Saturday, March 16
Las Vegas, NV
12:30 p.m.
Stephen F. Austin
vs
California Baptist University
WAC Championship Stage is Set: SFA & CBU Meet in Battle of Powerhouses
3/16/2024 7:30:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Stephen F. Austin vs. California Baptist University
Date: Saturday, March 16th
Time: 12:30 p.m. CT
Live Stream: ESPNU
Stadium: Orleans Arena
Series: CBU Leads 4-2
LAS VEGAS, NV. – Get your popcorn ready for this one as the no. 3 ranked Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks Basketball Team (22-11, 16-6) gets set for a WAC Championship matchup against the no. 1 ranked California Baptist Lancers (27-3, 18-2) as the Ladyjacks will be seeking some revenge against the Lancers in the schools third meeting this season, while SFA takes aim at their second WAC Title in three years while trying to snap the Lancers eight-game winning streak.
Ladyjacks at a Glance:
Looking back at this season for the SFA Ladyjacks, there have been a number of games that have been defining moments for how special this team is. You could start by looking at the two wins where SFA scored over 100 points first against Oklahoma Panhandle State University to start the season in a 118-46 trouncing of the Aggies for Head Coach Leonard Bishop's first win as head coach of the SFA Ladyjacks basketball program. You could look at the 111-38 win over UNT Dallas just a few days after Christmas, or to the double overtime win over Abilene Christian at the Sawmill. Even later on in the season the iconic wins for SFA kept stacking themselves, a 34-point performance from Kyla Deck to rally SFA late in a critical road conference win over ACU, an 85-77 win over GCU on senior day at the Sawmill, or even the 26-point comeback against Southern Utah in SFA's second to final game of the season. However, no win will be more iconic or a better representation of this year's SFA Ladyjacks Basketball team than their most recent 66-63 win over the Grand Canyon University Lopes, marking the Ladyjacks third straight win over GCU this season, while punching SFA's ticket to the WAC Championship for the second time in three years in Head Coach Leonard Bishop's first season at the helm.
SFA was able to grind out a win over the Lopes and deny GCU their third appearance in the WAC Championship in the last four years because of not just one player but a team effort both offensively and defensively. Sure, Kurstyn Harden continues to be the leader of this SFA offense, the four-time WAC Player of the Week has scored double-digit points in a whopping 30/33 games this season for SFA, while having a stretch of six consecutive games where she finished with over 20 points. Even though the Lopes were able to keep Harden contained for most of the semifinals game yesterday, it's nearly impossible to keep someone as dominant as Kurstyn Harden is from eventually scoring the way she has all season long. Harden was the determining factor over the final three minutes of the semifinals game as she would score the final eight points of the game for SFA to help them hold off GCU in a thrilling 66-63 win.
However, SFA's offense expands well beyond Harden as they possess some sneaky three-point shooting that contributed in the biggest game this season for SFA. The end of the first quarter saw SFA trailing 17-3 with things looking glum for the Ladyjacks. However, SFA reminded everyone of how dangerous this offense is once their three-point shooting finds their legs as they posted a 25-point second quarter thanks to six three-pointers and turned a 17-3 deficit at the beginning of the quarter into a 28-25 lead at the end of the quarter. Tyler McCliment-Call, Avery VanSickle, and Mele Finau reminded everyone of how dangerous they can be from beyond the arc as the three formed a three-headed monster from downtown with both McCliment-Call and Finau recording three triples apiece, while VanSickle added a pair of triples of her own.
The Ladyjack defense continues to fire on all cylinders almost nightly for SFA as they recorded six steals and three blocks against GCU, however, there are two instances that played larger roles than some may have initially realized in ensuring a win for SFA. For starters, the Ladyjack defense became a nuisance for the Lopes offense in the second quarter as they held GCU to a mere eight points in the second to ensure they went into halftime with a lead. The second instance came midway through the fourth where GCU had just recently gone on a 4-0 scoring run and shifted the confidence back in their favor with them grabbing a 59-58 lead over SFA. However, the Ladyjack defense would keep the GCU offense scoreless over the next two and a half minutes which was enough time to allow Kurstyn Harden time to impose her will on the GCU defense and allow SFA to steal a win from the Lopes late. SFA was effective and efficient shooting against GCU as they shot over 46% from the field in the win draining 23 baskets in the process, while draining nine three-pointers and shooting 45% from downtown.
Lancers at a Glance:
Much like SFA, the CBU Lancers are no stranger to playing deep into the WAC Tournament as this will mark the third time in four years the Lancers will be playing in a WAC Championship game. The Lancers steamrolled their way through opponents this season as their 27 wins set the CBU school record for most wins in a regular season in their Division I era, while defeating GCU in overtime to claim the WAC Regular Season Title. This CBU offense is no stranger to scoring points and a lot of them for that matter as they averaged 81.3 points/game this season good for 10th most in the nation.
