CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah University women's basketball team will travel to Texas to take on Stephen F. Austin on Saturday, Jan. 13 at 1 p.m. MT.
GAME INFO
Southern Utah vs. Stephen F. Austin
   Date: Saturday, Jan. 13
   Tip-off: 1 p.m. MT
   Live Stream | Live Stats
HEAD COACH TRACY MASON SAYS
"We've had a good few days of practice and the bye week has given us a chance to rest some injuries as well. SFA is a terrific team so we'll have to be ready to defend and handle their pressure."
WAC STANDINGS
The Western Athletic Conference is different from most conferences when it comes to seeding its teams, as the standings factor in non-conference play into its rankings.
Southern Utah currently holds the eighth seed in the conference.Â
This week the Thunderbirds will face the Ladyjacks, who rank third overall.
   Â
WAC RESUME SEEDING SYSTEM WBB UPDATE (JAN. 8, 2024)
|
Rk
|
.
|
W
|
L
|
CW
|
CL
|
WACpts
|
|
1
|
California Baptist
|
12
|
1
|
4
|
0
|
3.72
|
|
2
|
Grand Canyon
|
12
|
3
|
4
|
0
|
3.04
|
|
3
|
Stephen F. Austin
|
9
|
6
|
3
|
1
|
0.32
|
|
4
|
UT Arlington
|
6
|
8
|
2
|
2
|
-0.80
|
|
5
|
Utah Tech
|
8
|
7
|
2
|
2
|
-1.70
|
|
6
|
Abilene Christian
|
6
|
6
|
2
|
1
|
-2.30
|
|
7
|
Utah Valley
|
5
|
8
|
0
|
4
|
-3.07
|
|
8
|
Southern Utah
|
4
|
9
|
2
|
2
|
-3.31
|
|
9
|
Tarleton St.
|
4
|
8
|
1
|
2
|
-3.66
|
|
10
|
UT Rio Grande Valley
|
1
|
12
|
0
|
4
|
-5.45
|
|
11
|
Seattle U
|
1
|
12
|
1
|
3
|
-5.52
|
T-BIRD TIDBITS
-
Megan Smith leads the squad in points (16.2) and blocks (1.7) each game.
-
Daylani Ballena pours in 14.7 points and 3.8 assists per game for SUU. Ballena dished out a season-high eight assists in a victory against UVU last week.
-
Freshman Ava Uhrich averages 12.6 points per game to go along with a team-high 7.2 rebounds. Uhrich has scored in double figures in 10 of her 13 appearances this season, and is coming off a performance where she tied her career-high with 18 points.
-
Samantha Johnston chips in 7.8 points and 3.1 assists each game to help fuel the Thunderbirds' attack.
LAST TIME OUT
Southern Utah vs. Utah Valley
First Half
The first quarter was a low scoring affair, with the Wolverines taking a 12-6 lead at the end of the period.
The Thunderbirds bounced back from the slow start as their offense came alive in the second quarter. Samantha Johnston and Daylani Ballena came out firing, combining for 11 points to jumpstart a 16-1 run that gave SUU a 22-13 lead with 3:20 left in the half. Southern Utah led by seven (28-21) at the break.
Second Half
Southern Utah played stifling defense in the third quarter, holding Utah Valley to only 18.8 percent shooting from the field. The two squads traded buckets to begin the period, splitting the first 12 points to make the score 34-27 in favor of SUU. Then, Ava Uhrich poured in eight points to spark a 14-4 sprint that gave the Thunderbirds a 48-31 advantage heading into the final frame.
The Thunderbirds stayed aggressive, with Samantha Johnston knocking down back-to-back three pointers for SUU to start the fourth quarter. On the ensuing possession, Johnston found Shiho Isono open for a jumper to give the Thunderbirds their largest lead of the night, 56-34, with 8:59 remaining in the game. Southern Utah never looked back as the T-Birds cruised to the finish line to claim a 71-58 victory over Utah Valley.
SCOUTING REPORT: STEPHEN F. AUSTIN LADYJACKS
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The Ladyjacks are currently 9-6 on the season with a 3-1 record in Western Athletic Conference play.
-
SFA scores 76.7 points per game while limiting its opponents to only 68.7 points.
-
Kurstyn Harden paces the Ladyjacks with 15.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
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Destini Lombard serves as the team's primary distributor, dishing out 4.5 assists each game.
HISTORY
FOLLOW US
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