Thursday, December 7
Missoula, Montana
7:00 p.m. (MT)
Stephen F. Austin
at
Montana
Ladyjacks Square-Off With Northern Foes in Montana
12/6/2017 7:04:00 PM | Women's Basketball
SFA faces Montana for third time in program history; makes debut versus Montana State
Thursday vs. University of Montana
7:00 p.m | Missoula, Montana | Dahlberg Arena
Live stats | Game Notes | Audio | Video
Saturday vs. Montana State
4:30 p.m | Bozeman, Montana | Brick Breeden Fieldhouse
Live stats | Game Notes | Audio | Video
7:00 p.m | Missoula, Montana | Dahlberg Arena
Live stats | Game Notes | Audio | Video
Saturday vs. Montana State
4:30 p.m | Bozeman, Montana | Brick Breeden Fieldhouse
Live stats | Game Notes | Audio | Video
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Having held serve in the opening bout of the North vs. South slate of its 2017-18 schedule, the Stephen F. Austin women's basketball team ventures to Montana for a pair of tough non-conference tilts with Montana and Montana State this weekend. SFA will first travel to Missoula, Montana to face the University of Montana Grizzlies on Thursday at 7:00 p.m., before squaring off with Montana State in Bozeman two days later on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
Both contests can be viewed online via bigskyconf.com, or by following the links at the top of this story or on the schedule page at sfajacks.com. On the airwaves, SFA's very own Bobby Mauro will narrate all the action with his trademark golden delivery, available for listening on Q107.7.
Riding a six-game winning streak into the weekend contests, SFA carries all the momentum in the world after handing South Dakota its worst loss of the season on Saturday inside William R. Johnson Coliseum. The trio of northern opponents represents the toughest stretch of the non-conference schedule for the Ladyjacks, and each boasts a rich tradition of success, led by the University of Montana.
The Grizzlies and the Ladyjacks share a rich tradition of victory at the Division I women's basketball level, dating back 50 years for SFA and 43 for Montana. The Grizzlies also stand just 94 wins away from cracking the 1,000 win plateau as a program, an exclusive club which contains just eight programs, including SFA. Furthermore, the Grizzlies have an all-time program record of 906-362, have captured 24 regular season conference titles, and have made a total of 21 NCAA Tournament appearances. That winning tradition runs through the Grizzlies program like a cold mountain stream, and second year coach Shannon Schweyen is looking to continue that trend with a more experienced core from last season's 7-23 team.
That core consists of three returning starters from last season's squad, led by top scorer and playmaker Makenzi Johnston, who leads the team in both points per game (12.3) and assists per contest (4.0). The Lady Grizzlies have struggled in shooting the ball well through the first seven games of the campaign, as the team has compiled splits of .368/.228/.702 (FG/3-Pt/FT) thus far, leading to an underwhelming 59.9 points per game average for the team. Montana has played a tougher schedule than the Ladyjacks up to this point, with contests against Gonzaga and Kentucky, along with other Division I opponents in Indiana State, Marquette and Wyoming (all losses). A pair of December wins against Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State are the lone wins for Montana entering Thursday's contest.
While being outscored by their opponents by an average of 5+ points, the Lady Grizzlies have nonetheless kept things under some modicum of control on the defensive end, as their 65.6 points given up per game ranks in the middle of the pack among Division I programs. That offense will be tested by a Ladyjack offense that is averaging 80.0 points per game, a figure that ranks 36th in the nation and comes amid SFA not reaching it's full potential on the offensive end. The Ladyjacks are still not where they wanted to be with their shooting, especially from beyond the arc, where they are converting just 30 percent of their attempts. Despite that, periods like the first quarter of Saturday's 77-55 win over South Dakota showcase the potential of SFA to barrage opponents with shooters at every position. The 'Jacks opened the game with 6-10 shooting from beyond the arc, and each three-pointer was sunk by a different 'Jacks player.
