Ladyjacks Season Ends in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament

Friday, March 21

South Bend, Ind.

1:00 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

29-6,16-4Southland

106

University of Notre Dame

27-5,16-2ACC

SFA

Notre Dame

106

Ladyjacks Season Ends in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament

3/21/2025 7:25:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Amanda Paver, SFA Assistant Director for Strategic Communications

SOUTH BEND, Ind.- The Stephen F. Austin women's basketball team (29-6, 16-4 SLC) secured the no. 14 seed and traveled to South Bend for a matchup with the no. 3 seeded Notre Dame Fighting Irish (27-5, 16-2 ACC).

SFA got the game started with back-to-back three-pointers from Trinity Moore and Faith Blackstone to stun the Notre Dame crowd and take an early 6-0 lead. The Irish responded with a 12-2 run that got the home crowd back into the game, 12-8 with 5:04 left in the first. After two made free throws by Key Roseby, Notre Dame went on a 12-0 run to take a commanding 24-10 lead with 1:48 left in the first. Avery VanSickle got the 'Jacks back on the board with a three, 24-13 with 53 second left. The Irish made a layup with three second left in the first to take a 26-13 lead into the first quarter break.

Notre Dame went on a 4-2 spurt to begin the second, but then both offenses went ice cold as neither team scored for the next two minutes. The Irish broke the scoring drought with a three that was answered by VanSickle twenty seconds later with a three-pointer of her own, 33-18 with 6:33 left in the second quarter. SFA went on a three-minute scoring drought, while Notre Dame only made two baskets in the same period. Both teams traded blows for the next minute, but Notre Dame held a consistent twenty-point lead over the 'Jacks. As time was expiring, VanSickle drained a layup from underneath the basket and the Ladyjacks went into the locker room down 46-25.

A three-point play from Moore started the third quarter off strong for the 'Jacks, but the Irish responded with another 12-0 run to extend their lead to thirty, 58-28 with 7:22 left. SFA continued to fight with a five-point spurt, 58-33 with 6:30 left in the third. Notre Dame continued to pour it on with a nine-point spurt to build their lead, 67-33 with 5:17 left. Both teams traded baskets the rest of the quarter, but Notre Dame went into the final ten minutes with a commanding 78-41 lead.

Notre Dame went on a 14-4 run for the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, 92-45 with 5:16 left in the game. Two minutes later, the Irish pasted the century mark as they doubled up on the 'Jacks, 100-49 with 3:33 left. Roseby and Ashlyn Traylor-Walker were the only Ladyjacks to make a basket the rest of the game as the 'Jacks fell to the Irish, 106-54.

Top Players of the Game:

• Trinity Moore: 14 points (led team), eight rebounds (led team), three three-pointers (led team)
• Avery VanSickle: 12 points, two three-pointers, two rebounds, two assists
• Ashlyn Traylor-Walker: 10 points, five assists (led team), three rebounds

SFA ends a fantastic season after being picked fourth in the preseason poll; secure 29 wins, the number three seed in the tournament, and win their 17th Southland Conference Tournament Championship.

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