SFA Heads to East Carolina for Two
12/1/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 1, 2004
The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack basketball team went 1-1 (.500) at the Junkanoo Jam tournament in the Bahamas last week. After an opening-round loss to No. 9 Duke, the Ladyjacks rebounded the following day to knock off Illinois State, 66-60. The Ladyjacks will go in search of their second-straight win as they travel to Greenville, N.C., to compete in the US Cellular Classic. The Ladyjacks will face tournament-host East Carolina Saturday. The game against the Pirates is set to tip-off at 2 p.m. The Ladyjacks will face either No. 12 Baylor or Jackson State at noon Sunday. Both games will be played at the Williams Arena.
SFA vs. the Pirates: When the Ladyjacks tip-off against East Carolina Saturday afternoon, it will mark the first meeting between the schools on the basketball court.
SFA vs. the Lady Bears: The Ladyjacks are 15-4 (.789) all-time against Baylor, should SFA play Baylor in the second round. SFA has won the last three meetings and eight of the last 10 versus the Lady Bears but the two schools haven't faced one another since the 1996-97 season. Both teams competed in the Gene Hackerman/Rice Invitational last season in Houston but didn't face each other.
SFA vs. the Lady Tigers: The Ladyjacks are 1-3 (.250) all-time against Jackson State. Should SFA and Jackson State meet in the second round of the US Cellular Classic it would be only the fifth meeting all-time and the first since the 1984-85 season when Jackson State recorded a 57-55 victory. The Ladyjacks lone victory in the series came during the 1982-83 season when SFA walked away with a 77-64 win.
Tradition of Winning: The SFA Ladyjack basketball program has been one of the most dominant programs in women's basketball history. The Ladyjacks are among the nation's all-time top 10 with 739 wins. The Ladyjacks are also among the all-time top 10 with a .738 winning percentage (739-262).
Tradition of Winning in the SLC: As dominant as SFA has been nationally, they have been just as dominant in the Southland Conference. The Ladyjacks are the conference's most dominant team, compiling a 258-32 (.890) all-time record. SFA has won 14 of a possible 17 SLC tournament titles and 13 regular-season titles. SFA has also recorded four undefeated seasons in league play and has had 38 players named All-SLC.
Going for a Milestone: SFA head coach Lee Ann Riley is only one win away from reaching a milestone at SFA. Riley enters the US Cellular Classic needing only one victory to record her 50th win as the Ladyjacks head coach.
Making the Most of Her Senior Year: Senior Zedralyn Butler has gotten out to a hot start for the Ladyjacks in her final season. After scoring double digits in points only once last season, she has done it twice this year with a career-high 16 points against Rice and a 10-point performance in the victory over Illinois State. Butler also pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds against the Lady Owls. Butler is currently second on the team averaging 9.0 points per game and is tied for tops on the squad averaging 5.3 rebounds per game.
Great Brit: Junior Britany Vinson led the Ladyjacks with a 17 points in the team's 66-60 victory over Illinois State. Vinson was 5-of-9 (.556) from beyond the three-point arc against the Redbirds. The five three-pointers tied a career-high for Vinson and the 17 points are the highest output for Vinson since she scored 18 against Oklahoma last season. It is also the most three-pointers by a Ladyjack in a game since classmate Kirby Killingsworth drained six against Nicholls State last season. Vinson's five triples also ties her for the sixth-best single-game mark in school history.
Arc Angels: Despite being only three games into their junior seasons, guards Kirby Killingsworth and Britany Vinson are among the school's all-time top 10 in three-point field goals. Killingsworth hit two three-pointers at the Junkanoo Jam and is currently tied for fifth all-time with 91. Vinson hit five three-pointers against Illinois State and is currently eighth at SFA with 58 triples. Vinson also led the Southland Conference last year with her .373 three-point field-goal percentage.
Blocking Her Way to the Top: Junior Kendria Smith recorded her first two block shots of the season against Duke. The two swats give her 61 for her career and places her tied for ninth (Rosalind Johnson, 1983-86) all-time at SFA.
Rookie Update: The Ladyjacks lone freshman Shanae Green saw her first action of the season Friday against Duke. She played 23 minutes against the Blue Devils and recorded three rebounds, two assists and two steals. In Saturday's victory over Illinois State, Green played 10 minutes and recorded one assist and one steal.
Up Next ... The Ladyjacks return to action Friday Dec. 10 when they return to Nacogdoches to host Southern. The game against the Jaguars is slated to begin at 6 p.m., from the William R. Johnson Coliseum. The Ladyjacks contest against Southern will mark only the teams' second home contest on the young season.
