Saturday, January 19
San Antonio, Texas
1:00 PM
Stephen F. Austin
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Incarnate Word
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Incarnate Word
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Photo by: SFA Athletics
Ladyjacks Outlast Cardinals Behind Aiyana Johnson’s Fabulous Fourth, 65-55
1/19/2019 2:57:00 PM | Women's Basketball
SFA improves to 14-3 overall and 5-0 in Southland Conference play with win
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Freshman forward Aiyana Johnson picked the absolute perfect time to have her best game of her young career, scoring 15 fourth-quarter points to help the Ladyjacks stave off a pesky UIW squad, 65-55.
Aiyana entered the game fresh off setting a new career-high in the win over New Orleans on Wednesday, but this effort was something else entirely, coming in the form of big bucket after big bucket when the Ladyjacks (14-3, 5-0 SLC) needed them most.
Johnson's 17-point effort was part of a big fourth quarter for the 'Jacks, who netted 23 after failing to crack 20 in each of the previous three quarters. With the win, SFA improves to 2-3 on the road and continued its winning streak, now sitting at six games.
TOP PERFORMERS
Aiyana Johnson's 17 points and eight rebounds led SFA on the day, while sister Imani Johnson did much of the heavy lifting throughout the game en route to a 16-point, six rebound game. Alyssa Mayfield chipped in 13 points for SFA in the win.
GETTING AHEAD EARLY
The Ladyjacks wasted little time getting on the board, scoring off the opening tip on a drive and finish by Imani Johnson. The bucket was the first of a 10-2 run by SFA to start the game, as the 'Jacks connected on four of their first six shot attempts while holding UIW to one of six.
Facing suffocating and active defense from the Ladyjacks, UIW couldn't get much of anything going. Stephanie Visscher registered two early blocks against the hosts and altered several other shots, and UIW's scoreless streak extended to over six minutes of gameplay. A small 5-1 run by the Cardinals in the final three minutes of the quarter trimmed the SFA lead to 17-7 heading into the second quarter.
SECOND QUARTER DRAMATICS
Down but not quite out, the Cardinals played like a different team in the second frame, pulling the game within single digits multiple times on the strength of a 20-point quarter, their first in the last 22 quarters of play. To counter, SFA continued to work its advantage in the post, scoring 12 points there in the stanza as well as earning trips to the line with penetration.
THE CARDINALS STRIKE BACK
A slow start to the third quarter allowed the Cardinals to further close the gap to 38-34 at the midway point of the third quarter. Things didn't get better after the timeout, as UIW closed the gap to 41-40 with just under two minutes to play in the third quarter. UIW would take their first lead of the contest on a jumper with 1:30 left to play, and a three-ball one possession later capped off an 11-0 run spanning 3:02 of gameplay. SFA would trail the Cardinals 45-43 entering the final quarter of the game.
AIYANA TAKES OVER
Playing huge down the stretch, freshman forward Aiyana Johnson scored eight of her ten in the first half of the fourth quarter, allowing SFA to briefly retake the lead, 54-51 with 5:31 remaining. Fresh off a career-high 15 points in Wednesday's win over UNO, the Lees Summit, Missouri native tacked on two more to tied the game up at 56 apiece with 3:54 remaining. After older sister Imani put SFA ahead 58-56 with a pair of free throws, Aiyana netted a big insurance bucket to extend the lead to 60-56 and scored again with 1:16 remaining to effectively put the game on ice for the Ladyjacks.
UIW would get no closer in the contest, and Aiyana's free throw with 18.5 seconds remaining pushed the margin into double digits, 66-56.
OF NOTE
• The Ladyjacks have now started off Southland Conference play 5-0 in each of the past three seasons.
• SFA has now shot 44 percent of better from the field in six straight games.
• Chanell Hayes registered a career-high eight assists in the victory. SFA managed 15 assists as a team, slightly below its season average of 18.4 per game.