The Lancers ended the season not only WAC Regular Season Champs, but also saw players and coaches alike win a number of awards for them. Chloe Webb, the leader of the CBU offense, was named WAC Player of the Year rightfully so, while the Lancers head Coach Jarrod Olson was named WAC Coach of the Year for the third time in his 12-year career at CBU. Nae Nae Calhoun was named to the WAC All-Defensive Team joining SFA players Destini Lombard and Kyla Deck on the team, while Khloe Lemon had no trouble transitioning to the college level of play as she was named to the WAC All-Freshman Team for CBU.
Chloe Webb not surprisingly spearheads the offensive charge for CBU, she currently averages 21.28 points/game which ranks her 12th in the nation in that category. Webb scored in a variety of ways this season for CBU as she drained 62 three-pointers, while making 152 free-throws this season. However, Webb's contributions go far beyond her scoring ability as she leads the team with 236 rebounds on the season while recording 76 steals defensively. Khloe Lemon and Filipa Barros formed a dynamic scoring duo to compliment Webb as they both averaged over 12 points/game, both made over 30 three-pointers, and both made over 40 free-throws this season. Barros led the team in assists with 104 this season, while Lemon averaged 24.5 minutes/game for CBU.
Stats to Know: It's only fitting that two schools that finished no. 1 and no. 2 in a large number of statistical categories will be squaring off in a winner-take-all championship game. Tomorrow's championship matchup will feature all the offensive fireworks you would hope to see in such a highly anticipated matchup as CBU and SFA ranked no. 1 and no. 2 in scoring offenses this season in the WAC. SFA scored more total points than CBU (2432-2356), however, CBU averaged more points/game than SFA (81.24-76.00). Neither one of these schools are strangers to finding the open shooter as CBU recorded 559 assists this season, while SFA recorded 529 on the campaign which ranked the schools no. 1 and no. 2 in the WAC. These two schools also ranked no. 1 and no. 2 in the WAC in free-throw percentage as SFA ranked no. 1 making 478 free-throws this season for a 75.2% from the foul line, while CBU ranked no. 2 making 441 free-throws for a 73.7% mark from the charity stripe. Meanwhile, both these teams have no problem crashing the boards offensively to generate second chance point opportunities as CBU and SFA were ranked no. 1 and no. 2 in rebounding offensive respectively.
Series: Is the third time the charm for SFA? SFA will be out for revenge against the Lancers as CBU has won the previous four meetings between these two WAC powerhouse schools. These two programs met twice this season, with CBU winning both matches which most recently was a thrilling 100-96 overtime win over SFA at the Sawmill.
Date: Saturday, March 16th
Time: 12:30 p.m. CT
Live Stream: ESPNU
Stadium: Orleans Arena
Series: CBU Leads 4-2
LAS VEGAS, NV. – Get your popcorn ready for this one as the no. 3 ranked Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks Basketball Team (22-11, 16-6) gets set for a WAC Championship matchup against the no. 1 ranked California Baptist Lancers (27-3, 18-2) as the Ladyjacks will be seeking some revenge against the Lancers in the schools third meeting this season, while SFA takes aim at their second WAC Title in three years while trying to snap the Lancers eight-game winning streak.
Ladyjacks at a Glance:
Looking back at this season for the SFA Ladyjacks, there have been a number of games that have been defining moments for how special this team is. You could start by looking at the two wins where SFA scored over 100 points first against Oklahoma Panhandle State University to start the season in a 118-46 trouncing of the Aggies for Head Coach Leonard Bishop's first win as head coach of the SFA Ladyjacks basketball program. You could look at the 111-38 win over UNT Dallas just a few days after Christmas, or to the double overtime win over Abilene Christian at the Sawmill. Even later on in the season the iconic wins for SFA kept stacking themselves, a 34-point performance from Kyla Deck to rally SFA late in a critical road conference win over ACU, an 85-77 win over GCU on senior day at the Sawmill, or even the 26-point comeback against Southern Utah in SFA's second to final game of the season. However, no win will be more iconic or a better representation of this year's SFA Ladyjacks Basketball team than their most recent 66-63 win over the Grand Canyon University Lopes, marking the Ladyjacks third straight win over GCU this season, while punching SFA's ticket to the WAC Championship for the second time in three years in Head Coach Leonard Bishop's first season at the helm.
SFA was able to grind out a win over the Lopes and deny GCU their third appearance in the WAC Championship in the last four years because of not just one player but a team effort both offensively and defensively. Sure, Kurstyn Harden continues to be the leader of this SFA offense, the four-time WAC Player of the Week has scored double-digit points in a whopping 30/33 games this season for SFA, while having a stretch of six consecutive games where she finished with over 20 points. Even though the Lopes were able to keep Harden contained for most of the semifinals game yesterday, it's nearly impossible to keep someone as dominant as Kurstyn Harden is from eventually scoring the way she has all season long. Harden was the determining factor over the final three minutes of the semifinals game as she would score the final eight points of the game for SFA to help them hold off GCU in a thrilling 66-63 win.
