‘Jacks Axe Trailblazers in Home Win

Thursday, January 11

Nacogdoches, TX

6:30 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

10-6,4-1WAC

Utah Tech

8-8,2-3WAC

Utah Tech

SFA

‘Jacks Axe Trailblazers in Home Win

1/11/2024 8:43:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Peter Trainor, Student Assistant for Strategic Communications

NACOGDOCHES, Texas. - The Stephen F. Austin women's basketball team (10-6, 4-1) continued their strong conference play Thursday evening as they used a strong third quarter to pull away from the Utah Tech Trailblazers (8-8, 2-3) and claim a 76-67 home win.

The Ladyjacks returned home after a short one-game road trip to Arlington that saw SFA suffer their first conference loss of the season as they fell to UTA 81-62 on Saturday afternoon. The Ladyjacks were able to return home to the friendly confines of the Sawmill tonight where they entered tonight's game sporting a 6-2 home record and a 2-0 home conference record.

SFA wasted no time getting the scoring started in this one as Kurstyn Harden fresh off a 19-point performance against the Mavericks, scored the first three points of the game for SFA, thanks to a layup and an and-one play, which she completed with a free-throw. Moments later, Tyler McCliment-Call fed Kyla Deck who drained her three-point shot and the Ladyjacks found themselves ahead 6-0 early. Macie and Maddie Warren showed off their scoring abilities as Macie drained a three-pointer, which Maddie followed up with a layup of her own and the Trailblazers had their first points of the game and trailed 6-5. Destini Lombard got into the scoring early as she hit a pair of back-to-back jumpers four minutes into the first to push SFA to a 10-5 lead, before the Trailblazers responded with a prompt 4-0 run of their own to keep the deficit at one, 10-9. The bunch scoring for the Ladyjacks continued halfway into the first as Trinity Moore hit back-to-back layups of her own to reclaim the five-point lead for the 'Jacks at 14-9. Tyler McCliment-Call, looking to extend her five-game streak with double-digit points, knocked down a jumper with just under four minutes left to give SFA a 16-11 lead, before Maggie McCord of the Trailblazers hit her second triple of the quarter to keep the score one possession at 16-14. Breaunna Gillen hit a pair of free-throws to tie the game at 16, however Kyla Deck continued her strong opening quarter of play as she drained her second triple of the quarter with 90 seconds left to give SFA a 19-16 lead after one.

The second quarter offered some rapid-fire scoring by both sides as Maddie Warren matched her sister with a triple of her own to knot the score back up at 19. Kyla Deck responded with a layup to reclaim the lead for SFA at 21-19, however, Calyn Dallas knocked down the fourth three-pointer of the game for Utah Tech to give them their first lead of the game at 22-21. The Warren sisters continued their strong scoring start as Macie would hit a pair of free-throws to move Utah Tech ahead by three at 24-21. Lydia Cooke-Wiggins made her appearance in the scoring sheet as she knocked down a jumper to move the deficit back to one, before Maddie Warren knocked down her second triple of the quarter to give the Trailblazers a 27-23 lead. The Ladyjacks would go on a mini 3-0 scoring run helped by a free-throw from Zoe Nelson and a jumper from Lydia Cooke-Wiggins, which would lead to both teams exchanging three-pointers as Macie Warren not to be outdone by her sister knocked down another three-pointer before Destini Lombard would promptly respond with a triple of her own to keep SFA within a single point at 30-29. Calyn Dallas would drain three straight free-throws for the Trailblazers to give them a 33-29 lead, however, Tyler McCliment-Call showed off her own three-point shooting as she drained a triple with 90 seconds left to pull SFA back within a point at 33-32. McCliment-Call would get the last say in scoring for the quarter as she would hit her second straight shot off a jumper with less than a minute left to reclaim the lead for the Ladyjacks at 34-33 as both teams headed to the locker rooms for halftime.

