Ladyjacks to Battle Tigers at Mizzou Arena
12/7/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 7, 2007
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack basketball team advanced to the championship round of the 2007 State Farm Tiger Classic, and put an end to a four-game slide, Friday by defeating Alcorn State, 71-54, in the opening round of the tournament. The victory propelled SFA to 2-5 on the season. The Ladyjacks will face tournament-host Missouri, who advanced to the championship round after defeating Mississippi Valley State. The game against the Tigers (5-3) is slated to begin at 6:30 p.m. from the Mizzou Arena.
The Ladyjacks started slow Friday against Alcorn State. SFA missed their first eight shots, while ASU connected on its first four attempts, including three consecutive threes. The Lady Braves jumped out to a 12-0 first half lead, but SFA spent the rest of the opening 20 minutes clawing its way back. SFA utilized its depth and strength on the glass to claim victory. SFA outrebounded the Lady Braves, 56-39, and finished the game with a 39-21 advantage in bench scoring.
The Ladyjacks received two double-double performances Friday night against Alcorn State. Sophomore Whitney Cormier led the charge with a season-high 17 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, while senior Nikki Carr poured in 12 points and pulled down 10 rebounds.
Cormier showed flashes of what Ladyjack fans had grown accustomed to seeing from the Fort Worth native. After averaging only 6.8 points and 4.0 rebounds in the team's first six games, Cormier led the Ladyjacks with a season-high 17 points and a career-high 13 points Friday against Alcorn State.
The Ladyjacks continue dominate the glass. SFA pulled down 56 rebounds Friday against Alcorn State, which marks the fifth time this season that SFA has recorded at least 40 rebounds, and the third time the team has recorded at least 50.
Despite shooting less than 40 percent for the sixth consecutive game, the Ladyjacks continue to show signs of jumping out of their early season woes. After starting the game 0-for-8, and shooting only 32 percent in the opening half, the Ladyjacks finished the game 17-for-38 (44.7 percent) in the second half.
-SFA-
