March 10, 2006
Contact: Carlos Valdez III. (210) 458-4930
UTSA meets SFA for SLC Championship Saturday
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The No. 3-seed UTSA women's basketball team will try to make history Saturday as they take on top-seed Stephen F. Austin in the championship game of the O'Reilly Auto Parts/Southland Conference Tournament. Tip is set for 3 p.m. at Johnson Coliseum, a place the Roadrunners have never won, and the winner gets an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. The game will be televised live on Fox Sports Southwest and can be heard on KKYX 680 AM or on www.goUTSA.com.
O'Reilly Auto Parts/Southland Conference Tournament
Championship Game
UTSA Roadrunners (18-11)
at
Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks (22-7)
Saturday, March 11 • 3 p.m.
William R. Johnson Coliseum • Nacogdoches, Texas
TV: Fox Sports Southwest • Radio: KKYX 680 AM
Last Outing
UTSA overcame a 16-0 start the by No. 2-seed Texas-Arlington to advance to the O’Reilly Auto Parts/SLC Tournament final with a 76-75, triple-overtime win on Wednesday night at Texas Hall in Arlington, Texas. This is the second time the Roadrunners moved on to the conference finals in school history. Junior Vivian Ewalefo led three UTSA players in double figures scoring with 19 points. Senior Lacy Mingee and sophomore Terrie Davis scored 17 and 12 points, respectively. Freshman Monica Gibbs collected a team-high 13 rebounds and dished out a career-high nine assists. UTA posted four players in double digits with Ashley Bobb and Terra Wallace leading the way with 19 points apiece. Bobb also hauled in a game-high 16 rebounds. The Roadrunners outscored the Mavericks in bench-scoring, 29-2. UTSA also shot 67 percent from downtown (6-of-9), including a perfect 5-for-5 in all three overtimes.
Scouting The Ladyjacks
Stephen F. Austin is coming off a 72-71 overtime win over Louisiana-Monroe this past Wednesday at Johnson Coliseum. SFA was lead by Britany Vison’s 20 points. LaToya Mills, who was named first team all-SLC, posted a double-double with 28 points and 16 rebounds. The Ladyjacks are 22-7 overall and finished with a 14-2 mark in league play en route to winning the 2005-06 regular season championship. SFA has reeled off seven wins in a row, since losing to Nicholls State on Feb. 11 by a score of 68-67.
Last Meeting Between UTSA and SFA
Both teams split in the regular season with each team winning at their own court. Stephen F. Austin came out with a 77-68 win over UTSA on Feb. 23 in Nacogdoches. Charity Egenti’s 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor led SFA in scoring. Mills chipped in with 14 points and collected eight rebounds, while Jennifer Simpson added 10 points. Ewalefo held game-high honors of 18 points and nine rebounds. Nicole Dunson added 12, while Katie Sandefur and Lacy Mingee each chipped in with 10 points apiece. In the first meeting on Jan 21, the Roadrunners pounded the Ladyjacks 66-48 at the Convocation Center.
All-Time Series
SFA leads the all-time series, 28-4, against UTSA and is a perfect 14-0 at Johnson Coliseum. The Runners are also 0-2 against the Ladyjacks in tournament play. The last time these two clubs met in the postseason was back on March 5, 1998, with SFA defeating UTSA 88-81.
Blair vs. Stephen F. Austin
Coach Rippetoe-Blair is 4-9 against SFA head coach Lee Ann Riley. In six seasons with the Roadrunners, Blair is winless in Nacogdoches, Texas. All of the wins have come at the Convocation Center.
Bench Production
UTSA outscored UTA’s bench, 29-2, with Mingee leading the way with 17 points and Farren Fox adding eight off the pine.
OT Baby!
The Roadrunners have played in four overtime games this season, including a double and a triple overtime contest. UTSA is 3-1 in OT this year. For the first time in school history, UTSA played in double and triple overtime games, both came against Texas-Arlington with UTSA coming out with victories. The latest one was the triple overtime thriller in the SLC semifinals.
Reaching A Milestone
Coach Rippetoe-Blair has collected 99 school victories in six years at UTSA. A win on Saturday would propel Blair to her 100th school win and would make her the only coach in UTSA women’s basketball history to reach the century mark.
Probable Starters
Name P PPG RBG FG% FT%
10 Vivian Ewalefo F 12.2 7.4 .420 .725
4 Katie Sandefur F 8.6 3.8 .467 .694
21 Terrie Davis G 7.9 3.5 .386 .361
24 Nicole Dunson G 9.2 2.1 .455 .451
33 Monica Gibbs G 7.3 7.1 .369 .490
Off The Bench
Name Pos. PPG RBG FG% FT%
1 Ana Oliveira G 1.4 0.5 .348 .643
11 Farren Fox G 3.7 1.6 .343 .640
14 Andrea Garcia G 0.2 0.1 - .750
25 Destiny Brown F 3.7 2.4 .421 .750
30 Kara McKay F 1.4 1.3 .320 .571
31 Lacy Mingee F 9.8 4.2 .477 .747
42 Nichelle Parks F 1.6 1.5 .567 .308
50 Delores Bloom F 0.3 0.4 .200 -