Ladyjacks to Face Auburn
12/19/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 19, 2002
NACOGDOCHES - The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack basketball team (0-6) tipoffs the 2002-03 home opener tonight against Auburn (9-0) at 7 p.m., in the William R. Johnson Coliseum. The game against the Tigers represents the Ladyjacks final game of the non-conference slate, which is, ranked third toughest in the nation.
SFA vs. the Tigers: SFA trails the all-time series against Auburn, 1-0. The only time the two teams met on the court was the 1983-84 season when Auburn earned an 85-61 victory.
Home Sweet Home: The Ladyjacks are one of the nation's all-time winningest teams at home, with an all-time record of 308-71 (.815). The Ladyjacks have won 42 of their last 44 games in the William R. Johnson Coliseum. The Ladyjacks last home loss was to an eventual NCAA tournament participant, UC Santa Barbara, in 2000-01.
Home Court Advantage: The William R. Johnson Coliseum was one of the toughest places to play in the country during the 2001-02 season according to The RPI Report. The Ladyjacks were one of only 10 teams to go undefeated at home last season (13-0).
Branching Out: After not having played in the first three games of the season, freshman Kim Branch (Wortham, Texas) has only seen her playing time increase in the team's last three games. Branch has been the team's leading scorer in the team's past two contest, averaging 11 points per game, including a 5-of-7 (.714) performance at Colorado State. She has also pulled down 11 rebounds during the two games.
Block & Roll: Senior Amy Collins (San Antonio, Texas) has become a threat for the Ladyjacks on defense. Collins leads the league with her 20 blocks (3.33 per game). Earlier this season, she set an SFA single-game record with her 7 blocks against Oklahoma. The 3.33 blocks-per-game average places Collins in a three-way tie for 10th place in the nation. She is currently tied for fourth in school history with 104 career blocks.
