Arkansas State Women’s Basketball Notes vs UALR

Courtesy Arkansas State University Athletics Department

Read Jeff Reed’s game preview here.

QUICK SHOTS

• This season will mark the 39th for women’s basketball at Arkansas State.

• The Red Wolves have an all-time record of 197-135 against league teams.

• Arkansas State won just its fifth game against Western Kentucky in Bowling with its 78-74 win on Feb. 9. It also marked just the third time in school history that ASU had taken the regular season series from the Lady Toppers.

• A-State’s victory over WKU was also its second straight win in Bowling Green, marking the first time in school history that ASU has won back-to-back games in Bowling Green.

• Ashley Olvera surpassed 200 for career against WKU on Feb. 9. She is just the 15th A-State player to reach that milestone.

• A-State shot 52.6 percent from the field on Feb. 9, marking the fourth time this year that ASU has shot above 50 percent for a game. ASU is 3-1 in those games.

• Q McDowell has started in 99 straight games.

• The Red Wolves rank 8th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage defense holding opponents to a 24.8 percentage on the year.

• This will be the 56th meeting all-time between the Red Wolves and the Trojans with A-State holding a 43-12 all-time series lead.

• Junior forward Jane Morrill became the first 21st player in ASU women’s basketball history to record 1,000 points for her career on Feb. 3.

• With its victory over South Alabama on Jan. 30, the Red Wolves equaled their win total (12) from a year ago.

• ASU’s loss to North Texas snapped a seven game winning streak for the Red Wolves, which was tied for the sixth longest in school history.

• Senior guard Ashley Olvera set a new career high with 23 points against FAU on Jan. 26.

• Junior forward Jane Morrill had her third career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds against Florida Atlantic on Jan. 26.

• Brian Boyer is in third place on the all-time career wins list in the Sun Belt Conference with 121 career conference victories in women’s basketball.

• Hanna Qedan recorded the first double-double of her career against Troy on Jan. 24. The sophomore scored 19 points and pulled down 14 rebounds in the victory.

• A-State has knocked down a 3-pointer in 113 straight games.

• ASU has had at least three players score in double figures 12 times this season and has a

9-3 record in those games.

• ASU assistant coach Sonja Tate was recently selected to the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame Class

of 2013.

• Hanna Qedan scored a career high 22 points and made a career best nine free throws and tied a career high with three, 3-pointers against Middle Tennessee on Jan. 2.

• Freshman Jalen O’Bannon scored a career high 23 points against Troy on Jan. 24.

• ASU tied a season high with seven 3-pointers against Middle Tennessee and shot a season high

.583 (7-12) from beyond the arc.

• A-State shot a season high 59.6 percent from the field against Louisiana-Lafayette on Dec. 22.

That mark missed the all-time school record by just 3.6 precentage points, which was set last season against UT-Martin.

• Junior Jane Morrill was voted a second-team SBC All-Conference selection after leading ASU in both scoring and rebounding last season.

• ASU is in its 19th season of competition in the Sun Belt Conference.

• Brian Boyer is in his 14th season as the head coach of the ASU women’s basketball team.

He is the only coach in ASU history (men’s or women’s) to win 200 games and is the school’s all-time winningest basketball coach.

• Junior forward Jane Morrill was selected as a first-team All-Sun Belt Conference selection by

 

College Sports Maddness.

• Seven of ASU’s 15 players are from the state of Arkansas. The list includes Hanna Qedan, Andi

Watson, Jessica Flanery, Sandy Jackson, Xena King, Lindsey Killough and Brittney Gill.

• Brian Boyer is 103-95 all-time against non-conference opponents.

ARKANSAS STATE/UALR HISTORY

• This will be the 56th meeting all-time between the Red Wolves and the Trojans with A-State holding a 43-12 all-time series lead.

• This will be the first meeting between UALR and ASU this season. The Trojans are the only Sun Belt Conference team that the Red Wolves have yet to play this season.

• ASU lost both its matchups against UALR in 2011-12 and has dropped five of its last six

matchups with the Trojans.

• A-State holds a 25-3 advantage over UALR in games played in Jonesboro.

• Head coach Brian Boyer is 17-10 all-time against the Trojans.

 

SCOUTING THE TROJANS

• UALR enters the game with a 16-7 record and 8-6 record in the Sun Belt Conference.

