Stephen F. Austin
Houston Baptist
Ross, Ladyjacks Run Away From Houston Baptist, 64-50
2/6/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Stephen F. Austin 64, Houston Baptist 50
Sharp Gym • Houston, Texas
Records: SFA (11-10, 5-5 SLC); HBU (10-11, 5-6 SLC)
Up Next: vs. UIW (6-15, 3-7 SLC) • Thursday, Feb. 11 • 7:00 p.m.
Box Score 
HOUSTON - It was one of those nights where Stephen F. Austin junior guard Taylor Ross had just about everything working for her. She scored a game-high 25 points - three with just one shoe on - to lift the Ladyjack basketball team to a 64-50 victory at Houston Baptist on Saturday evening inside Sharp Gym. The win is the fourth straight for the Ladyjacks.
Ross went 6-for-11 from the field, handed out four assists, grabbed four rebounds and snatched three steals on the night, but she really made the Huskies pay at the free throw line. The Pflugerville native shot a crisp 12-for-14 from the charity stripe, including an 8-of-10 mark in the second half.
Seventeen of Ross' 25 points came in the final 20 minutes - during which time she nearly outscored the entire HBU team single-handedly (21-17). Trailing 43-42 after the third quarter, SFA relied on its top scorer to dismantle HBU in the fourth. Ross scored 10 points in the final period to help the Ladyjacks pull away late.
SFA outscored HBU 22-7 in the final frame, building its largest lead of the contest, 64-49, with 23 seconds to play. The Ladyjacks shot 77.8 percent (7-for-9) to generate the lopsided quarter.
The Ladyjacks controlled the opening tip and went up 2-0 on their first possession when senior guard Paulletta Powell rattled in a mid-range jumper from the right wing. SFA never trailed in the first half, thanks in large part to a fast start for Ross. She scored eight points in the first 10 minutes, going a perfect 2-for-2 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free throw line to help the `Jacks end the first quarter on top 16-14.
A quick 7-1 spurt to start the second allowed SFA to extend its lead to 23-15 with 7:49 to play in the half. Freshman guard Chanell Hayes notched five points in the span and senior guard Taylor Schippers capped it off with a left-handed layup in transition.
Later in the second, junior guard Brentney Branch was fouled while sinking a smooth baseline floater. She made the free throw to complete the three-point play and give SFA its largest lead of the first half, 30-20.
HBU closed the gap by halftime, however, using a 9-0 run in the final minutes to cut SFA's lead to 30-29 heading into the break.
During a frantic stretch early in the third quarter, Ross' shoe came loose and she was forced to play without it for a significant stretch. The incident didn't phase her in the slightest as she drilled a triple to put SFA up 36-31 with her left shoe watching from the sideline.
The third was played in a tight six point window before the `Jacks opened things up in the fourth.
Hayes ended the day with 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting to extend her double-figure scoring streak to five games. She added three rebounds and two steals.
Powell and Branch assisted offensively with seven points apiece. SFA, the top shooting team in the league, ended with a 42.3 percent field goal percentage while converting 17 of 21 free throw attempts (81.0%).
Freshman Kennedy Harris and sophomore Charisma Alexander controlled the glass for SFA, coming down with 10 rebounds each. The total was a career best for Harris while Alexander came one board shy of tying her personal record.
The Ladyjacks will go for a fifth straight victory on Thursday night when Incarnate Word comes to William R. Johnson Coliseum. First tip is set for 7:00 p.m.
-SFA-
