Jan. 14, 2008

It might not have always looked pretty, but the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks basketball team (5-9/2-0 SLC) fought through some early shooting woes to dispense of Nicholls State and Southeastern Louisiana and defend its home court to open Southland Conference play. The Ladyjacks, who are riding their second two-game win streak of the season, will now focus their attention on Lamar (8-6/1-0 SLC) and McNeese State (3-13/1-1 SLC). The Ladyjacks will travel to Beaumont, Texas, to face the Lady Cardinals Thursday at the Montagne Center. Lamar is coming off an impressive 75-74 win at Texas-San Antonio to start the league schedule. The game against the Lady Cardinals will tip off at 7 p.m. from the Montagne Center. The Ladyjacks will be back in action Saturday when they travel to Lake Charles, La., to face McNeese State. The Cowgirls are 3-13 (.188) on the season, but won their conference opener against Sam Houston State. The game against McNeese State is set to tip off at 4 p.m. from Burton Coliseum.

The Ladyjacks are an impressive 40-3 (.930) all-time against Lamar. The Ladyjacks had won 39-straight contests against the Lady Cardinals, until LU rallied for an 81-71 decision in Nacogdoches last season. That meeting was the lone regular-season matchup between the two schools last year, but the Ladyjacks exacted some revenge with a 73-65 victory in the first round of the SLC Championships. The Ladyjacks recorded an 80-58 decision the last time the two schools met in Beaumont (2005-06).

Ladyjack head coach Lee Ann Riley has compiled a dominant record against Southland Conference foes. Riley is 76-30 (.717) against SLC teams during the regular season.

SFA recorded the program's 799th all-time victory with their 59-50 win over Southeastern Louisiana. The Ladyjacks are now only one win shy of No. 800. That victory would put SFA in some very elite company. Only five other NCAA Division I schools have recorded at least 800 wins. The list includes Tennessee, Louisiana Tech, Old Dominion, Texas and James Madison. There is one other school that is on pace to record it's 800th victory this season. Tennessee Tech currently has 785 all-time wins.

The Ladyjacks followed up one of their worst shooting performances of the season Thursday against Nicholls State, with their best. After shooting 23 percent in the first half against the Colonels, SFA came out in the second half and connected on 18-of-29 (.621) shots.

Freshman Chantol Drennan recorded a career-night Thursday in the Ladyjacks' win over Nicholls State. She scored all of her career-high 11 points, and pulled down seven of her career-high eight rebounds in the second half against the Colonels.

After scoring 29 points in the team's past two games, senior Nikki Carr is only five points shy of 1,000 for her career.

The Ladyjacks return to action Saturday when they travel to Lake Charles, La., to face McNeese State (3-13/1-1 SLC). The game against the Cowgirls is slated to begin at 4 p.m. from Burton Coliseum.