Ladyjacks Pull Away from Saints in Second Half, Prevail 93-77

Tuesday, November 20

Nacogdoches, Texas

5:00 PM

Stephen F. Austin

Our Lady of the Lake

SFA

Ladyjacks Pull Away from Saints in Second Half, Prevail 93-77

11/20/2018 7:03:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Five Ladyjacks post double-digit efforts in home win

By: Kevin Meyer | Assistant Director of Athletic Media Relations

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Playing its third game in four days, the SFA women's basketball team had a slow start in Tuesday's game with Our Lady of the Lake inside William R. Johnson Coliseum but ultimately pulled away to prevail 93-77. The Ladyjacks placed five in double figures and connected on 46.9 percent (30-64) of their shots in the contest, outscoring the Saints 55-36 in the second half. Imani Johnson led SFA with a career-high 20 points (6-9 FG, 7-8 FT), while Riley Harvey notched a double-double effort with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Chanell Hayes and added 14 points for the Ladyjacks, who improved to 3-1 on the young season and 3-0 at home.

"I guess this was essentially a tale of two halves in one regard, and let me start by crediting Our Lady of the Lake, that was a really well-coached and disciplined team", said SFA head coach Mark Kellogg. "I thought they came out and pressed us, we hadn't seen a ton of that and were kind of on our heels a lot in the first half. We did not come out and play well at all at the start, had no flow and tons of turnovers, which will just kill you. I don't know that we made a ton of halftime adjustments, I think we just settled in a little more, got a little bit more from our starting group in the third quarter and I thought that was a really great quarter."

A sluggish start to the ballgame saw the Ladyjacks commit ten turnovers and give up 20 points to the visiting Saints, trailing 20-13 at the end of the first quarter. Heaven Hamling's trifecta with seconds left in the quarter trimmed the Saint lead to single-digits, paving the way for the 'Jacks to rally in the contest.

The 'Jacks would take their first lead of the game halfway through the second quarter, as Imani Johnson stepped out and knocked down a three to put SFA up 25-24. That lead would not hold, however, and the Saints would take a 41-38 edge heading into the halftime break.

SFA would eventually seize control of the game thanks to a 17-5 run over a three-minute span in the third quarter. The run began with 8:26 remaining in the third and was capped off by a pair of threes apiece by Stephanie Visscher and Marissa Banfield. SFA's big third quarter for the second time in as many games was markedly effective, as a 32-10 edge in scoring in the stanza staked the Ladyjacks out to a 71-50 edge at the end of three.

"The third quarter was, as it was against Yale on Saturday, kind of the difference tonight", added Kellogg. "We had that one big run that kind of sealed it. To get five in double figures is tremendous, we had a huge advantage in the paint as we tried to work through Riley and Imani, and I thought they had their best games. We'll learn from it and get better, which is always more preferable to do after a win than after a loss."

In the fourth quarter, the Ladyjacks continued to extend their lead, reaching a game-high 22 points with 9:49 remaining in the period and again with 1:54 remaining in the ball game.

SFA built up heavy advantages in points off turnovers (28-13) and points in the paint (38-24), forcing 23 Saint miscues and out-rebounding OLLU 43-25. The 'Jacks also notched 20 assists on 30 field goals in the contest.

Banfield and Visscher chipped in 12 and 10 points, respectively, in the contest, and were one of four Ladyjacks to hit two or more threes, along with Hayes and Hamling.

-SFA-

OF NOTE
• For the third straight season, the Ladyjacks start their home slate with a 3-0 home record. Over the past four seasons, SFA is 39-7 in games played at William R. Johnson Coliseum.

• SFA's victory marked the third time that the Ladyjacks have started 3-1 under head coach Mark Kellogg.

• Riley Harvey's double-double effort is the first of the season for the Ladyjacks and first of her SFA career.

• The Ladyjacks improve to 6-1 in Tuesday night home games during the Mark Kellogg era.

• SFA has finished with 15 or more assists in each of its first four games this season, with the Ladyjacks registering assists on 71 of their 96 baskets (74 percent) thus far.