SFA Opens 2007-08 Slate
11/8/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 8, 2007
Fresh off their second consecutive 20-win season, and a trip to the 2007 WNIT, the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks are set to begin another season. For a second consecutive year SFA will open a season in New Orleans, La. The Ladyjacks will tip off the new season Sunday against New Orleans. The game against the Lady Privateers is set to begin at 7 p.m. UNO is coming off a 9-21 (.300) season that saw them finish seventh in the Sun Belt West Division. Sunday's game will also serve as the season opener for New Orleans. The Ladyjacks will return to action two day's later when return home for their 2007-08 season home opener against Grambling State. The game against the Lady Tigers is slated to begin at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Lady Tigers will open the season Sunday, before traveling to Nacogdoches. GSU is coming off a 12-19 (.387) campaign last season. Tuesday's game against GSU is a scheduled doubleheader with the SFA men's team. SFA will close out the week against Tulane. The game against the Green Wave is slated to begin Fridady at 7 p.m. Both Ladyjack home contests will be played at the William R. Johnson Coliseum.
The Ladyjacks are 0-1 all-time against New Orleans. The lone meeting between the two schools came during the 1983-84 season when UNO recorded a three-point decision, 69-66.
SFA is 2-1 (.667) all-time against Grambling State. The series began during the 1987-88 season where SFA recorded a three-point victory, 82-79. The Lady Tigers recorded a 63-62 win the following season. The Ladyjacks' other win in the series was a 102-50 decision in 1989-90.
The Ladyjacks lead the all-time series against Tulane, 4-2 (.667), but the Green Wave has won the last two meetings, both of which have been played in New Orleans. SFA dropped a 75-52 decision at Tulane to open the 2006-07 season.
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 794 wins. The Ladyjacks are also among the all-time top 10 with a .728 winning percentage (794-296).
The Ladyjacks are one of the nation's all-time winningest teams at home, with a 354-89 (.799) all-time record. SFA has won 23 of its last 27 games at home and was a perfect 14-0 at home in 2005-06. The Ladyjacks went 9-4 (.692) at home last season.
There is no consensus on who the top team in the SLC West is this season, but everyone is expecting SFA to be in the hunt. The Ladyjacks were selected as a preseason favorite among league sports information directors, but were picked a close second behind Texas-San Antonio according to the SLC head coaches.
The Ladyjacks placed two athletes on the preseason All-Southland Conference teams. Senior Nikki Carr was a first-team selection, and is the team's top returning scorer and rebounder. Sophomore Whitney Cormier received a second-team selection. She was one of the top freshmen in the league last season averaging 7.7 points and 3.5 rebounds.
Up Next ... After a busy opening week the Ladyjacks will hop on a plane and travel to El Paso, Texas, to compete in the UTEP Thanksgiving Classic. SFA will face Nevada Friday at 5:30 in the opening round. The Ladyjacks will play either tournament-host UTEP or Cal State Fullerton in the second round Saturday. The second round games will be played at 5:30 and 8 p.m. All games will be played at the Don Haskins Center.
