NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Aggie women's basketball team played their first and only exhibition game on Saturday to end the calendar year, falling to Stephen F. Austin 86-59.
Cameron's one and only exhibition of the season started out slow with neither team scoring until the 6:41 mark.
Ava Battese recorded the first five points for CU, hitting a three pointer and then a layup, while
Sydney Ellis scored four straight at the end of the quarter to even up the game at 12 after 10 minutes of play.
Both teams started to settle into a groove in the second frame. SFA shot 64.3 percent from the floor, while going 3-3 from the perimeter and 7-8 from the free throw line in the second, and Cameron shot 44.4 percent from the field and went 4-8 from three during the second 10 minutes of the contest.
Battese led CU with eight points at the break, going 3-8 from the floor and 2-6 from three, while Ellis,
Natalie Halbleib, and
Maighan Hedge each had six points. As a team, CU shot just 32.4 percent from the field and went 6-18 from deep in the first half, while the Ladyjacks shot 48.1 percent from the floor, going 3-6 from three and 11-17 from the foul line. Marissa Banfield and Alexis Mayfield lead the home team at the half with nine points each.
The Ladyjacks started to pull away from CU in the third quarter, outscoring them 26-6, as the Aggies went just 3-14 from the floor in the third frame, while SFA shot 61.1 percent from the floor. Cameron improved in the fourth quarter by shooting 46.2 percent and going 4-8 from three, but the deficit was too much to overcome as SFA closed took the exhibition 86-59.
Battese finished with a team-high 14 points, going 4-9 from three in the game, while
Andrea Martinez chipped in 10 points off the bench. As a team, CU shot just 32.8 percent from the field, going 10-31 from three and 9-11 from the charity stripe.
Stephanie Visscher lead the Ladyjacks with 16 points and four steals, while three other SFA players scored in double figures. Stephan F. Austin finished the game with a field goal percentage of just under 51 percent, going 7-15 from the perimeter and 19-29 from the free throw line.
The win improves SFA to 9-3 on the season, while, since the game was an exhibition, the loss does not affect the 3-7 Aggies' overall record.
Cameron will jump right into Lone Star Conference play to start the new year, hosting Tarleton State on Jan. 3 at 5:30 p.m.
