Stephen F. Austin
Nicholls
Ladyjacks' Defensive Pressure Too Much for Nicholls
1/16/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 16, 2010
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks converted 33 Nicholls' turnovers into 43 points as SFA overpowered the Colonels, 85-51, Saturday night at the William R. Johnson Coliseum. The Ladyjacks improved to 8-6 overall, and 3-0 in Southland Conference play for the first time since the 2005-06 season.
"Our goal coming into the game was to utilize our defensive pressure to disrupt their offense," said SFA head coach Lee Ann Riley. "I felt that we were successful in that aspect of the game, but I'm still not pleased with some parts of our offense. But I'm always happy with a win, no matter how we get it."
The Colonels converted an SFA turnover into a Jasmine Hoskins bucket for the first points of the game but it was all SFA after that. The Ladyjacks forced their visitors into 10 turnovers in the first 5:30 of the contest and jumped out to a 12-point advantage. Following a Tammara Marion field goal to push the SFA lead to 27 points, the Colonels closed out the half on a run to make the score more respectable heading into the locker room. Nicholls outscored SFA 15-4 in the final five minutes of the half to head into halftime down only 16 points, 45-29.
Nicholls was 11-of-24 (.458) from the floor in the opening half, but were unable to overcome 21 first-half turnovers. The Ladyjacks, who shot 42 percent in the opening half, converted the Nicholls' mistakes into 31 points. The Ladyjacks also outrebounded Nicholls, 26-19, in the opening half.
It was more of the same in the second half as SFA pushed its' advantage to as many as 35 points. SFA finished the game shooting 43 percent from the floor, while holding the Colonels to a 35-percent clip. SFA also outrebounded their guests, 50-39.
Once again the Ladyjacks finished the night with five players in double figures. Marion led the all scorers with 15 points. Junior Toni Davis and sophomore Courtney Conwright each chipped in 14 points, while junior Ebony Alexander recorded a double-double. She scored 10 points and dished out 10 assists, while senior Whitney Cormier just missed a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds.
The Ladyjacks return to action Wednesday, when they travel to Arlington, Texas to take on the UTA Lady Mavs. The game against Texas-Arlington is slated to begin at 7 p.m. from Texas Hall.
-SFA-
