Ladyjacks Await Midweek Home Game Against Lamar
1/20/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Stephen F. Austin (7-9, 1-4 SLC) vs. Lamar (6-11, 2-4 SLC)
Thursday, January 21 • 7:00 p.m.
William R. Johnson Coliseum • Nacogdoches, Texas
Watch Live (ESPN3) • Live Stats
In-Game Twitter Updates: @SFA_WBB
Complete Game Notes 
NACOGDOCHES, Texas -- The Stephen F. Austin women's basketball team hopes to get back to its winning ways in front of its home fans this Thursday night against Lamar inside William R. Johnson Coliseum. Two of the preseason favorites in the Southland Conference, the Ladyjacks and Cardinals have a lot to play for in the midweek matchup after getting off to slow starts to being their league slates. The contest will be broadcast live on ESPN3 starting at 7:00 p.m.
QUICK HITS
• The Ladyjacks enter the week with a 1-4 record so far in SLC play but have a ton of time left in the season to get back on track. A couple bad breaks since their 80-55 win over McNeese in the league opener have been a factor in SFA's four-game losing streak. In losses against Southeastern Louisiana, Central Arkansas, New Orleans and Abilene Christian over the past three weeks, the Ladyjacks' margin of defeat is just over six points. UCA and UNO downed SFA courtesy of game winning shots with under five seconds to play.
• Junior guard Taylor Ross led SFA offensively last week, posting an average of 19.0 points per game in losses to New Orleans and Abilene Christian. She went 17-of-34 (50.0 percent) from the field between the two games and recorded five rebounds, three steals and two assists. On Thursday night in the Big Easy, Ross scored 14 of her team-high 16 points in the second half to put her team in position to win late. She then registered her fifth 20-point game of the season with a 22-point outburst on Saturday against ACU.
• SFA dominated the glass all night long against ACU last Saturday in its 85-70 loss. The Ladyjacks got several second chance opportunities with an 18-7 advantage in offensive boards and outrebounded the Wildcats 35-23 overall. Freshman guard Kennedy Harris had a season-high six rebounds to tie junior center Adrienne Lewis for the team lead. SFA ranks second in the league this season with 15.2 offensive rebounds per game during SLC play.
• If the Southland Conference handed out a sixth man award at the end of the season, SFA junior guard Brentney Branch would be the favorite through the first leg of conference action. She currently averages 11.1 points per night for the second best scoring average on the team and the 23rd best mark in the league. With only two starts in 15 games played, her offensive output is the best in the conference among players who haven't started the majority of their team's games.
• After falling to the Privateers, 58-57, in New Orleans last Thursday night on a three-point buzzer-beater, the Ladyjacks have now lost six games by 10 points or fewer. Three of those instances have come during their current four-game losing streak. SFA hasn't lost five straight SLC games since the 2004-05 season when the `Jacks dropped six in a row to close the year. That squad finished 6-10 in SLC play.
• Senior guard Taylor Schippers boasts the best assist/turnover ratio during conference play this season. She has dished out 17 assists while turning it over just four times in five SLC games for a ratio of 4.3. The next best mark is 3.0 (Jayln Johnson -- McNeese). Schippers has a team-high 56 assists to her name overall on the year.
A LOOK AT LAMAR
• The Ladyjacks are 52-13 all-time against Lamar heading into the 66th installment in the series history. SFA knocked off the Cardinals twice last season, winning 59-55 on the road on Jan. 22 before taking a 71-60 decision at home on Feb. 19. The Ladyjacks have won three of the last four overall in the set with their last loss coming during the 2013-14 season -- a slim 75-73 setback in Beaumont, Texas. Taylor Ross scored 16 points in each meeting with the Cardinals last year, shooting a combined 11-for-18 (61.1%) with seven assists and 14 rebounds.
• Picked to finish first in both the SLC preseason coaches and SID polls, Lamar is off to an underwhelming start (2-4 SLC) to the 2015-16 season. Currently in 10th place in the league table, the Cardinals have lost three straight against Central Arkansas, Southeastern Louisiana and Northwestern State. LU also lost at Nicholls in the SLC opener before beating New Orleans and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
• The Cardinals are led offensively by seniors JaMeisha Edwards and Addesha Collins. The two are the only LU players averaging in double figures this season as Edwards, a 2014-15 First Team All-SLC pick, leads the team with 15.2 points per game followed by Collins at 14.0 ppg. Freshmen Chastadie Barrs (9.5 ppg, 4.1 ast) and Kiara Desamours (8.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg) are the only two players to have started all 17 games for Lamar on the year.
UP NEXT
• The Ladyjacks will wrap up their current three-game homestand on Saturday by hosting rival Sam Houston State inside William R. Johnson Coliseum. The women will kick off the doubleheader beginning at 4:00 p.m. on ESPN3.
• The Bearkats were responsible for one of the Ladyjacks' two losses in conference play last season as SFA went 16-2 to win the SLC regular season championship. SFA made up for the January loss by beating SHSU, 79-65, at home in the final game of the regular season in March. The Ladyjacks lead the `Kats in the all-time series by a commanding 64-11 margin. Saturday's clash will be the 76th meeting between the two Piney Woods rivals.
-SFA-
