Dallas – Led by junior guard Shernise Robertson, the Sam Houston women's basketball game had its best offensive performance of the young 2014-15 season in an 88-67 loss to Southern California Friday on the first night of the SMU Thanksgiving Classic at Moody Coliseum.

Robertson totaled 17 points and four other Bearkats scored in double figures. The SHSU women posted season best 43 per cent shooting (26-of-60) from the field and scored a team high total points.

Saundra Guillory and Taylor Dorsey each scored 11 points while Morghen Day and Jasmin Anderson added 10 points apiece.

McKenzie Calvert led both teams with 19 points while Courtney Jaco added 14 more for USC. The Trojans upped their season mark to 4-1 while the Kats fell to 0-4.

Sam Houston kept things close for most of the first half, trailing by three points 16-13 after a layup by Dorsey nine minutes into the game and down six points 24-18 following a Robertson three-pointer nine minutes before half.

But Southern California went on a late 16-4 run to build a 40-22 lead and went into the locker room at halftime ahead 45-28.

The SHSU women never got closer than 14 points in the second half. USC's biggest lead was 29 points.

Sam Houston will take on the loser of the SMU-Florida A&M matchup Friday in the tournament's third-place game Saturday at 5 p.m.