Wednesday, January 3
Thibodaux, Louisiana
6:00 p.m.
Stephen F. Austin
at
Nicholls
Ladyjacks Carry Three-Game Winning Streak into Road Contest at Nicholls
1/2/2018 3:58:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Wednesday at Nicholls
6:00 p.m | Thibodaux, La. | Stopher Gymnasium
Live stats | Audio | Video ($) | SFA Game Notes
6:00 p.m | Thibodaux, La. | Stopher Gymnasium
Live stats | Audio | Video ($) | SFA Game Notes
THIBODAUX, La. – Winning ways have returned for the Stephen F. Austin women's basketball team as of late, with a trio of victories at home providing confidence to start off the Southland Conference season. The most recent, a 79-67 victory over Southeastern Louisiana to close out the 2017 year, improved the Ladyjacks to 9-3 on the season in addition to opening the conference schedule with a win.
Stepping away from the comfort of William R. Johnson Coliseum, and all the historical advantages it has long held for SFA, the team now begins a three-game road tilt this week. SFA will face three Louisiana-based Southland opponents this week, beginning with a matchup against Nicholls (6-7) in Thibodaux on Wednesday.
The game will be live streamed by Nicholls on geauxcolonels.com, with a complete radio call of the game available on 94.7 FM KVLL. SFA's veteran play-by-play man Bobby Mauro will narrate the game's action, while live stats are also available for fans to follow along with the game.
In Nicholls, as was the case with Southeastern Louisiana before them, the Ladyjacks will face an opponent which they have historically gotten the better of, to the tune of a 44-6 advantage in the all-time series. Recent history, however, has seen the series take a far more balanced approach, as four of the Colonel victories have come in the past ten matchups between the teams.
"Nicholls has been one of the longer road trips for us," said SFA head coach Mark Kellogg. "They're a good team that plays a bit of a 2-3 matchup zone, they play really hard and come up with a lot of steals. Cassidy Barrios is a really good basketball player who is going to present some problems for us. We've had success against them, but they're certainly capable, and we don't have a true road win this year, we're 0-3 in those games and we need to learn how to win on the road."
The Colonels currently sit just one game back from SFA in the league standings, having suffered a close 64-62 loss to Incarnate Word on the second to last day of the 2017 year. The loss evened the Colonels conference record at 1-1, having bested Northwestern State by a 79-63 mark on December 28. Now in the ninth season under head coach DoBee Plaisance, the Colonels are looking to improve on a 10-20 season and an eighth place finish in the 2016-17 campaign. At 6-7 overall, Nicholls is already more than half way to matching last season's win total, thanks in large part to the efforts of jack-of-all trades guard Cassidy Barrios.
When considering the potency of the Colonels offense, all roads seem to lead through Barrios. The leading scorer and rebounder for the team, Barrios also leads the team in steals, blocked shots, free throw percentage and is a close second in total assists. A Southland Conference Preseason Second Team selection, Barrios will pose a strong threat to SFA on the offensive end, but is far from the only offensive threat for the Colonels. Tykeria Williams is the other Colonel to average double-digit points in the 2017-18 campaign at 12.5 points per contest, and is the most effective deep threat Nicholls has, with 27 made three-pointers on the season.
"Barrios is a player that you have to put a little more emphasis on," Kellogg said. "They move her around a lot, she's a player that can really play the one through the four for them, she'll bring the ball up and does a lot for them (on offense). Hopefully we can limit what she can do on offense with the defensive matchups we have planned."
Tasked with shutting down Barrios and the supporting cast for the Colonels, the SFA defense will look to implement a tenacious defense that thrives on forcing turnovers and getting its opponents out of rhythm. SFA has consistently excelled in that area, forcing 20 or more turnovers out of every opponent since the opener against Kansas State, leading to the 'Jacks being ranked sixth in the nation in turnovers forced per game, with over 24 per contest.. Furthermore, opponents are scoring just 55.4 points per game this season, and the Ladyjacks have held eight teams to 60 points or less, including two held to less than 40 points.
Offensively, the Ladyjacks continue to rely on a balanced approach, with a handful of different players stepping up to lead the team on offense this season. Furthermore, spreading out the scoring amongst the team's players has been the modus operandi, with each of the past two victories featuring five or more players ending the game in double figures. Redshirt junior Imani Johnson was the team's guiding force on offense in the Southland opener with Southeastern Louisiana, bullying her way to a season-high 20 points and seven rebounds in the paint.
"Obviously there's some times where the offense hasn't look that good, but I like the balance" explains Kellogg. "We've said all along that our team will be about balance and depth, and that's playing pretty much true thus far. The offense has been good, but our challenge is still to be able to score when we don't turn people over."
If there has been a weakness to the Ladyjacks thus far in the 2017-18 campaign, it has been the squad's play on the road, although road losses to Kansas State, Montana and Montana State can certainly be understood. Even still, the difference between a good team and a title contender often comes down to a team's ability to win away from home, and in that regard, the 'Jacks have a lot to prove. A pair of neutral site wins at Southern Miss during Thanksgiving represent SFA's only wins that did not come within the friendly confines of William R. Johnson Coliseum. A win on the road is the primary goal for SFA, but a bounce back shooting performance would help to alleviate current unsightly shooting splits on the road (32.9 percent from the field, 15.5 percent from three-point).
Stamina and durability may also come into play this week for the team, as SFA plays three games across seven days, all coming on the road and each requiring a separate trip. The week's games, beginning with Wednesday's bout at Nicholls, represent a true test for the Ladyjacks and their resolve as they look to contend for the 2017-18 Southland Conference title.
-SFA-
Players Mentioned
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