitting winners but she was still making her balls,” Petaia said. “Then in the second set she was running a lot of balls down and I was hitting one or two more than I liked and I let it get to me.

Petaia said in the third set SHSU Head Coach Jim Giachino came on and told her if she wanted to win the match she could.

“I just had to stop fighting myself,” Petaia said.

The Bearkats take a 3-1 record into weekend away conference matches against Lamar and McNeese.

“The fact that we won 6-1 and really only had a couple of little stumbles is very good preparation for opening in conference next weekend,” Giachino said.

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