When opponents attempt to game-plan against the 'Jacks, their dilemma is truly an example of the idiom "pick your poison". Stevi Parker is a steady and reliable premier scoring option for the 'Jacks, and has been a double-double machine thus far, with four such games in seven contests. Beyond that, the 'Jacks continue to be buoyed by their depth and talent throughout the roster, and posting five scorers in double-digits like they did against South Dakota is par to the course thus far in the campaign. Alyssa Mayfield is the other 'Jack averaging double-digits this season, and has done so primarily as a "sixth-man" off the bench, such as she did in a career-high 22 point performance against Alcorn State. Fellow winger Chanell Hayes (8.6 ppg) has also been a key contributor for the 'Jacks, especially from beyond the arc, where she is tied for the team lead in makes, with nine. Forward Imani Johnson (8.8 ppg) has posted several strong efforts down in the paint while also showing the ability to step outside and bury the deep ball on occasion. At the point guard position, starter Taylor Jackson has led the 'Jacks offense efficiently and leads the team in assists, while freshman backup Marissa Banfield has provided hot shooting off the bench, with nine three-pointers made this season.
On Saturday, the 'Jacks shift focus to the 5-4 Montana State Bobcats, just a year removed from a 25-8 season and an NCAA Tournament appearance. The Bobcats have dominated the Big Sky Conference as of late, accruing 38 wins over past three seasons, claiming two regular season and one tournament championship, and having the last two Big Sky Players of the Year. Montana State also returns three starters from last season's postseason squad, although top scorers Peyton Ferris and Riley Nordgaard do not return for the 2017-18 season. That leaves sophomore forward Madeline Smith (13.3ppg, 10.5rpg) as the Bobcat's top option on offense.
After opening the season on the West Coast against the University of Southern California and another venerated program in Long Beach State, the Bobcats faced Providence at home, Omaha on the road and MSU billings and Wyoming at home to close out November. Staying busy, the Bobcats then traveled to Wailuku, Hawaii to play in the Oregon State-Maui Classic, where they faced Utah State and Nevada, before traveling to Manoa to face the University of Hawaii. Despite a 5-1 start to the season, Montana State dropped two of the three Hawaii contests and now sits just one game above .500 entering Saturday's contest.
Head coach Tricia Binford begins her 13th season at the helm, where she has accrued a 196-166 overall record. A Boise State alum and former WNBA player, Binford has built the Montana State program into a force to be reckoned with during her tenure there.
-SFA-
Both contests can be viewed online via bigskyconf.com, or by following the links at the top of this story or on the schedule page at sfajacks.com. On the airwaves, SFA's very own Bobby Mauro will narrate all the action with his trademark golden delivery, available for listening on Q107.7.
Riding a six-game winning streak into the weekend contests, SFA carries all the momentum in the world after handing South Dakota its worst loss of the season on Saturday inside William R. Johnson Coliseum. The trio of northern opponents represents the toughest stretch of the non-conference schedule for the Ladyjacks, and each boasts a rich tradition of success, led by the University of Montana.
The Grizzlies and the Ladyjacks share a rich tradition of victory at the Division I women's basketball level, dating back 50 years for SFA and 43 for Montana. The Grizzlies also stand just 94 wins away from cracking the 1,000 win plateau as a program, an exclusive club which contains just eight programs, including SFA. Furthermore, the Grizzlies have an all-time program record of 906-362, have captured 24 regular season conference titles, and have made a total of 21 NCAA Tournament appearances. That winning tradition runs through the Grizzlies program like a cold mountain stream, and second year coach Shannon Schweyen is looking to continue that trend with a more experienced core from last season's 7-23 team.
That core consists of three returning starters from last season's squad, led by top scorer and playmaker Makenzi Johnston, who leads the team in both points per game (12.3) and assists per contest (4.0). The Lady Grizzlies have struggled in shooting the ball well through the first seven games of the campaign, as the team has compiled splits of .368/.228/.702 (FG/3-Pt/FT) thus far, leading to an underwhelming 59.9 points per game average for the team. Montana has played a tougher schedule than the Ladyjacks up to this point, with contests against Gonzaga and Kentucky, along with other Division I opponents in Indiana State, Marquette and Wyoming (all losses). A pair of December wins against Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State are the lone wins for Montana entering Thursday's contest.
