Ladyjacks Prepare to Open SLC Play at Sam Houston State
1/6/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 6, 2009
The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack basketball team (5-7) will look to get back on the winning track as it opens Southland Conference play Saturday at Sam Houston State. The Ladyjacks enter the conference opener having lost three straight, and six of their last seven games. SFA's lone win during that stretch was a 66-63 victory over New Orleans last month, which was the last game the Ladyjacks played in Nacogdoches. The Bearkats are 3-10 (.231) on the year, and ended a two-game slide with a seven-point victory over North Texas. Saturday's contest is slated to begin at 2 p.m. from the Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville, Texas. Due to the conference realignment, which has placed the Ladyjacks in the SLC East Division this season, Saturday's contest will be the only regular-season meeting between the two schools.
SFA vs. the Bearkats: The Ladyjacks have dominated the all-time series against Sam Houston State owning a 59-5 (.922) all-time record. The Ladyjacks have won six straight games, and 15 of the last 17 meetings in the series. The Ladyjacks swept the season series last year which included a 76-58 victory over the Bearkats in Huntsville.
Tough Slate: The Ladyjacks just completed one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country. The slate consisted of games against three top-10 teams, including Baylor (9th), Texas A&M (4th) and Auburn (10th).
The 800-Win 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 joined 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 811 wins. The Ladyjacks are also among the all-time top 10 with a .718 winning percentage (811-318).
Tradition of Winning in the SLC: As dominant as SFA has been nationally, they have been just as strong in the Southland Conference. The Ladyjacks are the conference's most dominant team, compiling a 298-56 (.842) all-time record. SFA has won 15 of a possible 21 SLC tournament titles and 14 regular-season titles. SFA has also recorded four undefeated seasons in league play and has had 48 players named All-SLC.
298 Down, Two To Go: Right on the heels of the program's 800th all-time win, SFA now has its sights set on 300 all-time Southland Conference victories. The Ladyjacks' win over Texas-San Antonio last season marked the program's 298th win over a Southland Conference opponent.
SFA in SLC Openers: The Ladyjacks are 20-1 (.952) all-time in Southland Conference openers. The Ladyjacks have won four-straight league openers, with the lone setback coming at Northwestern State during the 2003-04 season. The Ladyjacks are 2-0 all-time against Sam Houston State in conference openers.
SFA in SLC Road Openers: The Ladyjacks are 12-3 (.800) all-time in Southland Conference road openers dating back to the 1993-94 season. The Ladyjacks won 10-straight road-opening games, but have now dropped three of its last five league-opening road games.
Riley vs. the SLC: Ladyjack head coach Lee Ann Riley has compiled a dominant record against Southland Conference foes. Riley is 83-37 (.692) against SLC teams during the regular season.
Freshman Leadership: Freshman guard Amina Sawyer is leading by example when she steps on the court. The 5-6 guard tied a career high with her 19-point effort against No. 10 Auburn. She finished the game 6-of-10 (.600) from the floor, and 5-of-7 (.714) from beyond the three-point arc. Sawyer currently leads the team averaging 10.6 points per game. She has scored in double figures in eight of the team's 12 games this season.
Freshman Leadership, Pt. II: Not to be outdone by her classmate, Amina Sawyer has also emerged as another leader for the Ladyjacks. Sawyer is averaging 5.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, but over the course of the past two games she has become a go-to player. The 6-2, post is averaging 12 points and eight rebounds during that stretch.
Nacogdoches Block Party: Freshman Amina Sawyer is also becoming a threat on the defensive end as well. Sawyer is currently sixth in the league averaging 1.1 blocked shots per game.
Career Highs: Freshman Amina Sawyer was involved in all aspects of the Ladyjacks' game at Auburn. Not only did Sawyer score a career-high 14 points and pull down five rebounds, but she also dished out one assist, blocked a shot and recorded three steals.
Need Assistance: Sophomore point guard Ebony Alexander as asserted herself as one of the top guards in the league. Alexander is currently fourth in the conference averaging 3.9 assists per game. She has posted a career-high seven assists four times this season, including the Ladyjacks' last game at No. 10 Auburn.
Arc Angels: The Ladyjacks are becoming a bigger threat from beyond the three-point arc. SFA followed up their season-best performance of 10 triples against New Orleans by hitting 12 three-pointers at the Cancun Classic. The Ladyjacks have now connected on 27 three-pointers during their last four games (6.8 pg), and are shooting 27-of-66 (.409) from beyond the arc during that stretch.
Converting Defense to Offense: The Ladyjacks have struggled during the first half of the season converting strong defense into easy points. The Ladyjacks continue to put up strong numbers defensively forcing their opponents into 231 turnovers on the season, but have managed only 168 points from those turnovers.
Up Next ... The Ladyjacks return to action Wednesday, Jan. 14, when they host Central Arkansas. The game against the Sugar Bears is set to tip at 7 p.m. SFA will be in Thibodaux, La., Saturday, Jan. 17, for a 2 p.m. tipoff at Nicholls.
