Stephen F. Austin
McNeese
Ross and Parker Both Claim Double-Doubles in the 96-65 Win over McNeese
1/2/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Stephen F. Austin took a big 96-65 win over McNeese State on Monday evening in the Burton Coliseum. The Ladyjacks have proved that they are a force to be reckoned with in the Southland Conference as they took their highest scoring game in Lake Charles. SFA is now on a 10 game win streak and improves to 11-2. The Ladyjacks had five players in double digits against the Cowgirls. Senior Taylor Ross led the Ladyjacks with a season high 28 points and 10 assists, her first double-double of the season. Ross almost had a triple-double as she also grabbed nine boards. Redshirt junior Stevi Parker had her season second double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, ten of those were from defensive alone. Senior Brentney Branch had 16 points and went 3-3 at the free-throw line. Senior Adrienne Lewis was three rebounds shy of a double-double herself. She had 12 points and seven rebounds, and lastly freshman Riley Harvey completed the night with 10 points and seven rebounds. The Ladyjacks, as a team, outrebounded the Cowgirls 49-47. Both teams had 10 steals each, and SFA went 52.2% (36-69) in the field and 62.1% (18-29) from the line.
A fast paced game took control in the first four minutes of play. SFA took the early lead 10-7, with a tremendous effort from a Parker to Lewis post up. Lewis struck again with a put-back in the sixth minute of the first. McNeese took the lead back with a jumper in the 4:16 minute mark, but then a combined effort of Branch and Ross put SFA back up by four. The Cowgirls would go up with seven unanswered points completing the first quarter with a two point advantage, 17-15.
Both teams flirted with the lead tying the game up seven times in between the two quarters. Highlights were from two triples from Ross and sophomore Chanell Hayes. Parker drew the over the back foul call under the net and put both free-throws away giving the Ladyjacks a little more comfortable lead, 29-22, with four minutes left in the half. Both teams would trade baskets, 3-4 streak after Lewis put up a lay-up to keep the 33-26 SFA lead. SFA then turned a questionable foul opportunity into a six point streak that held the Cowgirls scoreless until the last 44 seconds. Ross drew the foul in the final seconds and went 1-2 at the line to put SFA up 44-28 going into the locker room.
After the intermission, Ross and sophomore Kennedy Harris put up two points each to give SFA their first 20 point lead of the game. The Cowgirls would go scoreless for 2:43 until they hit a three-pointer to make it a 19 point game. SFA answered back with a steal from Branch, who passed it off to Harvey. She missed the first attempt, but then hustled to get her own rebound and got the putback. After Harvey’s hustle on the court, SFA took back the 20 point lead, forcing McNeese to call an early timeout. The Ladyjacks kept fighting as they went on a 4-0 streak going into the third media timeout. McNeese put in a double digit effort going on an 11-6 streak before junior Taylor Jackson hit a triple to take back SFA’s third 20 point lead of the game.
SFA opened up the first boards of the fourth with a Parker jumper and a Hayes triple, but then the Cowgirls got the stick hands bug and stole the ball twice in a row, converting them into four points for McNeese. SFA got back in control and took six points back giving Parker her second double-double of the season off the free-throw line. SFA shut off a McNeese 7-4 streak from a great look from Lewis to Harris for the momentum swing. The Ladyjacks sealed the game up with another 9-2 burst from Lewis and Harvey, SFA took a 96-65 win, their highest scoring game of the season.
SFA will be back on the home court on Thursday when they host Texas A&M- Corpus Christi. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. CT, and the game will be live streamed on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app.
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