Stephen F. Austin
St. Mary's (Texas) - Exhibition
Ladyjacks Win Exhibition Opener
11/2/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 2, 2009
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Senior Whitney Cormier's game-high 21 points was the driving force behind Stephen F. Austin's 70-43 victory over St. Mary's (TX) Monday night in the William R. Johnson Coliseum. The contest was the first of two exhibition games for the Ladyjacks on the 2009-10 docket.
"I was very proud of our effort tonight, especially on the defensive end," said head coach Lee Ann Riley, who is in her ninth season at the helm. "I think there are a lot of areas where we can improve, and we will. We are inputting a new offense, and the flow wasn't there tonight, but the defense really picked up the slack."
The Ladyjacks utilized a 29-1 run over a 13-minute stretch in the first half to turn a tie game into a one-sided affair. The Ladyjack offense struggled in the opening half but Riley turned to her defense for some momentum. The Ladyjacks responded by forcing 32 turnovers out of their guests, which they converted into 34 points.
After shooting only 34 percent in the opening half, the Ladyjacks settled down offensively in the final 20 minutes of play. SFA closed out the game connecting on 14 of their final 33 shots (42.4 percent), and finished the game 27-of-71 (.380). SFA was 3-of-13 from beyond the arc, including a 2-of-4 performance from junior college transfer Chelsea Foy.
Along with the turnovers, SFA held the Lady Rattlers to an 18-of-54 (.333) performance, including a 2-of-13 (.313) from beyond the arc. The Ladyjacks also held an advantage on the glass, 47-44.
Five Ladyjacks scored at least six points in the contest. Along with Cormier's 21 points, junior Decreasha Goodner added nine points, and was one of three players with at least seven rebounds. Sophomore Tammara Marion chipped in eight points, and grabbed six boards, while classmate Amina Sawyer scored seven.
"We came out a little sluggish in the second half, and lost some of our intensity," said Riley. "We've got some great film to show the areas where we need to get better. The key thing now is to become a better team by the time we step on the court for our next game Friday."
The Ladyjacks return to action Friday against Ouachita Baptist. The game is slated for a 7 p.m. tipoff, and will be the team's final exhibition before the regular-season opener against North Texas (Nov. 14th).
-SFA-
