Saturday, January 27
Nacogdoches, Texas
3:30 p.m
Stephen F. Austin
vs
Sam Houston State
Piney Woods Rivalry Set to Rock William R. Johnson Coliseum on Saturday
1/26/2018 3:44:00 PM | Women's Basketball
SFA and SHSU set for 79th installment of Piney Woods Rivalry
Saturday vs. Sam Houston State
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 college athletics, few things approach the intensity and excitement of a rivalry contest.
In East Texas, that rivalry takes the form of the Battle of the Piney Woods, as longtime rivals Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin duke it out for supremacy. The latest installment of that rivalry will take place in a buzzing William R. Johnson Coliseum on Saturday, as the Ladyjacks (15-3, 7-0 SLC) face the Bearkats (4-13, 1-7 SLC) in the matinee game of a twinbill, followed by the men's contest taking place in the nightcap.
The game will be shown on ESPN3, with a live radio call to take place on FM Q107.7 complete with play-by-play by Bobby Mauro. Fans are also encouraged to keep up with the games progress via live stats, follow @sfa_wbb on Twitter, and get an inside look on the matchup via the game notes linked above.
Riding a season-long nine game winning streak, tied for the nation's eight-longest, the Ladyjacks are one of the hottest teams around and looking to keep things rolling. SFA is also 10-0 at home after weathering the storm from two of the Southland's toughest teams in Abilene Christian and Central Arkansas in the two most recent games. SFA's quick turnaround to face Sam Houston State comes on the heels of the 59-46 victory over Central Arkansas on Wednesday, in which the 'Jacks took control of the game in the third quarter and refused to relinquish control the rest of the way.
Leading the way in that contest was defense, a thing the Ladyjacks have shown they know a thing or two about, particularly at home, where they have been stalwart even against tough competition. For the season, SFA is giving up an average of 56.5 points per game to opponents, but at home that number shrinks to just 49.3 points per game. William R. Johnson Coliseum's hardwood and crowd are less than friendly to visiting teams, all of which factors into one of the best home court advantages in all of Division I basketball.
Enter Sam Houston State, a team that, despite its record, will do everything in its power to upset the Ladyjacks in the place where it is toughest to do so. At 4-13, the Bearkats are not one of the contenders for the league lead, as SFA's last two opponents have been, but may have gained some momentum with a win the other night. The 57-52 decision over Southeastern Louisiana ended a ten-game skid by the Bearkats that began back in December and had continued on into the conference schedule. Guard Jenniffer Oramas leads the Bearkats with 11.5 points per contest, making up about a fifth of Sam Houston State's offense per game, as the team averages 56.4 points.
While the Bearkats test out the Ladyjacks defense, their own defensive mettle will be tested by the Southland's second-highest scoring attack at 74.8 points per game. The Ladyjacks had relied on a balanced approach through the early going this season, but an attacking trio has begun to form, a triumvirate of scoring that has propelled the Ladyjacks through the thick and thin as of late. Down low and continuing to do the dirty work on the boards and taking charges is Stevi Parker, who leads the team with a tidy 11.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per contest. Multi-dimensional scorer Chanell Hayes fills in right behind Parker with 11.2 points a game, and is coming off her first career double-double against the Sugar Bears (15pts/10reb). Last but not least is point guard Taylor Jackson, whose six-game streak of double-digit scoring was cut short by foul trouble against Abilene Christian, but rallied to lead the Ladyjacks with 17 points on Wednesday and is up to 10.1 for the season. In her last eight games, Jackson actually leads the Ladyjacks with 14.1 points per contest, and owns a .438/.405/.829 (FG/3Pt/FT) shooting line over that span.
Owning a scoring defense that ranks in the middle third of the conference, the Bearkats are not a particularly easy team to score on, but struggle to contain opponents in the early going, having surrendered nearly 300 points in each of the first two quarters this season. When examining the all-time series between the two teams, it is clear that SFA has gotten the better of their rival more often than not. The series currently stands at 66-12, and includes SFA wins in five of the last six meetings and a 28-5 record in SFA's favor at William R. Johnson Coliseum.
Two veteran skippers man the helm for each team, as the Bearkats are led by Brenda Welch-Nichols in her 12th season with Sam Houston State. After a 3-25 campaign last season, the Bearkats are once again mired in a losing season, the fourth straight for the program. Conversely, SFA head coach is off to a great start in reaching his third winning season in as many tries at the helm of SFA, and has carried with him a tradition of winning where he goes. Among active Division I women's basketball coaches with at least five years experience, Kellogg's winning percentage of .778 ranks seventh overall.
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Players Mentioned
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