Stephen F. Austin
Baylor University
SFA Can't Keep Pace With No. 9 Baylor
12/14/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
WACO, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin women's basketball team played the ninth-ranked Baylor Lady Bears tough in significant stretches on Sunday afternoon in the Ferrell Center, but couldn't keep pace in a 96-57 Baylor win. The game was played in front of 5,947 fans - the most in attendance at an SFA game this year.
"I think as we break down the film we're going to see some stretches where our team made a lot of progress today," said head coach Brandon Schneider. "We got to see so many different things with size and quickness. They played some zone, they pressed us, and they ran some different offensive schemes, so it was just a good opportunity for our team. I was really proud of the fact that our team never fragmented, put our head down or pointed fingers - we really kept a positive attitude throughout."
Senior center Porsha Roberts had a big afternoon in her first collegiate game in her hometown. The La Vega High School standout scored 18 points on 8-for-14 shooting while hauling in eight rebounds and blocking five shots.
"I thought Porsha had a terrific game," Schneider said. "She and I talked quite a bit going into the game and my biggest concern was that she would be so amped up that she would commit silly fouls. I thought she showed a lot of maturity and experience to keep herself out of foul trouble tonight while still making a tremendous impact on the game."
Roberts scored the first six points for SFA (5-4) as the Ladyjacks jumped out to a 6-3 lead and carried it to the under 16:00 media timeout. She also grabbed three boards and rejected a shot in the early going to help the Ladyjacks control the first four minutes of play.
SFA played solid defense over the span as well, forcing three turnovers and limiting Baylor (8-1) to just three free throws. The Lady Bears started the game 0-for-9 from the field.
Baylor struggled to find separation for the better part of the first half but used a 12-3 run to go up 30-16 with 7:04 in the opening frame. SFA sophomore guard Brentney Branch knocked down a deep three-pointer as the shot clock was winding down to stop the spurt. She was also able to connect on a three from the corner in the midst of the run and hit three from beyond the arc overall in the half.
The second best scoring offense in the country continued to pick up steam over the next several minutes. The Lady Bears shot 55 percent from the field in the first half and took a 50-27 advantage into the locker rooms. Baylor hit 32 of 42 shots during one stretch and executed at a 74 percent clip in the second 20 minutes alone to turn in a 63 percent shooting afternoon.
Sophomore forward Nina Davis, the reigning Big 12 Player of the Week, scored a game-high 33 points on 12-for-15 shooting and sophomore guard Alexis Prince pitched in 20 points on 9-for-11 shooting to lead the Lady Bears.
For the Ladyjacks, Branch and senior Tierany Henderson joined Roberts in double-figures, finishing with 12 and 10 points respectfully. Branch went 4-for-7 from deep and Henderson knocked down a pair of three-pointers in the second half.
Sophomore guard and SFA's leading scorer Taylor Ross picked up three early fouls which limited her playing time. She ended the game with five points, four assists and three steals.
Senior Brittney Matthew was able to find the shooters for the Ladyjacks, distributing a team-high six assists on the afternoon.
Behind Ross and Matthew, SFA did a good job limiting turnovers throughout the contest. The Ladyjacks gave the ball up just 14 times while taking it away from Baylor 13 times. The difference in the game came at the line and in the paint. Baylor used its large size advantage to outscore SFA 52-28 in the lane and get to the line 22 more times than the Ladyjacks.
SFA will return home to Nacogdoches to begin preparing for a game on Saturday, Dec. 20 against Arizona at 4:30 p.m. inside William R. Johnson Coliseum. The Ladyjacks beat the Wildcats 60-56 in Tucson last year on Nov. 20.
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