Lady Cards Take on SFA at Southland Conference Tournament :: Lamar and Ladyjacks meet in post season for third straight year

March 11, 2008

KATY, Texas - For the third straight year the Lamar University Lady Cardinals and the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks will meet each other in the first round of the Southland Conference Tournament when the two teams take the Court at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Merrell Center in Katy, Texas.

The past two years SFA has come out on top in post season play defeating Lamar 73-65 last year at the Campbell Center in Houston and knocking the Cards out 54-53 in 2006 at Johnson Coliseum in Nacogdoches. Despite the post season history between the two teams, Lamar has won two of the last three meetings. The Lady Cards handed SFA an 81-71 loss during the regular season last year in Nacogdoches, and grabbed a 72-70 win on January 17 at the Montagne Center.

The Lady Cardinals enter Wednesday's game with a 17-12 overall record, having won three straight games including two on the road. They are coming off of a 53-46 win over Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday afternoon.

Lamar is led by Third Team All-Southland Conference selection Nikki Williams who is averaging 14 points per game while averaging a team-best 3.9 assists and 2.5 steals per game. First team all-conference and Freshman of the Year Tamara Abalde is averaging a team-high 16.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while Third Team All-Conference member Brittney Williams is averaging 13 points per contest. Senior Aida Bakhos has also been solid for LU this year, averaging 7.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

As a team the Lady Cards are shooting .398 from the field and are averaging 64.4 points per game while allowing 63.8 points per game. Lamar has also won the battle on the boards this season, out rebounding their opponents 38.9 to 37.6.

Stephen F. Austin enters the game with a 12-16 overall record and a 9-7 mark in SLC play, on the heels of a 57-54 win over UTSA on Saturday.

The Ladyjacks are led by first team all-SLC selection Nikki Carr who averaged 14.1 points and 7 rebounds per game, while Natashia Green has averaged 9.8 points per game.

As a team SFA is averaging 64.5 points per game, while allowing their opponents to score 65.8 points per contest. They are shooting .364 from the field, while their opponents are connecting on .379 of their shots.