Valentine Basketball
2/9/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 9, 2004
NACOGDOCHES - The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack basketball team returns to action Tuesday trying to improve upon a three-game win streak. The Ladyjacks (5-14/5-4) will host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in a non-conference clash at the William R. Johnson Coliseum. The game against the Islanders is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. The Ladyjacks will return to Southland Conference action Saturday when they travel to Arlington, Texas, to take on the Lady Mavericks. The game against Texas-Arlington is slated to tip-off at 3 p.m., from Texas Hall.
SFA vs. the Lady Mavericks: The Ladyjacks are 40-4 (.909) all-time against Texas-Arlington. The Ladyjacks have now won nine of the last 10 meetings between the two schools, including a 58-54 victory in Nacogdoches earlier this season. The only Ladyjack loss during that 10-game stretch came last season at Texas Hall when UTA walked away with a 69-61 victory.
SFA vs. the Islanders: Tuesday night's game between SFA and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi will be the first meeting between the two schools in women's basketball.
Tradition of Winning: The SFA Ladyjack basketball program has been one of the most dominant in women's basketball history. The Ladyjacks are among the nation's all-time top 10 with 734 wins. The Ladyjacks are also among the all-time top 10 with a .742 winning percentage (734-255).
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 254-29 (.898) all-time record. SFA has won 14 of a possible 16 SLC tournament titles and 13 regular-season titles. SFA has also recorded four undefeated seasons in league play and has had 36 players named All-SLC.
Riley vs. the SLC: SFA head basketball coach Lee An:n Riley is in her third season with the Ladyjacks. During that span, Riley has coached her troops to a 39-10 (.796) mark in Southland Conference games.
Home Sweet Home: The Ladyjacks are one of the all-time winningest teams at home, with an all-time record of 322-79 (.803). The Ladyjacks have now won 56 of their last 66 games in the William R. Johnson Coliseum. The Ladyjacks were 10-2 at home last season.
Academic Shootout: The Ladyjack Academic Shootout will be held Saturday Feb. 21st, when the Ladyjacks host Nicholls State. There will be a pledge table set up at the front gate of the William R. Johnson Coliseum at every remaining home game for fans to sign up. Fans can pledge money for every point the Ladyjacks score against NSU. The money will go to help raise funds for summer school scholarships.
The Streak: The Ladyjacks have won three consecutive games and five of their last seven. The three-straight wins are a season-high.
Breakin' Out of the Slump: Sophomore Kirby Killingsworth had been struggling from behind the three-point arc in her sophomore season, shooting only 20-for-95 (.211) and averaging 6.8 points per game, heading into the Texas-San Antonio game. After being held scoreless in the first half against the Roadrunners, Killingsworth sparked the Ladyjacks with 14 points. She was 4-of-8 (.500) from three-point land.
Double-Double: Sophomore LaToya Mills recorded her sixth double-double of the season, and fourth in the last sixth games, Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe. Mills scored 16 points and pulled down 13 rebounds against the Lady Indians. During that span, Mills is averaging 11.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.
The Carr Show: Sophomore Nikki Carr tied a career-high with her 15 points against Louisiana-Monroe Saturday (15 vs. Eastern Kentucky).
Offensive Consistency: The 68-53 victory over Louisiana-Monroe marked the third consecutive game that SFA has shot at least 42 percent from the field. Over their last three games, the Ladyjacks are shooting 73-for-156 (.468).
Dominating the Boards: The Ladyjacks pulled down 51 rebounds in the victory over Louisiana-Monroe, marking the third time this season SFA has grabbed at least 50 rebounds in a game. Since the beginning of the SLC season, the Ladyjacks have outrebounded their opponents seven times and are averaging 43 rebounds per game.
The Defense Doesn't Rest: The Ladyjacks overcame 34 turnovers against Louisiana-Monroe with a suffocating defense. SFA held the Lady Indians to a 19-of-72 (.264) performance from the field. The .264 shooting percentage by ULM was a season-best performance for the Ladyjack defense.
Getting the Start: Freshman Jennifer Simpson recorded the first start of her career Saturday in the victory against Louisiana-Monroe. Simpson played 21 minutes and grabbed two rebounds.
Air Raid: Sophomore guards Kirby Killingsworth and Britany Vinson are leaving their mark on the SFA record books. With her five three-pointer in the last two games, Killingsworth now has 75 for her career. The 75 three-pointers are the seventh-best mark in school history. Vinson has nailed 46 treys in her career, placing her 11th all-time at SFA. Killingsworth leads the team with 25 treys but Vinson is tops on the squad with a .386 three-point field-goal percentage
Looking Ahead ... The Ladyjacks will be back in action Wednesday Feb. 18th when they travel Lake Charles, La., to take on McNeese State. The game against the Cowgirls is slated to begin at 5:15 p.m., from Burton Coliseum. SFA returns to the William R. Johnson Coliseum Saturday Feb. 21st to host Nicholls State. The game against NSU will tip-off at 4 p.m.