However, SFA's offense expands well beyond Harden as they possess some sneaky three-point shooting that contributed in the biggest game this season for SFA. The end of the first quarter saw SFA trailing 17-3 with things looking glum for the Ladyjacks. However, SFA reminded everyone of how dangerous this offense is once their three-point shooting finds their legs as they posted a 25-point second quarter thanks to six three-pointers and turned a 17-3 deficit at the beginning of the quarter into a 28-25 lead at the end of the quarter. Tyler McCliment-Call, Avery VanSickle, and Mele Finau reminded everyone of how dangerous they can be from beyond the arc as the three formed a three-headed monster from downtown with both McCliment-Call and Finau recording three triples apiece, while VanSickle added a pair of triples of her own.
The Ladyjack defense continues to fire on all cylinders almost nightly for SFA as they recorded six steals and three blocks against GCU, however, there are two instances that played larger roles than some may have initially realized in ensuring a win for SFA. For starters, the Ladyjack defense became a nuisance for the Lopes offense in the second quarter as they held GCU to a mere eight points in the second to ensure they went into halftime with a lead. The second instance came midway through the fourth where GCU had just recently gone on a 4-0 scoring run and shifted the confidence back in their favor with them grabbing a 59-58 lead over SFA. However, the Ladyjack defense would keep the GCU offense scoreless over the next two and a half minutes which was enough time to allow Kurstyn Harden time to impose her will on the GCU defense and allow SFA to steal a win from the Lopes late. SFA was effective and efficient shooting against GCU as they shot over 46% from the field in the win draining 23 baskets in the process, while draining nine three-pointers and shooting 45% from downtown.
Lancers at a Glance:
Much like SFA, the CBU Lancers are no stranger to playing deep into the WAC Tournament as this will mark the third time in four years the Lancers will be playing in a WAC Championship game. The Lancers steamrolled their way through opponents this season as their 27 wins set the CBU school record for most wins in a regular season in their Division I era, while defeating GCU in overtime to claim the WAC Regular Season Title. This CBU offense is no stranger to scoring points and a lot of them for that matter as they averaged 81.3 points/game this season good for 10th most in the nation.
The Lancers ended the season not only WAC Regular Season Champs, but also saw players and coaches alike win a number of awards for them. Chloe Webb, the leader of the CBU offense, was named WAC Player of the Year rightfully so, while the Lancers head Coach Jarrod Olson was named WAC Coach of the Year for the third time in his 12-year career at CBU. Nae Nae Calhoun was named to the WAC All-Defensive Team joining SFA players Destini Lombard and Kyla Deck on the team, while Khloe Lemon had no trouble transitioning to the college level of play as she was named to the WAC All-Freshman Team for CBU.
Chloe Webb not surprisingly spearheads the offensive charge for CBU, she currently averages 21.28 points/game which ranks her 12th in the nation in that category. Webb scored in a variety of ways this season for CBU as she drained 62 three-pointers, while making 152 free-throws this season. However, Webb's contributions go far beyond her scoring ability as she leads the team with 236 rebounds on the season while recording 76 steals defensively. Khloe Lemon and Filipa Barros formed a dynamic scoring duo to compliment Webb as they both averaged over 12 points/game, both made over 30 three-pointers, and both made over 40 free-throws this season. Barros led the team in assists with 104 this season, while Lemon averaged 24.5 minutes/game for CBU.
Stats to Know: It's only fitting that two schools that finished no. 1 and no. 2 in a large number of statistical categories will be squaring off in a winner-take-all championship game. Tomorrow's championship matchup will feature all the offensive fireworks you would hope to see in such a highly anticipated matchup as CBU and SFA ranked no. 1 and no. 2 in scoring offenses this season in the WAC. SFA scored more total points than CBU (2432-2356), however, CBU averaged more points/game than SFA (81.24-76.00). Neither one of these schools are strangers to finding the open shooter as CBU recorded 559 assists this season, while SFA recorded 529 on the campaign which ranked the schools no. 1 and no. 2 in the WAC. These two schools also ranked no. 1 and no. 2 in the WAC in free-throw percentage as SFA ranked no. 1 making 478 free-throws this season for a 75.2% from the foul line, while CBU ranked no. 2 making 441 free-throws for a 73.7% mark from the charity stripe. Meanwhile, both these teams have no problem crashing the boards offensively to generate second chance point opportunities as CBU and SFA were ranked no. 1 and no. 2 in rebounding offensive respectively.
Series: Is the third time the charm for SFA? SFA will be out for revenge against the Lancers as CBU has won the previous four meetings between these two WAC powerhouse schools. These two programs met twice this season, with CBU winning both matches which most recently was a thrilling 100-96 overtime win over SFA at the Sawmill.
Players Mentioned
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