• The Trojans have won five straight games. Prior to the winning streak, the Trojans had lost four straight.

• After starting the year 1-1, UALR went on a nine game winning streak before losing to ULL.

• Taylor Gault is the team’s leading scorer. She is averaging 15.4 points per game, which ranks fifth in the SBC.

• UALR owns one of the league’s best defenses, allowing opponents to score 54.3 points per game.

 

A RARITY IN BOWLING GREEN

• Arkansas State won just its fifth game against Western Kentucky in Bowling with its 78-74 win

on Feb. 9. It also marked just the third time in school history that ASU had taken the regular

season series from the Lady Toppers.

• A-State’s victory over WKU was also its second straight win in Bowling Green, marking the

first time in school history that ASU has won back-to-back games in Bowling Green.

 

REACHING A MILESTONE

• Ashley Olvera surpassed 200 assists for career against WKU on Feb. 9. She is just the 15th

A-State player to reach that milestone.

 

SHOOTING ABOVE 50 PERCENT

• ASU shot 52.6 percent from the field against Western Kentucky, marking the sixth time this

year that ASU has shot above 50 percent in a game.

• The Red Wolves are 5-1 in games in which they shoot 50 percent and above.

• ASU shot a season high 59.6 percent from the field against Louisiana-Lafayette on Dec. 22.

• That mark missed the all-time record by just 3.6 precentage points, which was set last season

against UT-Martin.

• A-State shot 64.3 percent from the field against the Ragin’ Cajuns in the second half, which was

its high field goal percentage in a half this year.

O’BANNON’S SCORING DRIVES ASU

• Freshman Jalen O’Bannon has scored in double digits nine times this season and the Red

Wolves have an 8-1 record in those games.

• A-State also has a 4-1 record in games in which O’Bannon starts.

 

JACKSON STEPPING UP

• Freshman point guard Sandy Jackson played a career high 25 minutes against Middle Tennessee

on Feb. 7

• She also scored a career high nine points on Feb. 7.

• Over her last six games Jackson has seen her playing time rise to 14.3 minutes per game.

 

REACHING 1,000

• Junior forward Jane Morrill reached 1,000 points for her career on Feb 3, becoming the 21st

player in ASU women’s basketball history to reach the mark.

• She ranks 18th on ASU’s all-time career scoring list with 1,042 career points.

 

THINK PINK

• The Arkansas State women’s basketball team is partnering once again with the Women’s

Basketball Coaches’ Association and St. Bernards Medicals in their annual “Play 4Kay” initiative

when the Red Wolves host the Trojans of Troy Saturday, Feb. 23 at the Convocation Center. The

team will also sponsor the third annual “4Kay Run/Walk” the morning of the game.

 

PROTECTING HOME COURT

• ASU lost to a conference opponent at home for just the second time all season on Feb. 3 against

North Texas. The Red Wolves are 5-2 against SBC opponents in The Convo this season and have

a 9-4 record overall at home on the year.

 

STREAK COMES TO AN END

• A-State’s seven game winning streak came to an end on Feb. 3 afternoon with a 64-62 loss to

North Texas.

• The seven game winning streak was tied for the sixth longest in school history.

• Hanna Qedan was ASU’s leading scorer during the run, averaging 13.9 points per contest.

• In fact, four A-State players have averaged in double-figures during the winning streak. Jane

Morrill averaged 12.3 points per night, while Ashley Olvera poured in 12.0 points. Freshman

Jalen O’Bannon is averaged 11.9 points per game during the run.

• The Red Wolves have won by an average of 10.7 points per game during the streak.

 

CLOSING OUT JANUARY

• A-State finished the month of January with a 7-1 record.

• The Red Wolves shot 45.9 percent from the field during the month and defeated its opponents

by an average of 9.1 points per game.

 

OLVERA THE PLACE

• Senior point guard Ashley Olvera scored a career high 23 points against Florida Atlantic on Jan.

26. She went 9-of-22 from the field, with two 3-pointers and three made free throws. She also

dished out four assists and had one steal.

 

MORRILL DOUBLE DOWNS

• Junior forward Jane Morrill recorded her third career double-double with 16 points and 10

rebounds against FAU on Jan. 26.

• She also posted a double-double earlier this season with 23 points and 11 rebounds against

Southeast Missouri State on Nov. 19.