• SFA led for 30:49 minutes of game time, compared to 5:17 for the hosts.
• Saturday's game was just the fourth time this season in which SFA has not converted on seven or more three-pointers.
-SFA-
Aiyana entered the game fresh off setting a new career-high in the win over New Orleans on Wednesday, but this effort was something else entirely, coming in the form of big bucket after big bucket when the Ladyjacks (14-3, 5-0 SLC) needed them most.
Johnson's 17-point effort was part of a big fourth quarter for the 'Jacks, who netted 23 after failing to crack 20 in each of the previous three quarters. With the win, SFA improves to 2-3 on the road and continued its winning streak, now sitting at six games.
TOP PERFORMERS
Aiyana Johnson's 17 points and eight rebounds led SFA on the day, while sister Imani Johnson did much of the heavy lifting throughout the game en route to a 16-point, six rebound game. Alyssa Mayfield chipped in 13 points for SFA in the win.
GETTING AHEAD EARLY
The Ladyjacks wasted little time getting on the board, scoring off the opening tip on a drive and finish by Imani Johnson. The bucket was the first of a 10-2 run by SFA to start the game, as the 'Jacks connected on four of their first six shot attempts while holding UIW to one of six.
Facing suffocating and active defense from the Ladyjacks, UIW couldn't get much of anything going. Stephanie Visscher registered two early blocks against the hosts and altered several other shots, and UIW's scoreless streak extended to over six minutes of gameplay. A small 5-1 run by the Cardinals in the final three minutes of the quarter trimmed the SFA lead to 17-7 heading into the second quarter.
SECOND QUARTER DRAMATICS
Down but not quite out, the Cardinals played like a different team in the second frame, pulling the game within single digits multiple times on the strength of a 20-point quarter, their first in the last 22 quarters of play. To counter, SFA continued to work its advantage in the post, scoring 12 points there in the stanza as well as earning trips to the line with penetration.
THE CARDINALS STRIKE BACK
A slow start to the third quarter allowed the Cardinals to further close the gap to 38-34 at the midway point of the third quarter. Things didn't get better after the timeout, as UIW closed the gap to 41-40 with just under two minutes to play in the third quarter. UIW would take their first lead of the contest on a jumper with 1:30 left to play, and a three-ball one possession later capped off an 11-0 run spanning 3:02 of gameplay. SFA would trail the Cardinals 45-43 entering the final quarter of the game.
AIYANA TAKES OVER
Playing huge down the stretch, freshman forward Aiyana Johnson scored eight of her ten in the first half of the fourth quarter, allowing SFA to briefly retake the lead, 54-51 with 5:31 remaining. Fresh off a career-high 15 points in Wednesday's win over UNO, the Lees Summit, Missouri native tacked on two more to tied the game up at 56 apiece with 3:54 remaining. After older sister Imani put SFA ahead 58-56 with a pair of free throws, Aiyana netted a big insurance bucket to extend the lead to 60-56 and scored again with 1:16 remaining to effectively put the game on ice for the Ladyjacks.
UIW would get no closer in the contest, and Aiyana's free throw with 18.5 seconds remaining pushed the margin into double digits, 66-56.
OF NOTE
• The Ladyjacks have now started off Southland Conference play 5-0 in each of the past three seasons.
• SFA has now shot 44 percent of better from the field in six straight games.
• Chanell Hayes registered a career-high eight assists in the victory. SFA managed 15 assists as a team, slightly below its season average of 18.4 per game.
• SFA led for 30:49 minutes of game time, compared to 5:17 for the hosts.
• Saturday's game was just the fourth time this season in which SFA has not converted on seven or more three-pointers.
-SFA-
Team Stats
F-676
F-2743
FG%
.449
.345
3FG%
.143
.389
FT%
.667
.846
RB
40
28
TO
15
14
STL
10
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
17
FGM
8
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
16
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
6
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
9
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's BasketballF/C
/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
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