Nine of the last 11 Sam Houston State women’s basketball games ended with Shernise Robertson recording a team-high in points, including the last five straight.
The Southland Conference named Robertson the SLC Women’s Player of the Week on Monday after she recorded 21 points, six rebounds and four assists in 35 minutes of playing time Saturday.
The junior from Cypress is in her first season at SHSU after transferring from Tyler Junior College. Over half way through the 2014 season, Robertson leads all SLC players with 22.1 points per game. Robertson also leads the Kats in three-point field goal percentage, shooting .455 in SLC play.
Robertson is one of two Bearkats to have accumulated more than 100 points in the eight SLC games and is the only Bearkat to reach 300 points this season so far. She also is the only Bearkat to have shot over 100 free throws. Robertson’s shooting .830 from the line, sinking 112 of her 135 attempts.
Robertson’s offensive work has helped the Bearkats to a .500 record in SLC play after starting the season 1-9 in their 10 non-conference games. In the Bearkats’ last five games, where Robertson recorded a team-high in points, she also had to play more than 35 minutes every time.
Injuries have depleted the Bearkats this season to the point that only eight Bearkats were dressed out to play in some games. With only three bench players, starters such as Robertson had to play more than 35 minutes while opponents had a full bench of reinforcements for their starters. Robertson shined in these circumstances against Nicholls State and McNeese State, yet SHSU lost 67-64 and 79-74. Robertson recorded game highs in both losses, scoring over 31 against the Colonels and 30 against the Cowgirls.
Even though Robertson put on an offensive show in both games, SHSU head coach Brenda Nicholls would much rather prefer the win.
“It has to be a total team effort,” Nicholls said following the loss to McNeese.
In Saturday’s win over rival Stephen F. Austin State, Robertson was double teamed by the Jacks to prevent her from another high scoring affair. Robertson still recorded a game-high 21 points but also distributed the ball to her teammates to break the SFA defense.
After winning the Battle of the Piney Woods, Nicholls was excited with the victory and Robertson play.
“[SFA] started doubling teaming Shernise, and Shernise went into another role,” Nicholls said. “She started making other people get open.”
In 13 of SHSU’s 18 games this season, Robertson is atop all other Kats in scoring. She has also played a key factor on the other side of the court, leading all Kats in steals.
The Kats are currently seventh place in SLC with a 4-4 record. Robertson and her Bearkat teammates host Lamar on Thursday at Johnson Coliseum, their second of five straight home games. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m.