 

NUMBERS NEVER LIE

• ASU ranks at or near the top in four statistical categories in the SBC in league games.

• A-State ranks second in the league in 3-point field goal percentage defense, holding teams to

just 24.8 percent from beyond the arc on the year.

• The team also ranks second in field goal percentage (43.4), third in field goal percentage

defense (39.5) and fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (30.5)

 

QEDAN’S QUEST

• Sophomore Hanna Qedan continued her stellar play this season by posting her first career

double-double on Jan. 24 at Troy. She scored 19 points and pulled down 14 rebounds.

• Her 14 rebounds were a career high.

• She has also knocked down three, 3-pointers in a game five times the is season.

• Against Middle Tennessee she set a new career mark with 22 points, shattering her previous

career high of 12 earlier this season against Austin Peay.

• She also set a career high with nine made free throws against the Blue Raiders on 10 attempts.

• She has made three, 3-pointers three in her career. The first time came against Austin Peay and

the second time came against Middle Tennessee and the third against Western Kentucky.

• Earlier this season against Austin Peay Qedan also set career highs in blocks (3) and steals (3).

 

DEFENDING THE ‘3’

• ASU has been superb at defending the 3-point shot this season. A-State owns the nation’s

eighth best 3-point defensive percentage at 24.8 percent.

• ASU has not allowed an opponent to make a ‘3’ in three games this year. ASU held FIU to an 0-

21 mark from beyond the arc in both matchups this season. The Red Wolves also did not allow

Wichita State to make a 3-pointer on Nov. 29.

• Wichita State went 0-7 from 3-point land in its game on Nov. 29.

 

O’BANNON SHINES

• Freshman Jalen O’Bannon enjoyed one of the best games of her young career on Jan. 24.

• She scored a career high 23 points and a career high nine rebounds to just barely miss recording

her first career double-double.

• Her previous career high in points was 13, which she had scored in two previous games this

season.

• On Dec. 22 she went 6-for-6 from the field against Louisiana-Lafayette which is tied for the

highest field goal percentage by an ASU player in the Convocation Center in school history. Only

four other players, with a minimum of five attempts, have gone perfect from the field.

 

STEALING THE SHOW……ONCE AGAIN

• ASU set a new season high with 12 steals against Troy on Jan. 24.

• It marked the fifth time this season that ASU had recorded at least 11 steals in a game. The

previous occurances were against WKU (1/6) Austin Peay (12/17), Missouri State (12/15) and

USC (11/21).

 

GETTING BENCH PRODUCTION

• The ASU bench has scored in double-digits in each of the Red Wolves 22 of ASU’s 24

games this season.

• The bench scored a season high 31 points against Troy on Jan. 24

• The bench has scored 29 points twice this season (vs. ULL and UT-Martin) and also scored 28 against USC.

 

MIXING AND MATCHING

• ASU has used five different starting lineups this season.

• The starting lineup of Jane Morrill, Carlisha Wyatt, Hanna Qedan, Q McDowell and Ashley

Olvera went gone 7-3, including a seven-game winning streak

COACH BOYER MOVES UP WINS LIST

• Brian Boyer is in third place on the all-time career wins list in the Sun Belt Conference with

121 career conference victories in women’s basketball.

• Leon Barmore (1991-2001) is first on the list with 135 wins, while current FIU coach Cindy

Russo is second.

• Among active coaches (men’s or women’s) ranks second. Only Cindy Russo has more SBC wins.

 

THREE IS A MAGIC NUMBER

• A-State has had three or more players score in double figures 13 times this season.

• The Red Wolves are 10-3 in those games, with the most recent coming over WKU on Feb. 9.

 

KEEPING THE OPPONENT UNDER 59

• The Red Wolves have held opponents to under 59 points in 10 of their 12 victories this season. In three victories ASU has held the opponent to under 50 points.

 

COACH TATE A HALL OF FAMER

• Current A-State assistant assistant coach and former player Sonja Tate has been selected as a

part of the Arkansas Hall of Fame Class of 2013.

• She remains the leader in six statistical categories at ASU and scored 2,312 points in her career,

the most of any men’s or women’s basketball player in school history.

 

NATIONALLY SPEAKING

• A-State’s Jane Morrill ranks 29th in the nation with a 51.9 field percentage on the year.

• Morrill also ranks 39th in the nation in free throw percentage, hitting 84.5 percent for the year.

