Five Ladyjacks Score in Double Figures as SFA Cages ‘Cats at Home, 97-38

Saturday, December 1

Nacogdoches, Texas

2:00 PM

Stephen F. Austin

Wiley College

Wiley

SFA

Five Ladyjacks Score in Double Figures as SFA Cages ‘Cats at Home, 97-38

12/1/2018 3:37:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

SFA notches season highs in points (97), steals (19) and rebounds (49)

By: Kevin Meyer | Assistant Director of Athletic Media Relations

NACOGDOCHES, Texas -- It didn't take long for the SFA women's basketball team to impose themselves on a smaller Wiley College squad in Saturday's 97-38 victory. SFA jumped out to a 22-0 lead before Wiley would score its first bucket, and the Ladyjacks would coast to a comfortable victory from there. SFA improves to 5-2 on the season and 5-0 at home with the result.

Five players scored in double figures for the Ladyjacks, led by Imani Johnson's 18 points. Riley Harvey and Chanell Hayes each chipped in 11 points and nearly had double-double efforts with eight and nine rebounds, respectively, while Aaliyah Johnson and Marissa Banfield tallied 10 points each.

SFA's strong start to the contest saw them hold the Wildcats off the scoreboard for more than nine minutes in the first quarter while scoring at will on the other end of the court. Marissa Banfield knocked in back-to-back three pointers to put SFA on top 9-0 early on, while layups from Imani Johnson, Hayes and Harvey continued the run. The first quarter would end with SFA on top 22-2, a lead they would continue to expand in the second frame.

The Ladyjacks opened the second quarter on a 15-0 run to expand the lead up to 37-2 before Wiley would score again, with many of SFA's baskets coming easily off Wildcat turnovers. SFA's active hands and athleticism on defense led to 19 first-half turnovers by Wiley, leading to 19 points off those miscues for SFA.

Even though the Wildcats netted 31 second-half points, things didn't get any closer in the contest, and SFA extended the lead to a game-high 59 halfway through the fourth quarter on a free throw by Brioenne Burns. The 'Jacks worked primarily through the paint, collecting 48 points down low off their size and penetration. SFA collected a season-high in rebounds (49), while bringing down 16 offensive boards to lead to 21 second chance points.

With the game well in hand, SFA's bench had an opportunity to shine and did so throughout the contest, outscoring their counterparts from Wiley 43-8 in the contest.

Several Ladyjacks posted standout stat lines in the contest, despite the team's balanced scoring. Stephanie Visscher had her best stat line of the season, dishing out seven assists, grabbing five rbeounds and coming up with four steals to go along with her four points. Hayes notched nine boards, four assists and a team-high five steals in the contest, while Heaven Hamling had nine points, six rebounds and three steals in the game.

Coming up next for SFA is a home contest on Thursday against Montana State at 11:00 a.m. The Bobcats bested SFA in overtime last season in Bozeman, 59-54.

OF NOTE
• SFA's 50 first-half points was a season high mark, besting the previous high of 38 set against Our Lady of the Lake.
• SFA's two points allowed in the first quarter of play is the lowest total allowed to an opponent during the Mark Kellogg era at SFA, besting the mark of four set against Tulsa one week ago.
• The Ladyjacks registered 19 steals, a season-high and the highest team total for SFA since their 23 swipes against Central Baptist College last season.
• SFA improves to 10-0 against non-Division I opponents in the Mark Kellogg era.

-SFA-