Stephen F. Austin
Sam Houston State
SFA Beats Sam Houston for 11th Straight Win
3/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin women's basketball team finished the season strong on Saturday night inside William R. Johnson Coliseum, defeating Sam Houston State 79-65 on Senior Night. While the Ladyjacks had already secured the 2014-15 Southland Conference Championship and the number one seed in the SLC Tournament next week, the victory capped an 11-game winning streak to close out the regular season.
The Ladyjacks (23-6, 16-2 SLC) have won 15 straight games at home dating back to Nov. 18 - the 10th longest active streak in the NCAA.
SFA got one of the most complete team efforts of the season on Saturday evening as five Ladyjacks scored in double figures and two more had at least eight points. Senior Brittney Matthew led the way with 13 points, senior Porsha Roberts and sophomore Brentney Branch each tallied 12, sophomore Taylor Ross finished with 11 points and freshman Charisma Alexander chipped in 10.
The Ladyjacks committed a season-low five turnovers while forcing the Bearkats (6-22, 5-13 SLC) to cough the ball up 21 times. The 24-6 points off turnover differential favoring SFA proved to be a key factor in the win.
The two rivals battled to a 36-36 draw after the first half. Sam Houston hit 7 of 9 three-point attempts to hang in the game while Matthew dumped in nine points for SFA in the half.
The Bearkats went cold in the second half, however, missing all 11 three-point attempts and shooting just 24.1 percent from the field.
With 16:47 remaining in the game, Alexander penetrated into the lane and knocked down a pull up jumper to give SFA the 41-40 lead. The Ladyjacks would keep the lead the rest of the way, going ahead by as many as 14 with less than a minute to go.
Branch drilled one of her two triples on the night with 4:18 on the clock, padding SFA's lead to nine points, 67-58. The made shot stopped a mini Sam Houston run and served as the dagger in the 79-65 victory.
The Ladyjacks moved the ball well all evening with Matthew and Ross each contributing six assists to SFA's total of 16.
Following the game, and during the halftime of the men's contest, the five Ladyjack seniors were honored for their contributions during their successful collegiate careers. Daylyn Harris, Destiny Bragman, Tierany Henderson, Brittney Matthew and Porsha Roberts helped change the culture of SFA women's basketball and played an integral role in claiming back-to-back league championships for the program.
While they have played their last game inside William R. Johnson Coliseum, the five seniors along with the rest of the Ladyjack team hope to be playing basketball well into March. Up next will be the Southland Conference Tournament in Katy, Texas. SFA has secured two byes and will play on Saturday afternoon in the Leonard E. Merrell Center. The opponent is yet to be determined.
-SFA-
