Ladyjacks Battle Patriots in WNIT First Round Matchup in Virginia

Ladyjacks Battle Patriots in WNIT First Round Matchup in Virginia

3/15/2018 6:32:00 PM | Women's Basketball

SFA meets George Mason for third time in all-time series

By: Kevin Meyer | Assistant Director of Athletic Media Relations

FAIRFAX, Va. – The Stephen F. Austin women's basketball team will add to its extensive history of postseason play on Friday, the 26^th such appearance in program history. After coming up short in the Southland Tournament title game on Sunday, the Stephen F Austin women's basketball team received a second wind and a shot at redemption with a bid to the Women's National Invitation Tournament. With nothing guaranteed short of a Friday first round matchup with George Mason University, the Ladyjacks will make their own destiny from here on out.

The opening round matchup with the Patriots will occur on their home court at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia, and will be shown on the A-10 Network. As always, a live play-by-play of the contest can be heard on the airwaves via FM Q107.7, with the suave dialogue of Bobby Mauro on the call. Fans can also follow along with the Ladyjacks on Twitter (@sfa_wbb) for in-game updates and the live stats linked above for scores.Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m. Central Time.

Getting past George Mason may prove to be a tall task, literally, as the Patriots are led by the dominant inside presence of 6' 5" Natalie Butler, the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year that leads the entire nation in rebounding at 16.3 per game. Butler leads her team with 19.0 points per game and has posted one of the more impressive streaks in the nation in her swan song season at George Mason, with 31 consecutive double-doubles. A transfer from perennial national champion contender UConn, Butler previously played for Georgetown in her first two seasons, and is the fulcrum of the Patriot's offense. When the Patriot attack is not coming from Butler, freshman Nicole-Cardano Hillary is the next likely suspect, as the Madrid, Spain product is chipping in 17.6 points per game this season.

As a team, the Patriots balance a scoring offense that averages 69.2 points per game with a defense that holds opponents to 60.5. Opposing offenses shoot just 37 percent from the field and 29 percent from beyond the arc against George Mason, and average a paltry eight free throws per game. With Butler leading the charge, it's no surprise that the Patriots have bullied opposing teams on the boards, averaging just under 45 per game, and holding opponents to just 34.1.

Head coach Nyla Milleson (Kansas State '85) leads the Patriots in her 17th year of coaching, and fifth as Mason. She has a 358-208 record as a head coach, including a 79-85 mark at the helm of George Mason. Milleson has the Patriots reaching new heights this season, setting a program record for wins in a single season (23), qualifying for the program's third postseason berth (0-2 WNIT), and finishing fourth in the A-10. They also took a page out of SFA's playbook by showing dominance at home in the form of a single-season record for home wins in a season, with 16. George Mason also held 11 opponents to 60 points or fewer inside EagleBank Arena this season.

Earning at least one more game by guiding their team to a second straight 25-win season, the Ladyjacks senior duo of Stevi Parker and Taylor Jackson has been huge for SFA this season. Parker has reached not one but two career milestones this season, eclipsing the 1,000 point plateau as well as breaking into the programs top ten leaderboard for rebounds. Parker and fellow forward Imani Johnson will have their hands full with the 6'5" Butler, but the 'Jacks can feel more confident in the matchup after Johnson's performance during last weekend Southland Conference Tournament. The 6'0" forward from Lee's Summit, Missouri played strong defense in both games, as well as chipping in a pair of double-digit performances and grabbing big rebounds. Having been named the Southland Newcomer of the Year one week prior, the junior was recognized for her tournament efforts with All-Tournament Team honors.

Parker was also named to the All-Tournament Team after averaging 15.5 points and seven rebounds per game, including a new season high with 22 points in the semifinal win over UCA. The 'Jacks third and final All-Tournament Team honoree was Chanell Hayes, who posted 17 points for her 21st double-digit scoring game of the season. Hayes has built herself into a strong second option on the offensive end for SFA, and has led the team in scoring ten times this season.

By getting 19 points from its bench in the tournament loss to Nicholls, SFA once again got a strong effort off the bench, the likes of which has buoyed the team in moments where the starters are resting or could use a hand. Reserves such as Riley Harvey, who had 16 of those 19 points off the bench, Lovisa Brunnberg and freshman Marissa Banfield have all provided consistent scoring off the bench this season, with freshmen Brionne Burns and Aaliyah Johnson chipping in as well. An already small roster will have only 10 bodies to utilize in Friday's contest, but the options available are good ones for the 'Jacks.

Much like the Lumberjacks of SFA's men's team, the Ladyjacks have had plenty of success turning over careless teams on defense, and turning those extra possessions into points. The Patriots average about 16.6 turnovers per game, which could lead to some opportunities for the 'Jacks, and help keep George Mason from getting into an offensive rhythm.

SFA's opening round matchup on Friday will be its fifth appearance in the WNIT in program history, with the team also making the tournament in 1987, 2007, 2010 and 2015. The Ladyjacks have gone 2-4 in those four prior appearances, with both wins coming during the 1987 campaign. It also marks the team's 26th postseason tournament appearance in program history, made up of berths in the WBI, WBIT and NCAA Tournaments. The winner of Friday's matchup will play the winner of the Virginia Tech/Navy matchup, which will be taking place simultaneously in Blacksburg, Va.

-SFA-