Ladyjacks Prepare for WNIT
3/16/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 16, 2010
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The 2010 Southland Conference Co-Champion Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks enter the 2010 WNIT with an 18-10 (.643) overall record, after finishing 13-3 (.813) in the SLC to win a share of the title. The Ladyjacks won their final seven regular-season games to enter the conference tournament as the No. 2. The Ladyjacks enter the tournament having won seven of the last eight games, and will face Creighton in the opening round of the WNIT. The Bluejays are 20-10 (.667), and won five straight games before dropping a one-point decision to Northern Iowa in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship game . The game against the Bluejays is slated to begin at 7 p.m. from Qwest Center. The other half the bracket consists of Kansas and Prairie View A&M.
March Madness: The Ladyjacks are making their 21st postseason appearance since the 1981-82 season. During that time SFA has advanced to the NCAA Championships 18 times, and are making their third appearance in the WNIT. The Ladyjacks other two trips to the WNIT came in 1987 and 2007.
We're Back: The Ladyjacks are making their second appearance in the WNIT in the last four years.
800-Win Club: The Ladyjacks became the sixth member of an exclusive club with their 73-40 victory over Sam Houston State in 2007-08. 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. Tennessee Tech also joined the 800-win club last season.
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 839 wins. The Ladyjacks are also among the all-time top 10 with a .715 winning percentage (839-335).
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 successful team, compiling a 321-65 (.832) all-time record. SFA has won 15 of a possible 22 SLC tournament titles and 15 regular-season titles. SFA has also recorded four undefeated seasons in league play and has had 56 players named All-SLC. Along with the all-conference selections, SFA has had 10 players named player of the year, eight coaches of the year, three freshman of the year, one newcomer of the year and one defensive player of the year.
SFA in the WNIT: The Ladyjacks are 2-2 (.500) all-time in WNIT games. SFA went 2-1 during the 1987 WNIT recording wins over Appalachian State and Montana, but are coming off a 58-50 setback at Southern Illinois in 2007.
SFA vs. the Field: The Ladyjacks are 10-4 (.714) against three teams they could potentially face in the first two rounds of the WNIT.
SFA vs. the Bluejays: The Ladyjacks are 2-2 (.500) all-time against Creighton. Friday's game will be the first meeting between the two teams since the 2003-04 season when the Bluejays recorded a 91-64 victory.
SFA vs. the Jayhawks: The Ladyjacks are 4-1 (.800) all-time in the series against Kansas. The Ladyjacks won the first four meetings in the series, with the only loss coming in the opening round of the 1994 NCAA tournament, 72-63.
SFA vs. the Lady Panthers: The Ladyjacks are 4-1 (.800) all-time against Prairie View A&M. SFA won the first three meetings in the series before dropping a three-point decision in 2007-08. The Ladyjacks opened the 2008-09 campaign with an 11-point win at Prairie View.
SFA in WNIT Opening Round Games: The Ladyjacks are 0-2 all-time in WNIT opening round games. After falling to Creighton in the opening of the 1987 tournament, SFA won two games from the loser's bracket to win the consolation game.
Recapping the 2007 WNIT: The Ladyjacks traveled to Carbondale, Ill., to face Missouri Valley Conference champion Southern Illinois in 2007. The Salukis recorded an eight-point victory on their home floor, 58-50. SFA was led by 2007 SLC Player of the Year Charity Egenti. She scored 24 points and pulled down seven rebounds in the contest.
Lone Wolf: Senior Whitney Cormier is the lone remaining Ladyjack player from the 2007 WNIT team. A freshman on the 2006-07 squad, Cormier scored nine points, and pulled down five rebounds in 19 minutes of action at Southern Illinois.
SFA in Televised Games: The Ladyjacks are 16-11 (.593) all-time in televised games.
POTWs: Senior Whitney Cormier received two SLC Player of the Week honors this season. It marked the third weekly honor of her career.
All-SLC: Senior Whitney Cormier repeated as a first-team All-Southland Conference selection during her final season on campus. She finished eighth in the league in scoring (14.5 pg), and was among the league's top 10 in field-goal percentage and steals. She is joined by sophomore Tammara Marion who garnered third-team honors. Marion finished second on the team averaging 11.6 points per game, and led the league shooting .399 from three-point land. Marion has hit 55 three-pointers this season, which is the third-best single-season mark in program history.
Double-Doubles: The Ladyjacks have recorded 13 double-double performances during the 2009-10 season. Junior Toni Davis leads the team with five double-doubles, while classmate Ebony Alexander has four. Junior Jordan Ford has recorded three on the season, while classmate Chantol Drennan has one.
20-Something: Senior Whitney Cormier scored a team-high 23 points in the conference tournament opener against Northwestern State. It marks the 12th time this season that a Ladyjack has scored at least 20 points in a game, and the 11th time in Cormier's career that she has scored at least 20 points in a game.
Record-Breaking Performance: Sophomore Tammara Marion drilled a career-high seven triples against Central Arkansas. Marion tied a school record with her performance becoming the fifth Ladyjack in school history to knock down seven threes in a game, and the first since Stephanie Whitmore in December of 1998.
Record Setting Arc Angels: The Ladyjacks have set few offensive records during the 2009-10 season. SFA has recorded 201 three-pointers on the season, to shatter the previous record of 179. The Ladyjacks recorded a new single-game record for threes when they buried 13 against Lamar. Sophomore Tammara Marion tied a school record with her seven triples against Central Arkansas.
SLC Tournament Record Falls: The Ladyjacks attempted a conference tournament record 92 field goals in the opening round against Northwestern State, breaking the previous mark of 87 set by Louisiana-Monroe during the 1990 season. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi tied the previous mark during the 2008 tournament.
Career Milestone: Senior Whitney Cormier became the 24th player in program history to score 1,000-career points. She is currently 21st all-time with 1,147 points.
Career Milestone, Part Two: Sophomore Tammara Marion needs only one more three-pointer to become only the seventh Ladyjack in program history to record 100 career triples. Marion is currently on pace to become the school's all-time leader in three-point field goals.
Missed It By That Much: Junior Ebony Alexander just missed her first career triple-double by one assist at UTSA. Alexander scored 11 points, pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds and dished out nine assists. Had Alexander dished out one more assist against the 'Runners, it would have been the first triple-double by a Ladyjack since Rosalind Polk did in the 1982-83 season. Oddly enough, Polk recorded a quadruple-double in that game (20 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists and 10 steals).
Making the Most of the Opportunity: Junior Ebony Alexander made the most of her start in the SLC tournament game. Alexander made her presence felt in all phases of the game scoring 18 points, grabbing eight rebounds, dishing out six assists, recording four steals and blocking two shots.
Speed Limit 90: The Ladyjacks have scored at least 90 points five times this season. The Ladyjacks recorded more 90-points games this season than in the previous five seasons combined. It is the most 90-point outings by a Ladyjack squad since they recorded six during the 1997-98 campaign.
Just Plain Offensive: The Ladyjacks are one of the top offensive teams in the country. SFA is currently ranked seventh in the nation averaging 78.8 points per game.
Like A Thief in the Night: SFA has been very active on the defensive end of the floor as well. The Ladyjacks are currently ranked 16th in the country averaging 11.2 steals per game. SFA is also ranked 15th in the country in turnover margin (+5.54).
Up Next ... The other half of the bracket consists of Illinois State, Purdue, Butler and Eastern Michigan. If the Ladyjacks win their first two game, they would take on the winner of those four schools. The venue for next round of games has not yet been determined.
