Ladyjacks Extend Winning Streak to Eight Games with Victory over Sugar Bears, 59-53

Wednesday, January 30

Conway, Arkansas

7:00 PM

Stephen F. Austin

16-3, 7-0SLC

Central Arkansas

7-12, 2-7SLC

Stephen F. Austin

Central Arkansas

Ladyjacks Extend Winning Streak to Eight Games with Victory over Sugar Bears, 59-53

1/30/2019 8:53:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

SFA puts up 38 points in the paint in victory

By: Kevin Meyer | Assistant Director of Athletic Media Relations

CONWAY, Ark. – The SFA women's basketball team kept to its winning ways with a 59-53 victory over Central Arkansas on Wednesday night in Conway, Arkansas. The Ladyjacks (16-3, 7-0 SLC) stayed unbeaten in conference plays thanks to a late surge in the fourth quarter to get past UCA (7-12, 2-7 SLC).

The win was SFA's fourth straight over UCA, a streak which dates back to last season and includes a pair of road wins inside the notoriously unfriendly confines of the Farris Center. SFA now owns a 14-9 edge in the all-time series with the Sugar Bears.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Using a pesky defense and a three-quarter court press, the Sugar Bears would lead by as many as five points in the opening quarter but SFA trailed just 11-10 after one. Sisters Imani and Aiyana johnson each notched four points apiece for SFA int he opening frame.

SFA's answer to open up the contest in the second quarter was freshman forward Aiyana Johnson, who tallied 10 second-quarter points to help SFA create some distance with a 10-2 run in the final 2:40 to play in the half. BriAnna Mitchell's driving layup at the buzzer opened up a 29-20 lead for the Ladyjacks at the half, who connected on 12-25 (48 percent) of shots in the stanza.

After UCA shaved three points off the lead with a three-point edge in the third quarter, the Ladyjacks would take control late in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter, using a 9-2 run over 4:06 minutes of gameplay to open up the decisive lead in the contest. Back-to-back UCA treys brought them within five points, but the margin would get no closer as Marissa Banfield sank a late free throw to push the final score to 59-53.

TOP PERFORMERS
• Aiyana Johnson led the way with a game-high 17 points (7-11) and four rebounds. • Older sister Imani Johnson finished with 11 points and nine rebounds, just missing out on a double-double effort.
• Alyssa Mayfield (10pts/8rebs) and Chanell Hayes (10pts/6rebs) each posted strong efforts as well for SFA.

OF NOTE
• Attempting just ten 3-pointers and converting on a season-low one trey, SFA instead pounded the ball inside, building a 38-20 advantage in points in the paint.

• SFA converted on 23-53 (43.4 percent) of its attempts from the field, coming up just short of an eighth-straight game shooting 44 percent or better as a team.

• SFA improves to 22-3 in Wednesday games and 24-6 in games played in January under head coach Mark Kellogg.

• The Ladyjacks have now held 10 opponents below 56 points this season, including five straight conference foes.

UP NEXT
SFA travels to Huntsville, Texas on Saturday for a matchup with rival Sam Houston State, part of a Southland Conference doubleheader with each program's men's team as well. Tip-off for the Ladyjacks game is set for 4:30 p.m. inside Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.