Four Ladyjacks Reach Double-Figures in 2018 Finale over Cameron, 89-56

Saturday, December 29

Nacogdoches, Texas

2:00 PM

Stephen F. Austin

Cameron University

Cameron

SFA

Four Ladyjacks Reach Double-Figures in 2018 Finale over Cameron, 89-56

12/29/2018 3:53:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

SFA outscores Cameron 46-27 in the second half to remain perfect at home

By: Kevin Meyer | Assistant Director of Athletic Media Relations

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The decisive third quarter efforts just keep coming for the SFA women's basketball team this season.

Leading visiting Cameron University by six points at the halftime break, the Ladyjacks used a 26-6 scoring edge in the third quarter to break open the contest and streak away to an 89-56 win on Saturday afternoon inside William R. Johnson Coliseum. The victory improves SFA to 9-3 overall and 8-0 at home this season in the last game of the 2018 calendar year and final non-conference tilt for the team.

THE OPENING QUARTER
Making her third start of the season, Alyssa Mayfield came ready to play in Saturday's matinee, much to the benefit of the Ladyjacks in the early going. The Tyler native scored five of SFA's first seven points in the quarter, but the home squad wasn't able to create separation in the quarter, as the two teams were tied 12-12 heading to the second quarter.

TAKING THE LEAD
After briefly falling behind for the first time in the game to open the second quarter, SFA retook the lead on a three-point play by senior Imani Johnson, then made it six straight after Johnson fed Heaven Hamling for another old fashioned three-point play to make it 23-18. A 7-2 run capped by a Banfield three-pointer pushed SFA's lead out to 30-23 with 4:19 left to play in the half, and SFA would later head into the halftime break with a 40-32 lead after Stephanie Visscher's shot at the buzzer rattled out.

After a slow start to the first quarter in which the home side shot 4-13 (30.8 percent) from the field in the first quarter, a 9-14 effort (64.3 percent) from the field and 3-3 shooting beyond the arc led the home side to 28 second-quarter points and the first substantial lead held by either team.

PULLING AWAY IN THE THIRD
After shaking off some sloppy play to open the third quarter, SFA went on an 11-2 run to open the third quarter, slicing inside for layups and close-range looks. In the same span, the Ladyjacks forced four Aggie turnovers and held the visitors to 1-6 shooting. That run opened up a 51-34 edge at the media timeout midway through the third quarter.

What started off as a run turned into the theme for the quarter, as SFA's 26-6 scoring edge in the quarter would open the game up for the hosts. BriAnna Mitchell's jumper to end the third quarter put SFA ahead 66-38 entering the final frame.

TOP PERFORMERS
SFA build up an edge in points in the paint (38-16), fast break points (12-2) and second chance points (12-9) in the victory, and converted on a just over 50 percent from the field (26-50) and over 40 percent from beyond the arc (5-12).

Stephanie Visscher led SFA in scoring with a 16-point game that included four boards, four steals and three assists. Mayfield's strong start to the night facilitated a 15-point, seven rebound night for the sophomore guard, as she converted on 7-9 attempts from the field in 22 minutes of action. Imani Johnson ventured into triple-double territory with 11 points, eight rebounds and a career-best seven assists. Rounding out the SFA players reaching double figures was Marissa Banfield, who knocked down three treys on the way to 14 points.

COACH QUOTABLES
"Mixed thoughts about tonight", said SFA head coach Mark Kellogg. "We had some good moments, some moments of our youth shining through tonight, but we can't use that as anexcuse much longer. Al these young kids are playing, we had a whole starting lineup out there in street clothes tonight, but Cameron or whomever you play isn't going to feel bad, that's just part of the game. We were okay in the first, a little bit better in the second, the third quarter asobviously really good and then they beat us in the fourth. "

"I hope some kids got some confidence tonight, some kids like a Stephanie Visscher who led us in scoring tonight", added Kellogg. "I thought Brii Mitchell was really good, Imani was good, Alyssa Mayfield played really well as she comes back from the injury, Marissa made some shots. Hopefully we take some confidence from this tonight as we close the book on the non-conference chapter. The next goal is in front of us, which is to win a Southland Conference regular title, but there's 12 other teams who have the same goal we do, so we've got some work ahead of us."

OF NOTE
• SFA improves to 4-0 against Division II opponents under head coach Mark Kellogg.
• The Ladyjacks knocked down seven threes on a season-high 46.7 percent shooting from beyond the arc, and have hit at least seven threes in nine of their 12 games thus far.
• In eight games inside William R. Johnson Coliseum, SFA has held opponents to just 51.9 points per game on 33 percent shooting from the field, and is 8-0 in those games.
• The Ladyjacks are 35-17 in non-conference games during the Mark Kellogg era, and their 9-3 record during this non-conference schedule marks the fewest non-conference losses suffered by SFA during that span.
• Saturday's contest was the finale for the 2018 calendar year for the Ladyjacks, and the SFA men's basketball team will play their 2018 finale tomorrow night inside William R. Johnson Coliseum against SEC foe Alabama.

-SFA-