Women excited about coming 2015-16 season
10/20/2015 4:56:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The veteran players on this year's Bearkat women's basketball team can't wait to get their season started next month.
“Everyone is excited about getting started,” senior center Angela Beadle said. “We've got some great young talent on this year's team and those players are really going to help us.”
Beadle, who earned All-Southland Conference honors in 2014 but missed the 2015 season for an injury red-shirt year, is thrilled to be back on the court.
“It's great,” the Austin Crocket High School product who enters her fifth year at Sam Houston ranked as the program's sixth all-time leading rebounder (677 boards) and No. 17 career scoring leader (858 points). “We're so much deeper this year both under the boards and in the backcourt. We have more weapons.”
Amanda Barnes, a senior guard who has been part of the women's team for the last four years, is another returning letter winner who is ready to get things started.
“We all can't wait until the first game,” Barnes said. “Everyone is working hard.”
Southland Conference champions in 2013, the Sam Houston women are looking to bounce back from a 6-22 season in 2015 in which injuries played a key factor. Eight letter-winners return including four starters, one of whom led the Southland in scoring last year.
Shernise Robertson, a 5-6 senior guard, averaged 22.1 points a game last year to earn All-Southland Conference honors.
“It's great to have shooters like Shernise and the other guards to kick it outside to if there's no shot underneath,” Beadle said.
Beadle ranked second in the league in rebounding in 2014. She is joined at the post position by returning players 6-2 Shadijah Moore and 6-1 Saundra Guillory.
Three newcomers strengthen the mix with 6-0 Jasmine McCants from Alabama Southland Community College, 6-1 Ashleigh Cooper from Pflugerville Hendrickson and 5-10 Lydia Baxter from Austin Bowie joining the Kats.
Returning in the backcourt along with Robertson and Barnes are 5-7 Jasmin Anderson, 5-6 Morghen Day and 5-8 Angela Delaney. Newcomers include 5-8 Kamry Orr from Little Rock Central and 5-8 Laurynn McGowen from Arlington.
The Sam Houston women look to be more up-tempo this year.
Sam Houston will play another challenging non-conference schedule in November and December, facing TCU, Arkansas, Florida State, Kansas State and Texas on the road. The Bearkats open the season with an exhibition game against Mary Hardin-Baylor on Saturday, November 7.
Season tickets for both Sam Houston men's and women's basketball are on sale now at www.gobearkats.com or at the Bearkat athletic ticket office located on the west side of Elliott T. Bowers Stadium. For more information, call (936) 294-1729.
