Basketball (1993-96)
Crystal Robinson set the bar in women’s basketball at Southeastern and excelled during the most celebrated era in women’s basketball at the University.
She was Southeastern’s first three-time female All-America. She didn’t make it a fourth time because she played only three and one-half semesters at Southeastern. She was a first-name-only athlete recognized throughout the state and across the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
Robinson was a legendary high-school basketball player at Atoka and a legendary player at Southeastern as she rewrote the record book while helping coach Nick Keith’s Lady Savages to three-consecutive trips to the NAIA National Tournament in Jackson, Tennessee.
She played 112 games at Southeastern and started 111 of them, missing the starting lineup for the first game of the second semester of her freshman year, as a mid-year transfer. She sparked the Lady Savages to an overall 90-22 (80.4%) record while averaging double digits is points and double digits in rebounds for her career.
Along with being a three-time All-America, Robinson holds SE single-game records for most points; most field goals made and most rebounds. She is the SE career record holder for most points, highest scoring average, most field goals made, most 3-point field goals made, highest 3-point percentage, most assists and most steals. She also holds Southeastern single-season records for most points made, most field goals made, and most 3-point field goals made, most rebounds, most assists and most steals.
Robinson scored 3,023 points in her 3 ½-year career at Southeastern. She also pulled down 1,165 rebounds, dished out 547 assists and collected 376 steals. Many times, she accomplished these feats while defending the best player on the opposing team.
She sparked the Lady Savages to back-to-back National Tournament runner-up finishes with each one-point loss coming at the hands of powerhouse Southern Nazarene. Crystal was twice named MVP of the National Tournament. She twice led the NAIA in scoring. She held the NAIA National Tournament scoring record with 177 points until 2002.
Crystal was named the 1995-96 National Player of the Year and in honor of her great achievements, her playing jersey, Number 40, was permanently retired on February 24, 1996. Additionally, in 2007 Crystal was selected by the Daily Oklahoman’s State Centennial selection as one of Oklahoman’s Top 100 athletes.
She was Rookie of the Year for the Colorado Xplosion of the American Basketball League. She went on to play for the New York Liberty in the Women’s National Basketball Association and later moved to the Washington Mystics. During her career with the WNBA, Crystal also played on teams in foreign countries.
Robinson’s success brought national recognition not only on herself, but also on the Lady Savage basketball program and Southeastern. The University honored her with membership into the Southeastern Oklahoma State Athletics Hall of Fame on February 14, 2009.
