Ladyjack Game Notes: at Texas State
1/31/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 31, 2012
Stephen F. Austin at Texas State
Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012 • 7:00 p.m. (CST)
Strahan Coliseum (7,200) • San Marcos, Texas
Radio: Q107.7 FM • TV: None • Online: www.txstatebobcats.com
Ladyjacks
Record: 14-5, 4-2
Last 5/Streak: 3-2/W-2
Coach: Brandon Schneider
Career: 334-103 (14th season)
At SFA: 26-23 (2nd season)
SID: Kenny Bybee
E-Mail: bybeeka@sfasu.edu
Web: www.sfajacks.com
Bobcats
Record: 12-7, 4-2
Last 5/Streak: 3-2/W-2
Coach: Zenarae Antoine
Career: 12-7 (1st season)
At TXST: Same
SID: Rob Beuerlein
E-Mail: rb60@txstate.edu
Web: www.txstatebobcats.com
FOR STARTERS: The Ladyjacks backed up a big win at Sam Houston State with another Southland Conference victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Saturday, 69-57. SFA has their most wins (14)through 19 games since the 2001-02 squad started 14-5 and went on to record a 24-6 overall record.
LAST TIME OUT: The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks erased an early 14-point deficit and put down the clamps defensively to earn their second straight conference victory, defeating Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 69-57 Saturday evening at William R. Johnson Coliseum. SFA senior guard Tammara Marion once again led the way offensively, scoring a game-high 20 points, 13 of which came in the second half.
THE BOBCATS: Texas State has won three of their last four SLC games, which included a 66-53 victory over Sam Houston State last week. The Bobcats have won two straight contests and are coming off a 90-73 triumph at UT-Arlington on Saturday. Texas State boasts the number one scoring offense in the SLC at 68.7 points per game.
vs TEXAS STATE: The Ladyjacks have dominated the all-time career series with Texas State by a 51-9 margin. SFA has won three straight games in the series, including two wins (96-50 & 80-65) last season.
COVERAGE: Wednesday's game vs Texas State can be heard on the radio on Q107.7 FM and followed on Gametracker at www.txstatebobcats.com.
UP NEXT: Following Wednesday the Ladyjacks will return home to face the defending Southland Conference champions McNeese State Cowgirls on Saturday, Feb. 4 at William R. Johnson Coliseum. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
FLIPPING THE SCRIPT: With a 14-5 overall record, the Ladyjacks have not only surpassed all of last season's win total, but they are also off to their best start to a season in nine years. One must go back to the 2001-02 Ladyjacks team that also started 14-5 and was 24-6 at season's end, eventually becoming Southland Conference champions.
THE M&M GIRLS : Looking to pick up the speed of the offense and provide a bit more scoring punch, Coach Schneider mixed up the starting lineup on Jan. 25 at SHSU, inserting both Brittney Matthew (freshman) and Ashlee Mells (junior transfer) for the first time in their respective careers. After just two starts, Mells is averaging 14.5 ppg on 48 percent shooting, along with seven rebounds and 1.5 steals in nearly 21 minutes of action. Matthew is averaging nine points per game since being inserted into the starting five while also dishing out 5.5 assists an snatching three steals in 29 minutes of floor time.
MEANINGFULL/MEANINGLESS STATS: SFA improved to 9-1 this season when they allow 59 points or less, as was the case in the team's 69-57 victory over A&M-Corpus Christi. To prove not all stats matter though, SFA is just 4-3 when holding their opponent below 35 percent shooting but somehow have yet to be beaten (4-0) when allowing the opposing team to make 40-44 percent of their shots from the field.
MARION SEEING 20/20: Senior guard Tammara Marion registered her sixth 20-point performance this season with exactly 20 points in the team's win over the Islanders. Marion, who is averaging 14.6 ppg, is seventh in the conference in scoring and has been held to single-digits on just six occasions (3 of which have been 9 points).
MARION DIALING LONG DISTANCE: Marion, who became SFA's all-time leader in made three-pointers earlier this year, is now first in the conference and 32nd in the country in three-point field goals per game (2.6) and 42nd in three-point percentage (38.0).
RECORD WATCHES: With six made three-pointers, only one short of a personal best, against Southern Miss (11/26/11), senior guard Tammara Marion became the all-time leader in made three-pointers (184), passing former Ladyjack Dayna Reed's previous record of 178. Marion also tied the all-time school record for three-pointers attempted on 1/14 at UTSA by launching her 555 trifecta, tying the previous mark held by Kirby Killingsworth.
PARTY IN THE CUSA: With their back-to-back wins over Rice (68-64) and SMU (66-60), and their win over Southern Miss earlier this season, the Ladyjacks have defeated three Conference USA squads in a season for the first time since the 2006-07 campaign when SFA knocked off Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech and Tulsa.
PRESEASON POLLS: With one of the top recruiting classes in the nation, the Ladyjacks earned four first-place votes in the coaches' poll and three more in the SID poll and a second-place finish; however, each poll has UTSA in the top spot in the league's West Division.
MARION PRESEASON ALL-SOUTHLAND: Tammara Marion was named to the all-Southland Conference preseason first team on Wednesday while the Ladyjacks were selected to finish second in the SLC West according to the preseason polls of league coaches and sports information directors. Marion, who was a second team all-conference selection last year, ranked third in the conference in 2010-11 in scoring (16.1).
800-WIN CLUB: The Ladyjacks (863 wins) 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 in 2008-09.
--SFA--
