Ladyjacks Open Homestand with Grambling State
12/13/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 13, 2013
Game 10
Grambling at SFA
Date: Sunday, Dec. 15, 2 p.m.
Site: William R. Johnson Coliseum (7,203)
Last Meeting: GSU 64-63 (at GSU 12/1/12)
Team Information
Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks (3-6, 0-0 SLC)
Head Coach: Brandon Schneider (Wayland Baptist, 1995)
Career Record: 358-123 (16th season), Record at SFA: 52-51 (4th season)
Grambling State Tigers (2-5, 0-0 SWAC )
Head Coach: Patricia Cage-Bibbs (Grambling State, ‘72)
Career Record: 512-322 (29th season, 14th at Grambling)
Live Stats: www.sfajacks.com
Live Stream: sfajacks.com
Twitter: @SFA_WBB
SFA Game Notes
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Stephen F. Austin women's basketball opens a 5-game homestand on Sunday against Grambling State. The Ladyjacks are looking to snap a 3-game skid against the Lady Tigers. The last time out, SFA fell on the road in a tight battle at ULM by the score of 85-83.
° Last season at Grambling, SFA lost by just 1 point, 64-63. The Lady Tigers made a layup with 2 seconds remaining to get the victory.
° The Lady Tigers are led by Joanna Miller. The guard was chosen as the 2013-14 SWAC Preseason Player of the Year. In her last game, she posted 16 points at Texas Tech, hitting 7-of-15 from the field. Miller did not play at Kansas State on Saturday. She is averaging 18.7 points per game.
° SFA is one of the most dominant defenses in the paint in the Southland Conference again in 2013-14. The Ladyjacks currently lead the league with 4.7 blocks per game with 42 through 9 games. The next closest team is Abilene Christian with 3.8 per game.
° One reason why SFA is blocking so many balls again is junior center Prosha Roberts. Roberts is averaging 2.6 per game with 23 and is on pace for one of the best seasons in school history. At her current pace, Roberts could even break the career record at SFA before the end of the season. She is tied for 27th in the nation in blocks per game heading into this weekend’s action. Roberts also is posting 14.2 points per game to rank 12th in the Southland. Her 3.6 offensive rebounds rank 4th in the conference to help the Ladyjacks score 12.0 second chance points per game and rank 4th in offensive rebounds.
° Junior point guard Brittney Matthew posted a career-high 22 points in the loss at ULM last weekend. Matthew was 6-of-12 from the field and hit 9-of-11 at the free-throw line. In addition to her offensive scoring she added 4 assists to just 1 turnover while also tallying 2 steals.
° SFA has played in a number of tight games already this season as 7 of the 9 matchups have been decided by 8 or fewer points. The Ladyjacks are 3-4 in those games, including two come-from-behind wind. SFA has rallied late to defeat Georgia State and Arizona. In both contests, the Ladyjacks trailed with 5:00 remaining in the game. Against Georgia State, SFA trailed by 9 points with 4:45 left. The comeback at Arizona was 4 points with under 5:00 to play.
° The Ladyjacks were chosen as the favorite to win the Southland Conference this season by the league’s coaches and sports information directors. SFA received seven of the 12 first-place votes in both polls and was picked ahead of Oral Roberts. The Ladyjacks also had 2 players chosen to the Preseason All-Conference Teams. Porsha Roberts was a selection on the first team while Antionette Carter was voted to the second.
° Sunday marks the start of a 5-game homestand for the Ladyjacks. They will be home to take on Henderson State on Thursday at 7 p.m. Texas A&M-Commerce comes to town on Dec. 30, and then conference play starts in January. Lamar will be the Southland Conference opener for SFA at 6 p.m. on Jan. 2, followed by a stint with rival Sam Houston State at 4 p.m. Jan. 4.
