Saturday, January 13
Nacogdoches, Texas
3:30 p.m.
Stephen F. Austin
vs
Incarnate Word
Red-Hot Ladyjacks Open Four-Game Home Stand with Slumping Cardinals
1/12/2018 1:03:00 PM | Women's Basketball
SFA looks to improve to 7-0 versus UIW in all-time series
Saturday vs. the University of the Incarnate Word
3:30 p.m | Nacogdoches, Texas | William R. Johnson Coliseum
Live stats | Audio | Video | SFA Game Notes
3:30 p.m | Nacogdoches, Texas | William R. Johnson Coliseum
Live stats | Audio | Video | SFA Game Notes
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – In prolonging its winning streak to a season-high six games, the Stephen F. Austin women's basketball team learned a thing or two about grit. The four most recent wins in that streak came against conference opponents, including three road tilts. In each contest, the Ladyjacks were forced to stave off a comeback attempt from each foe in turn, making the plays needed down the stretch to earn the victories.Now the proud owners of a 12-3 record overall, and a 4-0 start to Southland Conference play for the second consecutive season, the Ladyjacks have no time to rest on their laurels, as they begin a stretch of four straight games at William R. Johnson Coliseum on Saturday. Leading off that slate of games is Saturday's matinee with the University of the Incarnate Word at 3:30 p.m., the opening game of a doubleheader with the SFA men's basketball team.
The contest will be shown on ESPN3 and broadcast on FM Q107.7, with play-by-play narration from Bobby Mauro narrating all the action on both. Fans are also encouraged to follow along with live stats via the above link, and to follow SFA women's basketball on Twitter at @sfa_wbb for game updates.
SFA's offense has been its strong suit all season, as the team averages 77.5 points per game and is ranked third among Southland programs in scoring. The same cannot be said for UIW, which ranks dead last in points per game (50.0) and shooting percentage (31.7) among Southland programs. In fact, the Cardinals offense is 348th out of 349 in Division I, and 346th in shooting percentage. Of UIW's 15 games played to this point, a total of ten saw the Cardinals score 55 points or less, and four of those games featured point totals of less than 40.
Things won't get any easier for the Cardinals when taking into account the way the 'Jacks play at William R. Johnson Coliseum. Few teams can vouch for the impressive record that SFA has compiled on its home court, and seven teams have taken the court and fallen there this season alone. SFA's defense in particular has been lethal at WRJ Coliseum, where they have held opponents to 49.0 points per game and forced 27 turnovers per game.
Further compounding the Cardinals' issues on the court is a defense that also ranks near the bottom of the Southland, allowing an average of 71 points per game to opponents. Opponents are torching the nets against UIW to the tune of 44.2 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from beyond the arc. Tasked with dismantling that defense will be the balanced and varied scoring offense of SFA, which has received notable contributions from a trio of players in particular as of late, including Stevi Parker, Chanell Hayes and Taylor Jackson. Parker, a redshirt senior, is the 'Jacks known quantity. Now up to seven double-doubles on the season and 20 in her career, she is the most consistent producer on the team and is a threat to lead the team in points and rebounds on any given night.
Spelling Parker in scoring on most nights has been guard Chanell Hayes, whose scoring average is the only other 'Jacks average to land in double figures this season at 11.2. Hayes fell short of double digits in SFA's recent win over UNO, snapping a streak of seven of eight games in double figures. Her high points have been exemplary, posting the two highest single game point totals for the Ladyjacks this season (24 & 25), and the Cardinals are a defense easily carved by one possessing her skillset on offense. Alongside Hayes, and one of the Ladyjacks most consistent scorers as of late is Taylor Jackson, who has posted double-digit efforts in each of the last five games, including a season high of 16 against Nicholls, which she then bested one game later with 18 points at Northwestern State.
The player to watch on the Cardinals roster is reigning Southland Conference freshman of the Year Imani Robinson, who averages 10.8 points, 4.5 board, 2.1 steals and 1.5 assists for UIW. Post player Sydnee Wynn has posted averages of 7.4 points and 6.3 rebounds this season, while Gabbi Bowie has averaged 7.7 points and 3.1 rebounds this season. The Cardinals don't rely heavily on outside shooting, connecting on just 57 of 239 attempts (23.8 percent), and as a team they shoot free throws at a 59.9 percent clip.
SFA's biggest flaw thus far has been inconsistency on defense, and allowing opponents to make significant runs to erase once comfortable leads. This has manifested itself in the third quarter in each of the past four games, as halftime leads for SFA in each game have disappeared due to being outscored 88-59 in the period in the past four games, the only quarter in which they have been outscored by opponents. To its credit, SFA has fought back to reclaim the momentum and, in short order, the win in each of those occasions, but a dominant effort against a soft offense could be just what the doctor ordered for a defense that has played a little too loose at times in recent games.
Looking ahead to the remainder of the four-game home stand, SFA is due to face a pair of tough Southland opponents in Abilene Christian (Jan. 17) and Central Arkansas (Jan. 24). Those games have huge implications in the league standings, as SFA, ACU and UCA are each tied atop the conference standings with unblemished records. After those contests, SFA welcomes rival Sam Houston State to WRJ Coliseum on the 27th of January.
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Players Mentioned
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