Stephen F. Austin
17-4,10-2Southland
Nicholls
6-15,3-9Southland
Johnson's Double-Double Effort Leads SFA Past Nicholls, 78-61
2/5/2020 9:13:00 PM | Women's Basketball
THIBODAUX, LA -- Aiyana Johnson notched a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds to help the SFA women's basketball team knock off the Nicholls State Colonels 78-61 on the road Wednesday. The win improved SFA's overall record to 17-4 and conference record to 10-2.
The Ladyjacks had four players score in double figures, led by Johnson, who recorded a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Zya Nugent tacked on 18 points and two steals off of the bench and Stephanie Visscher helped out with 15 points and two steals.
SFA out-rebounded Nicholls State 37-35 in Wednesday's game, led by Johnson's 12 boards. The Ladyjacks also grabbed 12 offensive rebounds and scored 15 second chance points.
The SFA defense was effective at taking away the basketball in Wednesday's game, forcing 21 Nicholls State turnovers while committing 17. Those takeaways turned into 19 points on the offensive end of the floor. Marissa Banfield led the way individually for the Ladyjacks with four steals.
INSIDE THE BOX
» Johnson's double-double was her eighth of the season and her second in as many games.
» The Ladyjacks held the Colonels to only 38.6% shooting from the field.
» The Ladyjacks never trailed after taking an 18-13 first quarter lead.
» The SFA bench made an impact by adding 36 of SFA's 78 points in the contest. Nugent's 18 off the bench led the reserve unit.
» The Ladyjacks were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying six blocks as a team. Aiyana Johnson had two of SFA's rejections, while older sister Aaliyah tallied three.
» SFA cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 12 offensive boards in the game.
GAME SUMMARY
After falling behind 2-0, SFA went on a 10-0 run with 9:25 left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Visscher, to take a 10-2 lead. The Ladyjacks then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with an 18-13 advantage. SFA relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down three shots to account for nine of its 18 points.
SFA kept its first quarter lead intact before going on a 7-0 run starting at the 8:43 mark in the second period, highlighted by a three from Nugent, to increase its lead to 25-15. The Ladyjacks kept that lead for the remainder of the period and enjoyed a 38-28 advantage heading into halftime. SFA saw non-starters score 16 of its 20 total points off the bench in the quarter.
After intermission, SFA held on to its advantage and owned a 54-44 lead heading into the fourth quarter. SFA played well near the basket, scoring 14 of its 16 points in the paint.
SFA kept its lead intact before going on a 9-0 run, finished off by Kennedy Harris' layup, to grow the lead to 78-59 with 1:01 to go in the contest. The Colonels narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Ladyjacks still cruised the rest of the way for the 78-61 win. SFA took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 16 of its 24 points in the paint.
NEXT UP
The Ladyjacks are back in action on Saturday at home, taking part in a doubleheader against UNO with the men's team. Tickets for the "Cram the Coliseum" affair are only $5.
This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
