Ladyjacks Host Morgan State in WNIT Consolation Round Matchup

Friday, November 16

Nacgodoches, Texas

6:30 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

Morgan State

Tickets

Photo by: JC Ridley/jcridley.work

Ladyjacks Host Morgan State in WNIT Consolation Round Matchup

11/15/2018 2:19:00 PM | Women's Basketball

SFA is 31-15 all-time in games following the season opener

By: Kevin Meyer | Assistant Director of Athletic Media Relations

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – For just the second time in the past six seasons, Texas' oldest town will play host to a women's basketball tournament this weekend, when a quartet of Preseason WNIT consolation round games are played at William R. Johnson Coliseum. SFA will face Morgan State in the latter of two games set to be played on Friday evening, with the 6:30 p.m. tipoff following on the heels of the matchup between Yale and Niagara at 4:00 p.m. Prior to this weekend, the last time the 'Jacks had hosted tournament action at home was during the 2013-14 season, when they also hosted a portion of the Preseason WNIT consolation round.

The two victorious teams from Friday's action will face each other on Saturday at 4:30 p.m., with the two losing teams matching up beforehand. Both Friday's SFA game and whichever of the two resulting Saturday matchups includes the Ladyjacks will be streamed on Facebook Live via the SFA Women's Basketball page. The sounds of the game and thoughtful analysis will be provided by third-year radio extraordinaire Bobby Mauro on FM 94.7 KVLL for Friday's contest and FM Q107.7 on Saturday. Live stats for all four contests will be available at the link above, along with games notes for SFA's matchups and a program for the tournament.

Tickets for all four games are available for purchases via the link above, or via sales at the gate. Purchase of a ticket grants access to both games being played on that day. Tickets for the Preseason WNIT games are not included in any SFA season ticket packages and will require purchase.

The Ladyjacks will look to rebound from an opening round loss to 24^th-ranked Miami on Friday, during which they battled but were unable to keep up with the 'Canes in an 81-60 loss. Furthermore, the Ladyjacks haven't taken part in any game action since the Sunshine State bout, and head into Friday's matchup with a yet untested young core. SFA's 12-member squad features eight underclassmen, all of whom will be called upon in just their first or second season as a 'Jack to provide big moments. Friday's game did include some silver linings, as all four freshmen played and scored in their first collegiate action, led by Minnesota native Heaven Hamling and her 15 points off the bench.

Hamling did some damage from deep, as did senior Chanell Hayes, who knocked down six three-pointers in the contest on the way to a team-high 19 points in the contest. In all, the Ladyjacks knocked down 12 of 26 (.429) attempts from beyond the arc in the contest, an early indicator of the team's effectiveness from range this season.

Friday's opponent Morgan State is 1-2 heading into Friday, with an 80-59 loss to Hartford in the WNIT opening round being the team's most recent action. The Bears opened the season with a 51-46 loss to Division II Lincoln University before recovering with a 60-43 victory over NAIA foe Washington Adventist. Senior guard/forward Andre'onia Coleman leads the team with 14.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, while Naomi Bolasingh chips in 13.5 points and five boards. The Bears have had numerous issues with ball control that date back to last season, and are committing an average of 25 turnovers per contest. As a team, the Bears have a 1:3 assist to turnover ratio on the season.

TIP-OFF TIDBITS
• In the past five seasons, SFA has posted a 65-11 record in games played inside William R. Johnson Coliseum.

• SFA has posted a total of 32 20+ win seasons in 49 full seasons of competition.

• One of just nine NCAA Division I institutions with 1000+ wins, the Ladyjacks rank seventh all-time with 1055 victories.

• Senior Chanell Hayes tied her career high with six made three-pointers in the loss at Miami, a mark she had set in the final game of last season, a postseason WNIT matchup with George Mason. Through two WNIT games, Hayes is averaging 21.5 points and six threes per game.

• Mark Kellogg's career winning percentage of .775 is the fifth best mark among active Division I coaches.

• All three of the other team's involved in this weekend's tournaments are unfamiliar opponents to SFA, with no all-time matchups having been played against the Ladyjacks.

• The Ladyjack sare 31-15 all-time in games following the season opener, including two wins in such games during the Mark Kellogg era.

• SFA's last home tournament on the women's side was also the Preseason WNIT consolation round back in the 2013-14 season. SFA lost to Stetson on the opening day before beating Georgia State in the second game.

-SFA-