• As a team, A-State ranks 31st with a 43.4 field goal percentage.

 

RIGHT ON Q

• Q McDowell has started in 99 straight games.

• Her last non-start was on Dec. 30, 2009 against Denver.

 

DISHING IT OUT

• Ashley Olvera dished out a season high 9 assists against ULL on Dec 22., missing her career high by just one.

• Ashley Olvera has a 41 game active assist streak dating back to the 2011-12 season.

• She ranks 16th on ASU’s all-time career assists list with 201 for her career. Danielle Featherston is 15th on the list with 204 for her career.

• As a team, A-State had a season high 19 assists against ULL on Dec. 22.

 

WATSON LIGHTS IT UP FROM OUTSIDE

• Senior Andi Watson had a career day from beyond the 3-point line against the Ragin’ Cajuns on Dec. 22. She hit three straight 3-pointers and finished the game 3-for-5 from beyond the arc.

• Her previous career high in 3-pointers made in a game had been two, and before the Dec. 22 game she had made just eight 3-pointers in her career.

 

LEADER OF THE PACK

• Junior Jane Morrill has lead ASU in scoring 13 times this season. She has been the leading scorer in six of A-State’s 13 wins.

• She has also been the team’s leading rebounder 12 times this season.

• Against Austin Peay, Morrill set a career high with 11 free throws made. She also sent a career high with 15 free throw attempts.

• Morrill has posted back-to-back 20 point games. She scored 21 points against Nicholls State and then added 22 against Louisiana-Lafayette. She has crossed the 20-point mark three times this season.

 

KNOCKING DOWN THE FREE ONES

• ASU went 24-of-28 from the free throw line against FIU on Nov. 20 and finished with highest free throw percentage of the year at 85 percent.

 

WINNING AND WINNING BIG

• ASU’s 31-point victory over Austin Peay was its largest margin of victory over an opponent since the 2008-09 season when it defeated Northern Arizona 71-40.

• The last time ASU defeated an opponent by a larger margin was the 2006-07 when it defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff 87-55 for a 32 point victory.

 

DOWNTOWN FLANERY

• Freshman forward Jessica Flanery has made the most of her limited opportunities this season. She is averaging just 3.3 minutes in for games this season, but has drained four 3-pointers on the year.

• She drained three, 3-pointers against Austin Peay on 3-of-4 shooting for a career-high 9 points.

 

A STATISTICAL NIGHT TO REMEMBER

• A-State set several season highs against Austin Peay. The Red Wolves set season highs in points (75), field goals made (29), 3-pointers made (5), 3-point field goal percentage (.417) and tied season highs in steals (11) and blocked shots (4).

• The ASU defense held Austin Peay to an opponent season low 44 points and also held the Lady Governors to just 17 made field goals, also an opponent season low for A-State.

 

MCDOWELL MOVING UP ALL-TIME STEALS LIST

• Senior Q McDowell has collected 168 steals in her career, tied for 10th most in school history.

• Danielle Featherston is 9th on the lost with 185 for her career.

• Current A-State assistant coach Sonja State (1990-93) holds the career record for steals with 402.

 

FREQUENT FLYER MILES

• The Red Wolves have made frequent visits to the airport this season, having flown over 5,000-miles already.

• ASU began the year by flying from Memphis to Detroit and then bussing to Toledo to take on the Rockets.

• The Red Wolves then flew from Little Rock to Los Angeles to take on USC in a non-conference game on the day before Thanksgiving which was a 2,980 mile round trip via the air.

• ASU departed Memphis International Airport on Nov. 28 for Ft. Lauderdale International Airport in a flight that was just over 850 miles.

• In all, the Red Wolves traveled over 5,700 miles including flying miles and bus trips in its first four road games this season.

 

STREAKING BEYOND THE ARC

• ASU has knocked down a 3-pointer in 113 straight games.

• The streak has came to close to ending in ASU’s first two regular season games. Jessica Flanery kept the streak alive with a ‘3’ against Toledo with just six seconds left in the game and Jane Morrill knocked down ASU’s first ‘3’ of the game against UT-Martin with just 28 seconds left in the game.

• Flanery’s ‘3’ against Toledo was the first field goal of her career.

• The last time A-State did not make a ‘3’ was on Nov. 20, 2009 against Virginia Commonwealth

when the Red Wolves went 0-11 from behind the 3-point line.