Box Score NACOGDOCHES, Texas -- Thirteen first half turnovers from the Northwestern State women's basketball team and 14 points in the second half from Stephen F. Austin's Porsha Roberts helped the Ladyjacks get past NSU 68-51 Saturday afternoon in Southland Conference play at the Johnson Coliseum.
 
Trudy Armstead had a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds) for NSU (14-12, 7-7 SLC), but 16 points off turnovers in the first half helped SFA (15-11, 9-5) grow a 6-0 early deficit to a 30-20 lead at halftime.  Roberts scored 14 of SFA's 38 points in the second half.
 
"It's disappointing.  I felt like our kids were ready to play and we had a good week of practice," said co-head coach Brooke Stoehr. 
 
"You know it's always going to be tough when you come into the arena here at SFA," she said. "I thought they were the more aggressive team tonight.  We turned the ball over 13 times in the first half and we average that per game."
 
NSU opened the game on a six-point run in the first three minutes. Armstead scored on back-to-back layups and Janelle Perez made it 6-0 on a score one minute later.
 
The Ladyjacks tied the game with 15:27 to play in the first half and took the lead with 14:53 to play in the frame.   SFA would not give up the lead again.
 
Northwestern State shot 38 percent (17-45) from the field and 16 percent (3-19) from behind the 3-point line. Stephen F. Austin was 29-of-58 (50 percent) from the field and 47 percent (8-17) from 3-point range.
 
"I thought they (Ladyjacks) did a great job being aggressive. They took some things away from us and made us make some adjustments," said Stoehr.  "I don't think we valued the ball very well and didn't make shots."
 
Armstead and Janelle Perez were the only players to score in double figures for NSU in the game.  Perez had 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field.  Kourtney Pennywell, who only played 16 minutes, scored eight points and had one rebound. Pennywell stayed in foul trouble for the entire game.
 
"Not having Pennywell in the first half and much of the second half really hurt.  She dictates a lot for us offensively and I thought her absence was big tonight," said Stoehr.
 
Chelsea Rogers and Keisha Lee scored six points apiece, Emily Spector had five, Presley Owens had three, and Meredith Graf scored one.
 
Roberts led the way for SFA with 18 points in the game followed by Brentney Branch with 13 and Kali Jerrell with 11 points.  Jerrell and Branch combined to go 5-of-10 from the 3-point line.
 
The Ladyjacks outrebounded NSU 35-29, and had 14 offensive rebounds to the Lady Demons' 20 defensive rebounds on SFA missed shots. Roberts had seven rebounds and Harris had six rebounds for SFA.  Behind Armstead for NSU were Perez, Spector, and Lee who all had three.
 
The loss dropped NSU into sole possession of eighth place after the loss. The Lady Demons have four games left in the regular season.
 
NSU will finish its five-game road stint with on Thursday at Southeastern Louisiana and Saturday at New Orleans.  It will finish the season at home on March 6 versus league leader Central Arkansas and on March 8 against Oral Roberts.