Destini Lombard would get the scoring started in the second half as she would bank home a layup 30 seconds into the third to give SFA a 36-33 lead. Calyn Dallas continued the strong three-point shooting for Utah Tech as she would hit her second triple of the game to tie the game at 36, before Kyla Deck had the answer for SFA as she hit her third three-pointer of the game to give SFA a 39-36 lead once again. Deck helped spark a 9-0 scoring run by SFA as her three-pointer led Kurstyn Harden completed a three-point play, before Tyler McCliment-Call drained her second three-pointer of the game to launch SFA ahead 45-36. The two schools would trade baskets for the remainder of the quarter, before SFA would find their groove late in the third and go on another scoring run. With the Ladyjacks leading 49-40, Trinity Moore finished off a strong and-one play to give SFA a double-digit lead and help spark an 8-2 scoring run highlighted by a three-pointer from Zoe Nelson and a jumper from Lydia Cooke-Wiggins. However, Utah Tech would get last say in scoring for the quarter as Maddie Warren would hit a layup with less than 30 seconds to give SFA a 57-42 lead heading into the final quarter.

Breaunna Gillen would start the scoring in the fourth as she would hit a layup 15 seconds in to cut the SFA lead to 57-44. Kurstyn Harden would find her scoring touch early in the fourth as she rattled off five straight points for SFA and moved their lead to 61-44. Maddie Warren continued her unbelievable shooting from downtown as she hit another triple to move the SFA lead back down to 62-47. Kurstyn Harden would score her sixth and seventh straight points off of free-throws before Lydia Cooke-Wiggins found Tyler McCliment-Call drained her third triple of the game to give SFA a commanding 20-point lead at 67-47. Trailing 69-47 halfway into the fourth, the Trailblazers started to mount a comeback as they went on a 10-0 scoring run thanks to four points from Macie Warren and Utah Tech kept the game interesting as they only trailed 69-57 with three minutes left. However, Zoe Nelson would put an end to the scoring run for Utah Tech thanks to an and-one play which she completed with a free-throw to move SFA back ahead 72-57. The two schools would exchange baskets over the final three minutes, before Zoe Nelson iced the win for SFA as she hit a pair of free-throws with six seconds left to give SFA a 76-65 lead, with the Ladyjacks ending up with a 76-67 win over the Trailblazers.

Four Ladyjacks finished in double figures with points today, who were led by Kurstyn Harden for the second consecutive game. Harden finished the game with 15 points and shot 87.5 percent from the charity stripe. Tyler McCliment-Call and Zoe Nelson split the second spot in scoring for SFA as each finished with 13 points tonight. Nelson finished her third double-double of the season as she pulled down a team-leading 13 rebounds in addition to her 13 points, while leading the defensive effort with four blocks, and tying for the team lead in assists with three. Tyler McCliment-Call recorded her sixth straight game with double-digit points with her 13 points as she tied for the team-lead in three-pointers with three, while tacking on six rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Kyla Deck rounded out the top four for SFA as she finished with 11 points, tying McCliment-Call with three triples in the game, while adding two rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Destini Lombard and Trinity Moore formed a dynamic duo tonight as they combined for 18 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and one block.

The Ladyjacks had a strong day of shooting against Utah Tech as they finished shooting over 45% from the field and draining eight three-pointers on 32% shooting from downtown. The Ladyjacks finished off the strong shooting day trifecta as they shot 80% from the free-throw line for the game. The Ladyjacks did a little bit of everything tonight as they finished with 38 rebounds, which led to 10 second chance points and nine fast break points. Meanwhile, the Ladyjacks recorded 32 points down low, which marked their fifth time in their last six games they have finished with 30+ points in the paint. The Ladyjack defense was on full display against the Trailblazers as they finished with a pair of steals and six blocks, which led to seven points off turnovers.

The Ladyjacks conclude their two-game homestand when they play host to their second straight Utah opponent in Southern Utah with tip-off scheduled for 2:00 p.m. CST on Saturday, January 13th.