The Ladyjacks 2023-2024 Season in Review
4/5/2024 3:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Ladyjacks first season under Head Coach Leonard Bishop, who was promoted to be the franchise's 10th head coach following the departure of Head Coach Mark Kellogg to West Virginia University, continued the historic legacy, excellence, and tradition of SFA women's basketball for yet another season. The Ladyjacks were picked to finish fifth in the WAC in the preseason poll, but exceeded expectations by a far margin as they put together their eighth straight season with at least 20 wins in route to a third place finish in the WAC that saw them push CBU and GCU for a top-two spot in the WAC until the very end of the season.
Starting off on the Right Foot:
The Ladyjacks season got started with a bang as in their season opener they blew the doors off Oklahoma Panhandle State University 118-48 at the Sawmill to give Head Coach Leonard Bishop his first win of his SFA coaching career. Little did the Ladyjacks and their fans know, this was just the beginning of what would turn out to be another highly successful season highlighted by a number of iconic wins that will not soon be forgotten. The beginning of December saw two wins by the Ladyjacks that showcased the grit and fight in the program this season. Their first game in the month of December was one that may go down as one of many most thrilling wins this season for SFA as they claimed an 89-82 double overtime win over Abilene Christian, before ending the homestand with a win over eventual WCC regular season champ University of Portland 76-71 at the Sawmill.
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year:
The Christmas and New Year's holidays brought plenty of presents and good cheer for the Ladyjacks as they would go a perfect 3-0 over the holidays, highlighted by another dominating win at the Sawmill as they dismantled UNT-Dallas 111-38 just a few days after Christmas. The middle of January saw the Ladyjacks in the heat of conference play and saw SFA play some of their best all-around basketball all season as they would go on a four-game winning streak punctuated with a thrilling 59-54 road win over the GCU Lopes to snap the Lopes eight-game winning streak and hand GCU their first conference loss of the season.
Ending as Strong as we Started:
However, the end of the season saw the Ladyjacks kick into a new gear as they prepped for their third straight appearance in the WAC conference tournament. An 89-83 win over Abilene Christian kicked off a stretch of games that saw SFA win five of their remaining seven games to secure their eighth straight season with at least 20 wins and punch their ticket to the WAC tournament. The win over ACU saw Kyla Deck put together an iconic career performance as she posted a career-high 34 points against the Wildcats to spark a second half rally that saw SFA steal another thrilling win over the Wildcats to sweep the regular season series. Deck's 34-point outburst tied her for the third highest scoring output by a player in a game this season for the WAC. Possibly even more impressive than the win over ACU was when the Ladyjacks hosted the Utah Valley Wolverines and held them to a mere 35 points, the lowest amount allowed by an SFA team since 2021. The 'Jacks made sure their last two wins were memorable ones to head into the WAC tournament with their heads held high. On senior day at the Sawmill, the Ladyjacks made sure to send out seniors Kurstyn Harden and Mele Finau out with a bang as they rallied from multiple second-half deficits to claim their second win over GCU this season. However, their last win of the season might be the most impressive of the Ladyjacks season as they rallied back from a 26-point deficit against the Southern Utah University Thunderbirds to secure their eighth straight season with at least 20 wins.
An Epic Tournament Run:
As memorable as their regular season was, the Ladyjacks WAC tournament run provided even more fireworks and memories for SFA and their fans as the Ladyjacks secured the no. 3 seed in the WAC tournament earning a first-round matchup against no. 7 ranked Tarleton that saw the Ladyjacks cruise to a 70-58 win over the Texans in a game that saw SFA never trail after the first quarter. The win over Tarleton advanced SFA to the second round of the tournament that saw them lock horns with the GCU Lopes for a third time this season. They always say three is the magic number and SFA proved it as they showed they had the Lopes number this season by beating GCU for a third time this season in a 68-63 win as they rallied from a 14-point deficit after the first quarter to send GCU packing. Even though the Ladyjacks season ended in heartbreaking fashion to CBU with a one-point loss, the Ladyjacks had plenty to hang their hats on this season as they exceeded preseason expectations by showing unmatched effort and grit the entire season.
