Ladyjacks Head to Memphis
11/26/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 25, 2008
Off to its best start in nine years, the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack basketball team will look to continue its winning ways Friday when they travel to Memphis, Tenn., to compete in the 24th Annual Piggly Wiggly Classic. The Ladyjacks will put their 3-1 (.750) record on the line Friday when they face Jacksonville State in the first round of the tournament. The Gamecocks are still looking for their first victory of the season, and will face Troy before heading to Memphis. The game against Jacksonville State is slated to tip off at 8:30 p.m. SFA will face either tournament-host Memphis or Wichita State in the final round of the tournament. Saturday's game will begin at either 5 or 7 p.m., depending on the outcome of Friday's games. All games will be played at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse.
SFA vs. the Gamecocks: Friday's meeting will mark the first time in school history that SFA has stepped on the court to face Jacksonville State.
SFA vs. the Tigers: Should SFA and Memphis meet Saturday, the Tigers would enter the game with a slight advantage in the all-time series. Memphis owns a 3-1 (.750) all-time lead in the series, but SFA won the last meeting between the two schools. SFA recorded an 82-73 decision during the 1995-96 season.
SFA vs. the Shockers: Should SFA and Wichita State meet in the second round of the Piggly Wiggly Classic, it would be for control of the series. The two schools have split the two meetings, with SFA recording a 80-55 decision in 1980-81. It would be the first meeting between the two schools since the 2002-03 season.
Achieving a Milestone: The Ladyjacks' four-point victory over Tulsa was just a bit more special than most for SFA head coach Lee Ann Riley. The win marked the 250th of her career.
Hot Start: The Ladyjacks are out to their best start since the 2000-01 season when SFA recorded an identical 3-1 record. That season SFA won 20 of its final 23 regular-season games to win the Southland Conference title and advance to the NCAA Championships. The 2000-01 team finished with a 26-7 (.788) overall record.
One by Land, Two by Sea, Three by Air: The Ladyjacks torched the nets for a season-high nine three-pointers Monday night against Tulsa. The Ladyjacks connected on 9-of-19 (.474) attempts from beyond the arc in the game, and are currently third in the conference shooting just over 35 percent from three-point land.
Early Freshman of the Year Candidate: It is still very early in the 2008-09 season, but freshman Tammara Marion is making an early bid conference SLC Freshman of the Year honors. Marion has scored in double figures in three of the team's four games and currently leads the Ladyjacks averaging 11.5 points per game. The league's 14th ranked scorer, Marion leads all SLC freshman in scoring.
Very Good-ner: Sophomore Decreasha Goodner appeared to snap out of an early season skid offensively against Tulsa. She scored a season-high 11 points on the night, including a perfect 3-of-3 effort from beyond the arc. The three triples matches her total output from three-point range during her rookie season.
Not Taking Advantage of the TOs: The Ladyjacks once again continue to do a great job of forcing their opponents into miscues, but SFA is struggling to turn those miscues into points. Through four games SFA has forced its opponents into more turnovers, than the points it has been able to score from those turnovers. The Ladyjacks' best production was in the season opener against Prairie View A&M. SFA forced the Lady Panthers into 17 turnovers, which they converted into 17 points.
The Defense Doesn't Rest: The Ladyjacks lead the SLC in forcing their opponents into miscues. SFA has forced its opponents into a league-best 82 turnovers this season.
Up Next ... The Ladyjacks will return to action Tuesday, Dec. 2, when they host No. 7 Texas A&M in the William R. Johnson Coliseum. The game against the Aggies is slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. from the William R. Johnson Coliseum. SFA will also be inducting former Ladyjack, and current Texas A&M, head coach Gary Blair into the Ladyjacks Hall of Fame during halftime of the contest.
