There may be a louder college basketball environment over the weekend but the Sam Houston women's program will certainly be able to make its case.
The Bearkats welcomed 2,452 fans, most area children, for the annual “Pack the House” game on Friday afternoon at Johnson Coliseum, using the home court advantage and a second-quarter surge to down Our Lady of the Lake, 67-56.
“Anytime you can play in a game like this and you can bring in your community and give something back is great,” head coach Brenda Nichols said. “This how we need to grow our game. As women, this is how we show we can do what everyone else can do. I want to thank the community and the area school districts for everything they've done.”
The win came in Sam Houston's (1-2) home opener, allowing the Kats to rebound from season-opening losses at Big-12 member TCU and SEC foe Arkansas. The Bearkats were led by Shernise Robertson's 16 points, as the senior was one of four players in double-digit scoring.
“Last year, she had to basically lead us,” Nichols said. “This year, she gets a little break from having to run point all the time. I think she has settled down into the leadership role. I think her maturity level has been amazing but I also think she has a great group of teammates who fit together like a puzzle.”
Meanwhile, Laurynn McGowen posted 12 points while Angela Beadle added 11 points and six rebounds and Shadijah Moore put home 10 points and four boards. Along with Robertson, the quartet combined to go 6-of-7 at the free throw line, part of a 15-of-19 afternoon for the unit.
“I think one of my goals is to get to the line 20-plus times and we got there 19,” Nichols said. “I am excited that our team is getting comfortable there. You don't have a lot of time to practice that, it's an 'on your own' thing and we were very mentally tough to be able to go out and do that.”
After the Kats jumped out to a 10-5 in an energy-filled environment, Our Lady of the Lake (1-3) closed out the first quarter on a 15-5 run to take a 20-15 lead through 10 minutes. From there, Sam Houston made a crucial adjustment, outscoring the Saints 34-18 in the next two frames.
“We came back out and went man-to-man,” Nichols said. “I think the kids were fired up about that. That was a big adjustment and it's where we made our run. With the 2-3 we were running, I think we were getting stale but we were able to take off from there.”
Saundra Guillory led the Kats with eight rebounds and a block while Robertson notched five assists. Julia Rendon led Our Lady of the Lake with 14 points and Francesca Patrick added 11 points. Sam Houston earned the rebounding edge, 41-34, but will look to limit the turnovers after logging 23.
“We had good team play and everyone contributed but we've just got to do a better job taking care of the ball,” Nichols said. “We can't have the turnovers we're having. I do think we're a better rebounding team, we just have to find our groove.”
Sam Houston closes its brief two-game home stand on Monday against LSU-Alexandria. Tip is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Johnson Coliseum. Fans can purchase tickets by calling (936) 294-1729 or visiting GoBearkats.com.