Keep Stacking Those Awards:
In a season of remarkable accomplishments, wins, and milestones the Ladyjacks only added to their remarkable season through a variety of awards and nominations both throughout the season and at the end of the season. The Ladyjacks received no shortage of recognition from the WAC this season as they received six different WAC Player of the Week awards on the season. If there was every any doubt about how good Kurstyn Harden was this season, she made sure to put those doubts to rest as she won WAC Player of the Week an astounding four separate times this season, while Kyla Deck won WAC Player of the Week on two separate occasions. However, the recognition for the Ladyjacks went far beyond just WAC Player of the Week awards as at the conclusion of their 2024 season three Ladyjacks earned WAC Postseason Awards.
Kurstyn Harden's dominating offensive season that saw her lead the team in points (534), and rebounds (136) earned her a spot on the All-WAC First Team. Meanwhile, Destini Lombard and Kyla Deck formed a dynamic defensive duo for SFA this season as both were named to the WAC All-Defensive Team to help lead a dominating defensive season for SFA. Lombard finished her superb defensive season leading the team in steals with 89, while blocking 19 shots, and pulling down 144 rebounds. Deck was just as effective defensively as she recorded 75 steals while pulling down 97 rebounds of her own.
Lumberjacks National Rankings:
The Ladyjacks were scattered all over the national rankings this past season on both offense and defense. Destini Lombard showcased her versatility as she ranked tied for 15th in the nation in steals with 89, averaged 2.42 steals/game good for 24th in the nation, while ranking tied for 44th in the country with a 2.16 assist/turnover ratio. Kyla Deck joined Lombard in the steal party this season as she ranked tied for 39th in the nation with 75 steals, while averaging 2.59 steals/game which ranked her 26th in the country. Kurstyn Harden's dominat offensive season saw her rank 27th in the country in field goal percentage at 56.01% for the season, while Harden was a force to be reckoned with when it came to free-throws as she ranked an astounding third in the nation with 190 free-throws this season.
Milestones:
In a season as memorable as the Ladyjacks 2024 season, it allowed for players to hit specific milestones in their playing careers which will be engrained in SFA Ladyjacks Basketball history forever. Kurstyn Harden achieved the 1,000 career-point mark against the CBU Lancers, while surpassing 500 career rebounds against Middle Tennessee. Destini Lombard's superb defensive season saw her surpass 100 career steals in the home win over UNT Dallas, while Tyler McCliment-Call surpassed the 500-career point mark against Austin Peay.
A season as memorable as the 2023-2024 season for the Ladyjacks will not soon be forgotten and will provide plenty of excitement for the Ladyjacks and their fans as they head into the second season under Head Coach Leonard Bishop and his staff.
Starting off on the Right Foot:
The Ladyjacks season got started with a bang as in their season opener they blew the doors off Oklahoma Panhandle State University 118-48 at the Sawmill to give Head Coach Leonard Bishop his first win of his SFA coaching career. Little did the Ladyjacks and their fans know, this was just the beginning of what would turn out to be another highly successful season highlighted by a number of iconic wins that will not soon be forgotten. The beginning of December saw two wins by the Ladyjacks that showcased the grit and fight in the program this season. Their first game in the month of December was one that may go down as one of many most thrilling wins this season for SFA as they claimed an 89-82 double overtime win over Abilene Christian, before ending the homestand with a win over eventual WCC regular season champ University of Portland 76-71 at the Sawmill.
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year:
The Christmas and New Year's holidays brought plenty of presents and good cheer for the Ladyjacks as they would go a perfect 3-0 over the holidays, highlighted by another dominating win at the Sawmill as they dismantled UNT-Dallas 111-38 just a few days after Christmas. The middle of January saw the Ladyjacks in the heat of conference play and saw SFA play some of their best all-around basketball all season as they would go on a four-game winning streak punctuated with a thrilling 59-54 road win over the GCU Lopes to snap the Lopes eight-game winning streak and hand GCU their first conference loss of the season.
