Fearless is one way to describe Shuntae Roberison
Scoring with time winding down and the game on the line is another.
Both work well enough to tell how Hope’s 5-foot-3-inch senior carried the 10th-ranked Eagles past No. 8 Young Tuesday.
Roberison, taking on 6-foot-4-inch Danielle Campbell and her teammates, drove the lane and scored with six seconds left to give Hope a 47-45 Public League Superconference victory in the Dolphins’ gym.
“I just knew it had to be a good shot, a game-winning shot,” said Roberison, whose 16 points, fives assists and four steals helped the Class A team erase an 11-point deficit in the second half. “I’m not concerned about anyone’s height. I just made the shot.”
Roberison, the most active player on Hope’s team, picked up her fourth foul with the Eagles trailing 42-33 and 4 minutes 8 seconds left. But coach Jenelle Spearmon, whose team improved to 14-2 and a league-leading 7-0, wasn’t that worried.
“Four fouls, but Shuntae plays with control,” Spearmon said. “She’s a smart player, and I’m not going to take her out. We needed her.
“It seemed everybody else seemed to fall asleep and watch Shuntae.”
The Alabama State recruit scored half her points in the fourth quarter. Her second three-pointer of the period cut Young’s lead to 42-36.
Then Roberison had two assists and two steals before her decisive shot.
Sarah McCoy converted one of those assists into a basket with 1:16 left that gave Hope a 45-44 lead.
Campbell knotted the score at 45-45 seven seconds later when she hit one of two free throws.
Young had virtually no time left after Roberison’s game-winner to get off a decent shot.
Campbell, a sophomore, led the Dolphins (12-4, 6-1) with 16 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks while teammate Brittany Artis scored 10. Akila Harris helped Hope’s cause with 14 points.
Although winning this game helped Hope’s chances to take the Public League title, Roberison said she has other goals in mind.
“It’s big, but we’re looking forward to the playoffs–and going Downstate,” she said.
