Stephen F. Austin
Exhibition
Ladyjacks Victorious in Exhibition
11/7/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 7, 2002
NACOGDOCHES - The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack basketball team kicked off 2002-03 season Thursday night in victorious fashion, defeating TJ Sokol, 62-58.
Both offenses started slow but it was freshman LaToya Mills (Houston, Texas) that scored the game's first basket at the 18:54 mark. Mills finished the game with a double-double, scoring 18 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. The Ladyjacks held a one-point advantage, 6-5, at the 15:35 mark of the first half, when the Ladyjacks went on a 14-7 run to open up a 20-13 lead. The Ladyjacks increased their advantage to 12 points before heading into the intermission with a 33-25 lead.
But the TJ Sokol team didn't fade away into the night. They chipped away at the Ladyjack lead throughout the second half before claiming a one-point advantage with 9:06 remaining. TJ Sokol increased the lead to six points, 51-45, behind Ilona Burgrova's 14 points and nine rebounds.
Despite the six-point deficit, the Ladyjacks didn't panic. Instead they turned to their signature defense to get them back in the game. Senior Nathesia Wright (Arlington, Texas) sank a free throw with only 1:39 remaining to give SFA back the lead. Wright led the comeback with nine points, five rebounds and four steals.
Senior Yolanda Grant (Flatonia, Texas) scored seven points and pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds in her first game back since the 2000-01 season. Freshman Britany Vinson (Prattville, Ala.) added 12 points, five rebounds and four assists coming off the bench. Vinson also sank the Ladyjacks' two three-pointers, finishing the game 2-for-2 from outside the arc.
SFA returns to action Monday against RTU Klondaika. The game is slated to get underway at 7 p.m., from the William R. Johnson Coliseum. Admission to the game is free.
-SFA-
