Martin stepping up big for Bearkats
11/29/2010 3:06:00 PM | Women's Basketball
This past weekend Martin scored 34 and 37 points in consecutive games for the Kats, helping lead the team to a 5-2 start to the season, the best in 17 years. Her efforts this past weekend have earned her the Southland Conference Player of the Week honor.
Martin came to Sam Houston as a two-sport athlete for the Bearkats, playing both basketball and soccer in 2008-09. However, she was red-shirted last season due to a knee injury. She has had a strong return this season and has made a big impact on the teams overall success.
"When I came in as a freshman my team really helped me get used to playing basketball in college," said Martin. "When I got hurt it took me five months to find out and I was in rehab for about eight months after I had my surgery. I still participated in supporting my team and learned a great deal from sitting on the bench. It is a totally different game when you are behind the scenes."
Martin is the first freshman to score in double figures since Shayla Teague in 1995. In 2009 she averaged a 10.5 and became only the fifth freshman in Bearkat women's basketball history to score in double digits. She also had the second highest scoring performance by a Bearkat freshman. Academically, she is a Southland Conference Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll member and has a 3.50 GPA as a kinesiology major.
Head coach Brenda Nichols is pleased with the strong comeback that Martin has had this season and expects to see her only get better as time goes on.
"I think she really benefited from sitting out and watching her team play while she was injured," said Nichols. "She has come back more mature and experienced. She is more calm and confident in her game. I believe she has learned to appreciate this game more because she was a student of the game and that has made her a much better player. With the combination of her and the other girls on the team I believe that it is going to be a great year."
Martin had a lot of support from her family and team when she was going through rehab. Her brother encouraged her to push through the pain and remain focused. She is excited about the success that her team is having and remains confident that they will continue to do well as long as they work together.
"My brother Jeremy and my team really helped me get through my injury," said Martin. "Jeremy would just encourage me to work through the pain and frustration that I was feeling during rehab and I know that it has made me a better player today. My team has been there with me from the beginning and they are here now as well, they make it better. It is exciting to be a part of a team so successful. We are all committed to reach our goals and we are going to fight to accomplish what we want."