Ending as Strong as we Started:
However, the end of the season saw the Ladyjacks kick into a new gear as they prepped for their third straight appearance in the WAC conference tournament. An 89-83 win over Abilene Christian kicked off a stretch of games that saw SFA win five of their remaining seven games to secure their eighth straight season with at least 20 wins and punch their ticket to the WAC tournament. The win over ACU saw Kyla Deck put together an iconic career performance as she posted a career-high 34 points against the Wildcats to spark a second half rally that saw SFA steal another thrilling win over the Wildcats to sweep the regular season series. Deck's 34-point outburst tied her for the third highest scoring output by a player in a game this season for the WAC. Possibly even more impressive than the win over ACU was when the Ladyjacks hosted the Utah Valley Wolverines and held them to a mere 35 points, the lowest amount allowed by an SFA team since 2021. The 'Jacks made sure their last two wins were memorable ones to head into the WAC tournament with their heads held high. On senior day at the Sawmill, the Ladyjacks made sure to send out seniors Kurstyn Harden and Mele Finau out with a bang as they rallied from multiple second-half deficits to claim their second win over GCU this season. However, their last win of the season might be the most impressive of the Ladyjacks season as they rallied back from a 26-point deficit against the Southern Utah University Thunderbirds to secure their eighth straight season with at least 20 wins.
An Epic Tournament Run:
As memorable as their regular season was, the Ladyjacks WAC tournament run provided even more fireworks and memories for SFA and their fans as the Ladyjacks secured the no. 3 seed in the WAC tournament earning a first-round matchup against no. 7 ranked Tarleton that saw the Ladyjacks cruise to a 70-58 win over the Texans in a game that saw SFA never trail after the first quarter. The win over Tarleton advanced SFA to the second round of the tournament that saw them lock horns with the GCU Lopes for a third time this season. They always say three is the magic number and SFA proved it as they showed they had the Lopes number this season by beating GCU for a third time this season in a 68-63 win as they rallied from a 14-point deficit after the first quarter to send GCU packing. Even though the Ladyjacks season ended in heartbreaking fashion to CBU with a one-point loss, the Ladyjacks had plenty to hang their hats on this season as they exceeded preseason expectations by showing unmatched effort and grit the entire season.
Keep Stacking Those Awards:
In a season of remarkable accomplishments, wins, and milestones the Ladyjacks only added to their remarkable season through a variety of awards and nominations both throughout the season and at the end of the season. The Ladyjacks received no shortage of recognition from the WAC this season as they received six different WAC Player of the Week awards on the season. If there was every any doubt about how good Kurstyn Harden was this season, she made sure to put those doubts to rest as she won WAC Player of the Week an astounding four separate times this season, while Kyla Deck won WAC Player of the Week on two separate occasions. However, the recognition for the Ladyjacks went far beyond just WAC Player of the Week awards as at the conclusion of their 2024 season three Ladyjacks earned WAC Postseason Awards.
Kurstyn Harden's dominating offensive season that saw her lead the team in points (534), and rebounds (136) earned her a spot on the All-WAC First Team. Meanwhile, Destini Lombard and Kyla Deck formed a dynamic defensive duo for SFA this season as both were named to the WAC All-Defensive Team to help lead a dominating defensive season for SFA. Lombard finished her superb defensive season leading the team in steals with 89, while blocking 19 shots, and pulling down 144 rebounds. Deck was just as effective defensively as she recorded 75 steals while pulling down 97 rebounds of her own.
Lumberjacks National Rankings:
The Ladyjacks were scattered all over the national rankings this past season on both offense and defense. Destini Lombard showcased her versatility as she ranked tied for 15th in the nation in steals with 89, averaged 2.42 steals/game good for 24th in the nation, while ranking tied for 44th in the country with a 2.16 assist/turnover ratio. Kyla Deck joined Lombard in the steal party this season as she ranked tied for 39th in the nation with 75 steals, while averaging 2.59 steals/game which ranked her 26th in the country. Kurstyn Harden's dominat offensive season saw her rank 27th in the country in field goal percentage at 56.01% for the season, while Harden was a force to be reckoned with when it came to free-throws as she ranked an astounding third in the nation with 190 free-throws this season.
Milestones:
In a season as memorable as the Ladyjacks 2024 season, it allowed for players to hit specific milestones in their playing careers which will be engrained in SFA Ladyjacks Basketball history forever. Kurstyn Harden achieved the 1,000 career-point mark against the CBU Lancers, while surpassing 500 career rebounds against Middle Tennessee. Destini Lombard's superb defensive season saw her surpass 100 career steals in the home win over UNT Dallas, while Tyler McCliment-Call surpassed the 500-career point mark against Austin Peay.
A season as memorable as the 2023-2024 season for the Ladyjacks will not soon be forgotten and will provide plenty of excitement for the Ladyjacks and their fans as they head into the second season under Head Coach Leonard Bishop and his staff.
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