NSU Game Notes
SFA Game Notes

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Still in a tight battle for position in the Southland Conference standings, the Northwestern State women's basketball team will tip off its third contest of a five-game road swing at Stephen F. Austin Satuday at 4:00 in Southland Conference action at the Johnson Coliseum.
 
NSU (14-11, 7-6 Southland Conference) is playing for its first sweep of the Ladyjacks (14-11, 8-5) since the 2003-04 season. The Lady Demons enter the weekend in a tie with Southeastern Louisiana for sixth place.  SLU played its game only game of the week on Thursday.
 
SFA, McNeese, and Nicholls are all tied for third place with 8-5 records.  Lamar is in second place with a 9-4 record, and UCA (who NSU will face on March 6) is in first place with a 10-3 record.
 
"There just isn't much separation for any of us.  Central Arkansas is still sitting atop the standings right now, but everyone else is separated by very little," said second-year co-head coach Brooke Stoehr.  "Every game matters. That's no different than what we've been telling our players all year.
 
"Prepare for the next one and get better today, and I know that sounds coach-speak or cliché but its true," she said.  "That make's the most important game Saturday at SFA.  A win would give us the season sweep over them, the head-to-head, a win over a quality team, and confidence for going on the road against a tough team."
 
The Ladyjacks have split last their last four games.  They beat Sam Houston and McNeese and lost to Lamar and Nicholls.  Over the same span, NSU has been the complete opposite losing to SHSU and McNeese and winning over Nicholls and Lamar.
 
The two teams met on Jan. 16, and NSU won the game 66-54.  The Lady Demons held SFA to 37 percent shooting from the field and 20 from behind the 3-point line.  NSU also forced the Ladyjacks into 16 turnovers that led to 15 points.
 
"They are a different team now.  We beat them at home, and Brittany Matthew was their point guard at the time.  She was injured the next day in practice," said Stoehr.  "It took them a couple of games to figure out how they wanted to play, but Brandon (Schneider) has done a tremendous job of preparing them, getting them ready, and making adjustments."
 
Porsha Roberts leads SFA in scoring (15.4 points per game) and rebounds (7.8 rpg).  Daylyn Harris averages 10.4 points a contest and Tierany Henderson averages 8.8 a game.  As a team, the Ladyjacks average 69 points a game on 41 percent shooting from the field.  They rank third in the league in both scoring offense and defense (63.3 ppg).
 
"It will be a difficult matchup for us.  Anytime you go over to Nacogdoches it will be a hostile and fun environment," said Stoehr.  "It's great for our league and great for the game.
 
"We know they will be a tough opponent," she said.  "Porsha Roberts inside is a load and we'll have to focus a lot of our attention towards her.  We have to be able to defend them and rebound."
 
Trudy Armstead and Keisha Lee both lead NSU in scoring at 14.3 points per game.  Janelle Perez follows with 10.1 points per game scored.  Armstead and freshman Kourtney Pennywell average six rebounds a contest, which is the team's leaders.
 
NSU averages and allows a 64 points per contest, and it shoots at a 41 percent clip from the field and 33 percent from the 3-point line.
 
Northwestern State will round out the five-game road swing on Thursday at Southeastern Louisiana and Saturday at New Orleans.  The final two games of the season will be at home versus Central Arkansas and Oral Roberts.