Ladyjacks Open SLC Tournament Friday Against the Bearkats
3/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Stephen F. Austin (18-11, 12-6 SLC) vs. Sam Houston State (12-17, 7-11 SLC)
Friday, March 11 • 1:30 p.m.
Merrell Center • Katy, Texas
Watch (ESPN3) • Live Stats • Radio (Q107.7 FM)
In-Game Twitter Updates: @SFA_WBB
Complete Game Notes 
NACOGDOCHES, Texas -- The Stephen F. Austin women's basketball team will open up play in the 2016 Southland Conference Tournament on Friday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. inside the Merrell Center with a quarterfinal matchup against Sam Houston State. The Ladyjacks swept the Bearkats in two meetings during the regular season and will need a third win to punch their ticket to Saturday's semifinals. The rivalry contest will be broadcast live on ESPN3 with David Saltzman (play-by-play) and Van Chancellor (color) on the call. Rob Meyers will provide radio commentary on Q107.7 FM (Q1077.com).
QUICK HITS
• The Ladyjacks were the hottest team in the league down the stretch, winning 11 of their final 12 games to close the regular season. Only top-seeded Central Arkansas had the same 11-1 record in the same span out of the teams in the Southland Conference Tournament. After starting league play 1-5, the turnaround vaulted SFA to the third seed and a bye into Friday's quarterfinals.
• The third-seeded Ladyjacks started a season-best 10-game winning streak with a 70-63 victory over No. 7 seed Sam Houston State on Jan. 23 and ended the regular season with a 65-59 win over the Bearkats on the road last Saturday. The Piney Woods rivals square off again on Friday with the winner advancing to play No. 2 Northwestern State in the semifinals.
• With 15 tournament titles since 1988, the Ladyjacks have 12 more than the next closest league member (Northwestern State -- 3). SFA has never missed an appearance in the conference tourney, making its 29th straight showing this year, and has reached the championship game 19 times. With a 42-13 record in the event, the `Jacks have the most wins and best winning percentage (.776) in the SLC. Despite all of the success, SFA hasn't won a tournament title since 2006. The squad has never been the third seed.
• The Ladyjacks ended the regular season with a 65-59 victory on the road at Sam Houston State last Saturday. Senior guard Paulletta Powell had a huge day, scoring a career-high 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting. She also notched a collegiate best with five three-pointers made on just six attempts. The Bearkats never led in the contest and shot 10 percent from beyond the arc (2-for-20).
• SFA guards Taylor Ross and Taylor Schippers were honored with individual Southland Conference awards on Tuesday following solid seasons. Ross was named to the All-SLC First Team and All-Defensive Team while Schippers earned the title of SLC Newcomer of the Year. She was also placed on the All-SLC Honorable Mention list.
• Taylor Ross finished the regular season ranked near the top of the league in just about every statistical category. After 27 games played, she was fourth in scoring (15.9 ppg), second in assists (4.1 apg), fourth in steals (2.3 spg), sixth in field goal percentage (.484) and eighth in assist/turnover ratio (1.1). Ross scored in double figures in 22 of 27 games played on the year, while going over 20 points on 10 different occasions.
• Taylor Schippers was tabbed the league's best newcomer after showcasing a solid senior campaign in her first season eligible to compete for the Ladyjacks. In 29 regular season games, the Butler transfer averaged 10.9 points, 3.4 assists, 1.7 steals per game with 41 three-pointers made. Schippers boasted the fourth best assist/turnover ratio (1.7) in the conference while ranking in the top ten in both steals and assists.
• Three-point specialist Brentney Branch has made at least four triples 10 times in 2015-16. She has connected on 62 threes during her junior campaign, ranking fifth all-time in SFA history for a single season. She is closing in on Dayna Reed's 1990-91 mark of 63. Branch also ranks sixth in program history with 150 career three-pointers made -- just two shy of Britany Vinson (2002-06) for fifth.
• Led by SLC All-Defensive Team selection Taylor Ross and Taylor Schippers the Ladyjacks have cranked up the defensive pressure over the second half of the season. SFA ranks 22nd in the nation this season in steals per game (10.2) and 35th in turnovers forced (19.3).
• The Ladyjacks currently lead the Southland Conference and sit 42nd nationally with a 43.3 field goal percentage through 29 games. During its recent 10-game winning streak, SFA shot at least 41.0 percent in every contest and went over 50 percent on three occasions.
A LOOK AT SAM HOUSTON STATE
• The Ladyjacks are 66-11 all-time against Sam Houston State entering the 78th meeting of the rivalry. The `Jacks beat the `Kats 70-63 in Nacogdoches on Jan. 23 to start a 10-game winning streak. SFA got double-digit scoring efforts from five different players in the victory, led by a season-high 25 points (8-13 FG) from senior captain Taylor Schippers. SFA then capped the regular season with a 65-59 victory at SHSU on March 5 behind a career-high 17 points and five threes from Paulletta Powell.
• Four players scored in double figures in Thursday's first round game of the SLC Tournament to lead the No. 7 seed Bearkats to a 73-64 victory over No. 6 Nicholls. First Team All-SLC pick Shernise Robertson scored 20 points while second teamer Angela Beadle (14 pts, 11 reb) and Jasmine McCants (13 pts, 11 reb) posted double-doubles in the win.
UP NEXT
• With a win on Friday, the Ladyjacks would advance to meet No. 2 Northwestern State in the semifinals on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The championship game is set for Sunday at 11:30 a.m. on the CBS Sports Network.
-SFA-