While being outscored by their opponents by an average of 5+ points, the Lady Grizzlies have nonetheless kept things under some modicum of control on the defensive end, as their 65.6 points given up per game ranks in the middle of the pack among Division I programs. That offense will be tested by a Ladyjack offense that is averaging 80.0 points per game, a figure that ranks 36th in the nation and comes amid SFA not reaching it's full potential on the offensive end. The Ladyjacks are still not where they wanted to be with their shooting, especially from beyond the arc, where they are converting just 30 percent of their attempts. Despite that, periods like the first quarter of Saturday's 77-55 win over South Dakota showcase the potential of SFA to barrage opponents with shooters at every position. The 'Jacks opened the game with 6-10 shooting from beyond the arc, and each three-pointer was sunk by a different 'Jacks player.
When opponents attempt to game-plan against the 'Jacks, their dilemma is truly an example of the idiom "pick your poison". Stevi Parker is a steady and reliable premier scoring option for the 'Jacks, and has been a double-double machine thus far, with four such games in seven contests. Beyond that, the 'Jacks continue to be buoyed by their depth and talent throughout the roster, and posting five scorers in double-digits like they did against South Dakota is par to the course thus far in the campaign. Alyssa Mayfield is the other 'Jack averaging double-digits this season, and has done so primarily as a "sixth-man" off the bench, such as she did in a career-high 22 point performance against Alcorn State. Fellow winger Chanell Hayes (8.6 ppg) has also been a key contributor for the 'Jacks, especially from beyond the arc, where she is tied for the team lead in makes, with nine. Forward Imani Johnson (8.8 ppg) has posted several strong efforts down in the paint while also showing the ability to step outside and bury the deep ball on occasion. At the point guard position, starter Taylor Jackson has led the 'Jacks offense efficiently and leads the team in assists, while freshman backup Marissa Banfield has provided hot shooting off the bench, with nine three-pointers made this season.
On Saturday, the 'Jacks shift focus to the 5-4 Montana State Bobcats, just a year removed from a 25-8 season and an NCAA Tournament appearance. The Bobcats have dominated the Big Sky Conference as of late, accruing 38 wins over past three seasons, claiming two regular season and one tournament championship, and having the last two Big Sky Players of the Year. Montana State also returns three starters from last season's postseason squad, although top scorers Peyton Ferris and Riley Nordgaard do not return for the 2017-18 season. That leaves sophomore forward Madeline Smith (13.3ppg, 10.5rpg) as the Bobcat's top option on offense.
After opening the season on the West Coast against the University of Southern California and another venerated program in Long Beach State, the Bobcats faced Providence at home, Omaha on the road and MSU billings and Wyoming at home to close out November. Staying busy, the Bobcats then traveled to Wailuku, Hawaii to play in the Oregon State-Maui Classic, where they faced Utah State and Nevada, before traveling to Manoa to face the University of Hawaii. Despite a 5-1 start to the season, Montana State dropped two of the three Hawaii contests and now sits just one game above .500 entering Saturday's contest.
Head coach Tricia Binford begins her 13th season at the helm, where she has accrued a 196-166 overall record. A Boise State alum and former WNBA player, Binford has built the Montana State program into a force to be reckoned with during her tenure there.
-SFA-
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball10.29.23 | Axe 'Em Insider Episode 17 x Women's Basketball
Friday, November 03
10.5.23 | Women's Basketball x 2023-24 Schedule Preview
Thursday, October 05
8.14.23 | Coach Bishop Italy Recap
Sunday, August 13
SFA vs UNO | WBB Highlights: Ladyjack Basketball
Saturday, January 28
