Ladyjacks Set to Tip Off 2008-09 Season
11/12/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 12, 2008
NACOGDOCHES - The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack basketball team is set to enter their eighth season under head coach Lee Ann Riley Friday at Prairie View A&M. The Ladyjacks are coming off 12-17 (.414) campaign that saw them go 9-7 (.563) and finish fifth the Southland Conference. SFA only lost one letterwinner from that team, and enters the new year with nine returning letterwinners, four returning starters and five incoming freshmen. he game against the Lady Panthers is slated to begin at 6 p.m. from the William Nicks Building. The Lady Panthers are coming off a 22-12 (.647) campaign that saw them go 15-3 (.833) and win the Southwestern Athletic Conference title.
SFA vs. the Lady Panthers: The Ladyjacks lead the all-time series against Prairie View A&M, 3-1 (.750). Stephen F. Austin won the first three games in the series before dropping a 66-63 decision last season in Nacogdoches.
Making the Switch: After spending the previous two seasons in the Southland Conference West Division, SFA will be switching to the league's east division taking the place of Lamar. The Lady Cardinals will be in the SLC West for the 2008-09, and the 2009-10 seasons.
Preseason Polls: A lot of excitement surrounds the Ladyjacks as they enter the 2008-09 season. The Ladyjacks are the preseason favorite to win the SLC East according to a preseason poll of league head coaches and sports information directors. The Ladyjacks received 11 of 12 first-place votes from the league head coaches, and nine first-place votes from the conference sports information directors.
A Closer Look at the Polls: The most impressive thing about the preseason poll is that the Ladyjacks are picked to win the division without the benefit of a preseason all-conference selection on the roster.
Season Openers: The Ladyjacks are 22-14 (.611) all-time in season openers, but are trying to put an end to a season-opening trend. The SFA women have dropped seven consecutive season openers.
The 800 Club: The Ladyjacks became the sixth member of an elusive club with their 73-40 victory over Sam Houston State last season. SFA became only the sixth women's program in NCAA Division I history to record 800 wins. The Ladyjacks now join Tennessee, Louisiana Tech, Old Dominion, Texas and James Madison as the only schools to ever accomplish the feat. Making the victory more special was the fact that it was Sue Gunter Day on the SFA campus.
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 806 wins. The Ladyjacks are also among the all-time top 10 with a .720 winning percentage (806-313).
Sophomore Leadership: The Ladyjacks jumped out a successful start in their two exhibition games defeating Arkansas-Monticello and St. Mary's (TX). Sophomores Ebony Alexander and Jordan Ford each averaged 12 points per game in the two contests. Alexander was 6-of-16 (.375) from the floor, while connecting on 5-of-9 (.556) attempts from beyond the three-point arc. Ford was 9-of-17 (.529) from the floor, and 6-of-9 (.667) from the free throw line.
Spreading the Wealth: SFA head coach Lee Ann Riley has made it very clear that for her team to be successful, it can't rely on only one or two players. Keeping that in mind she should be excited in what she saw in her team's two exhibition games. Against Arkansas-Monticello, every player scored, while all but two players scored in the game against St. Mary's. Every player that saw game time pulled down at least one rebound in both exhibition contests.
Up Next ... The Ladyjacks open the home portion of their schedule Monday, Nov. 17, against Houston Baptist. The game against the Huskies is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., from the William R. Johnson Coliseum.
