Thursday, March 21
Arlington, Texas
7:00 p.m.
Stephen F. Austin
at
UT Arlington
SFA Opens WNIT Competition with Lone Star State Showdown in Arlington on Thursday
3/20/2019 5:15:00 PM | Women's Basketball
SFA and UTA meet for 66th installment of all-time series
Ladyjacks vs. UT-Arlington
WNIT First Round
College Park Center | Arlington, Texas
Thursday, March 21 | 7:00 p.m.
2018-19 Media Guide | Watch | Listen | Live stats | Notes (PDF)
WNIT First Round
College Park Center | Arlington, Texas
Thursday, March 21 | 7:00 p.m.
2018-19 Media Guide | Watch | Listen | Live stats | Notes (PDF)
ARLINGTON, Texas – A chance at postseason glory and a continuation of a strong season for the SFA women's basketball team gets underway on Thursday in the opening round of the WNIT, as the Ladyjacks travel to face UT-Arlington in College Park Center. The 25-6 Ladyjacks mark their sixth foray into the Women's National Invitation Tournament and will face off with the 23-7 Mavericks, a former Southland Conference foe which now competes in the Sun Belt Conference. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. CT in Arlington at the College Park Center, a 7,000 seat arena.
Thursday's matchup will be shown on ESPN+, with Ron Thulin (PbP) and Mike Peterson (analysis) on the call of the game's action. Fans can also tune in to Q107.7 FM to hear a radio broadcast provided by radio wunderkind Bobby Mauro, and are encouraged to follow along with live stats (linked above) as well as the SFA women's basketball social media platforms.
Having secured a second straight at-large bid to the WNIT to mark the sixth appearance in the tournament in program history, SFA is looking to reverse its fortunes in the postseason competition. The Ladyjacks own a 2-5 record in seven WNIT games, with the last victories coming in the 1987 season. SFA is tied for second with UAB, Hawaii and James Madison among the tournament's 64-team field for number of wins this season (25).
On paper, Thursday's matchup pits two similar styles against one another, as both teams pass and score the ball well, convert on a high percentage of shots and do well to take their opponents out of rhythm on the defensive end. The Mavericks also found themselves in a similar position to SFA after their conference tournament, being upset by a higher seed in their opening game of the tournament.
One unique quality of the Mavericks is their five guard starting lineup, which pits 6-1 freshman guard Katie Ferrell in the five-spot, where she has tallied a team-high 136 assists. Cierra Johnson is the team's top scoring threat at 14.8 points per game, while Claire Chastain chips in 10.2 points per game. The Mavs connect on 44.7 percent of field goals, 37.5 percent from three-point land and shoot 71.5 percent at the free throw line as well on the way to 71.5 points per game.
The Ladyjacks look to rebound from their exit in the Southland Conference Tournament and the shooting woes that plagued them there. Seniors Imani Johnson and Chanell Hayes lead the team in scoring at 13.8 and 12.3 points per game, respectively, and are also the team's top two playmakers with 88 and 96 assists on the season. Freshman Stephanie Visscher and Aiyana Johnson gave the team a big boost in the semifinal versus Texas A&M-CC, and have gradually increased their roles throughout the season as well. The Ladyjacks remain a dangerous team from deep (35 percent) and convert 47 percent of shots from the floor as well, providing a test for the defense of the Mavs.
TIP-OFF TIDBITS
• When the two programs tip-off on Thursday, it will be for the 66th time in the all-time series, one which dates all the way back to the 1974-75 season. SFA owns a commanding 46-19 edge in the series with the Mavericks, including victories in four of the last six meetings.
• SFA is making its 27thappearance in a postseason tournament in program history, slightly more than half of the 50 total seasons of competition by the Ladyjacks.
• The Ladyjacks began the season as one of nine NCAA D1 programs with 1000+ program victories. Although that number now stands at 12, SFA ranks seventh in the NCAA DI ranks with 1080 victories.
• Senior Chanell Hayes continues to climb the SFA program ranks, and enters the matchup in seventh on SFA's career made three-pointers list and 29thall-time in scoring, with 1,054 points.
• With one more win this season, the Ladyjacks will set a new single-season high under head coach Mark Kellogg, with 26 total victories.
• SFA is 1-1 in games played on Thursday this season, and 10-8 overall in such games under Kellogg.
-SFA-
Thursday's matchup will be shown on ESPN+, with Ron Thulin (PbP) and Mike Peterson (analysis) on the call of the game's action. Fans can also tune in to Q107.7 FM to hear a radio broadcast provided by radio wunderkind Bobby Mauro, and are encouraged to follow along with live stats (linked above) as well as the SFA women's basketball social media platforms.
Having secured a second straight at-large bid to the WNIT to mark the sixth appearance in the tournament in program history, SFA is looking to reverse its fortunes in the postseason competition. The Ladyjacks own a 2-5 record in seven WNIT games, with the last victories coming in the 1987 season. SFA is tied for second with UAB, Hawaii and James Madison among the tournament's 64-team field for number of wins this season (25).
On paper, Thursday's matchup pits two similar styles against one another, as both teams pass and score the ball well, convert on a high percentage of shots and do well to take their opponents out of rhythm on the defensive end. The Mavericks also found themselves in a similar position to SFA after their conference tournament, being upset by a higher seed in their opening game of the tournament.
One unique quality of the Mavericks is their five guard starting lineup, which pits 6-1 freshman guard Katie Ferrell in the five-spot, where she has tallied a team-high 136 assists. Cierra Johnson is the team's top scoring threat at 14.8 points per game, while Claire Chastain chips in 10.2 points per game. The Mavs connect on 44.7 percent of field goals, 37.5 percent from three-point land and shoot 71.5 percent at the free throw line as well on the way to 71.5 points per game.
The Ladyjacks look to rebound from their exit in the Southland Conference Tournament and the shooting woes that plagued them there. Seniors Imani Johnson and Chanell Hayes lead the team in scoring at 13.8 and 12.3 points per game, respectively, and are also the team's top two playmakers with 88 and 96 assists on the season. Freshman Stephanie Visscher and Aiyana Johnson gave the team a big boost in the semifinal versus Texas A&M-CC, and have gradually increased their roles throughout the season as well. The Ladyjacks remain a dangerous team from deep (35 percent) and convert 47 percent of shots from the floor as well, providing a test for the defense of the Mavs.
TIP-OFF TIDBITS
• When the two programs tip-off on Thursday, it will be for the 66th time in the all-time series, one which dates all the way back to the 1974-75 season. SFA owns a commanding 46-19 edge in the series with the Mavericks, including victories in four of the last six meetings.
• SFA is making its 27thappearance in a postseason tournament in program history, slightly more than half of the 50 total seasons of competition by the Ladyjacks.
• The Ladyjacks began the season as one of nine NCAA D1 programs with 1000+ program victories. Although that number now stands at 12, SFA ranks seventh in the NCAA DI ranks with 1080 victories.
• Senior Chanell Hayes continues to climb the SFA program ranks, and enters the matchup in seventh on SFA's career made three-pointers list and 29thall-time in scoring, with 1,054 points.
• With one more win this season, the Ladyjacks will set a new single-season high under head coach Mark Kellogg, with 26 total victories.
• SFA is 1-1 in games played on Thursday this season, and 10-8 overall in such games under Kellogg.
-SFA-
Players Mentioned
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