Games 6 & 7
ARKANSAS STATE RED WOLVES
at SMU "HOOPS FOR THE CURE" TOURNAMENT
vs. SMU - Friday, November 26, 2010 7:00 p.m.
vs. Akron or Georgia Southern - Saturday, November 27, 2010 TBA
Moody Coliseum (8,998) Dallas, Texas
Radio: KWHF 95.9 FM "The Wolf" & AStateRedWolves.com
LiveStats Available at AStateRedWolves.com
TIPPING IT OFF: The Arkansas State women's basketball team opens play in the SMU Hoops for the Cure Tournament Friday, Nov. 26 when the Red Wolves (4-2) take on the SMU Mustangs (1-2) in a 7:00 p.m. game at Moody Coliseum in Dallas. Arkansas State will wrap up play in the tournament Saturday when the Red Wolves square off against Akron or Georgia Southern. With a win over SMU, A-State will play in the 5:00 p.m. game Nov. 27. A loss to SMU would drop the Red Wolves into Saturday's consolation game, which is scheduled to tip off at 3:00 p.m. All Arkansas State women's basketball games may be heard on KWHF 95.9 FM "The Wolf" and through the StateZone portion of AStateRedWolves.com. LiveStats will also be available at AStateRedWolves.com.
THE OPPONENTS: SMU enters the tournament with a record of 1-2 on the young season, but the Mustangs could easily be undefeated. SMU was edged 44-43 by Utah in the season opener, then dropped a 73-87 decision to TCU in double overtime in the Mustangs' second game of the year. In it's last outing, SMU defeated Texas-San Antonio 69-47 on the road Nov. 21. Three players are averaging double-figure point production for the Mustangs, led by guard Raquel Christian at 14.0 points per game. Center Christine Elliott adds 12.0 points and a team-high 9.7 rebounds, and guard Samantha Mahnesmith is averaging 10.0 points per game. Akron travels to Dallas with a record of 2-1, having defeated Niagra 77-58 and IUPUI 70-49 in its last two outings. The Zips were defeated 69-64 by Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne in their season opener. Akron is led by forward Rachel Tecca who averages 19 points and seven rebounds per game. Georgia Southern will take the court Friday with a record of 1-3. Georgia Southern was defeated by Georgia 58-53 in its season-opener, then picked up its only win thus far when it defeated Mercer 71-52 in the Eagles' second game. Since their Nov. 16 victory over Mercer, the Eagles have lost to Alabama 65-55 and Jacksonville 72-56. Guard Jamie Navarro is the only Georgia Southern player averaging in double figures, scoring 14.0 points per game.
ASU AGAINST THE FIELD: Arkansas State holds a 2-1 edge over SMU in the all-time series between the two teams, with all three matchups taking place in the state of Texas. The series is tied 1-1 in games played in Dallas, and Arkansas State holds a 1-0 advantage in games played on a neutral court. The Red Wolves captured the 1993 WNIT Championship when they defeated the Mustangs 67-54 in Amarillo, Texas. In the last meeting between the two schools, SMU defeated ASU 91-69 in Dallas during the 1998-99 season. Arkansas State has never played Akron or Georgia Southern in women's basketball.
THE COACHES: Arkansas State head coach Brian Boyer is in his 12th season as the Red Wolves' head coach. He holds a record of 185-155 and has directed A-State to the Women's National Invitation Tournament four times. Boyer is assisted by Tanya Ray, Jennifer Sullivan and Leslie Larsen. Rhonda Roumpola is in her 19th season at SMU, with a record of 333-211. Rusty Cram holds a record of 220-193 in 14 years at Georgia Southern, and Jodi Kest is 48-77 and in her fifth season at Akron.
THE RED WOLVES RECENTLY: Quinishia McDowell poured in a career-high 19 points and Shay Scott recorded her 19th career double-double, adding 14 points and 15 rebounds as the Red Wolves opened their three-game swing through the Dallas area with a 59-55 overtime victory over UT-Arlington Thursday night at Texas Hall.
NEXT UP : The Red Wolves return to Jonesboro to host Henderson State Nov. 30 in a 7:05 p.m. game at the ASU Convocation Center.
WINNING WITH DEFENSE: Through the first six games of the season, the Red Wolves have forced more turnovers than their opponents in every game. The Red Wolves have forced 140 turnovers (23.3 per game) while turning the ball over 96 times (16 per game).
LEADING THE LEAGUE: Arkansas State is the only team in the Sun Belt Conference with four wins so far on the young season. At this point, no other team has played six games however. Still, the Red Wolves have notched a win against St. Louis and on the road at UT-Arlington and their only two losses have come to teams ranked in the top-25 (Iowa and St. John's). A-State is the only team in the league to have played two ranked teams.
GREAT SCOTT: With her 14 points against UT-Arlington Nov. 24, senior forward Shay Scott became just the 19th player in ASU women's basketball history to reach the 1,000-point milestone in her career. She also recorded her 19th career double-double against the Mavericks when she pulled down a team-high 15 rebounds, the second-most of her career. Scott now has scored 1,014 points in her career and is currently in 19th place on the all-time scoring chart at Arkansas State.
CAREER HIGH FOR McDOWELL: Arkansas State sophomore Quinishia McDowell hit five free throws in the final 48 seconds and finished with a career-high 19 points to lead the Red Wolves to a 59-55 overtime victory on the road over the Texas-Arlington Mavericks Nov. 24. McDowell's 19 points surpassed her previous high of 13 points, a number that she had reached twice in her career.
OVERTIME DOMINANCE CONTINUES: With their 59-55 overtime victory at UT-Arlington Nov. 24, the Red Wolves improved to an amazing 12-1 in regular-season overtime games under head coach Brian Boyer. The only blemish on that record was an 83-78 loss at Western Kentucky during the 2009-10 season. The overtime victory over UTA was also the second consecutive contest with the Mavericks that went into overtime. Arkansas State defeated UTA 67-60 during the 2009-10 season, one of a record four overtime games during the season.
Overtime Games Under Boyer
2010-11 - ASU 59, @ UT-Arlington 55
2009-10 - @ WKU 83, ASU 78
2009-10 - ASU 67, UT-Arlington 60
2009-10 - ASU 65, @ Northern Arizona 62
2009-10 - ASU 80, @ Kansas State 79
2008-09 - ASU 76, @ Indiana St. 68
2007-08 - ASU 72, FIU 64
2006-07 - ASU 65, @ ULL 58
2004-05 - ASU 85, @ FIU 74
2003-04 - ASU 86, @ UALR 79
2003-04 - N. Mexico St. 71, ASU 56 (2OT)
at Bowling Green, Kentucky
Sun Belt Conference Tournament
2002-03 - ASU 69, UNO 63
2002-03 - ASU 63, Belmont 62
2001-02 - UNO 51, ASU 47
at New Orleans, Louisiana
Sun Belt Conference Tournament
2000-01 - ASU 79, @ McNeese 74
MAKING UP FOR THE MISSES: Arkansas State's struggles at the free throw line (8-of-27) in its 54-50 victory over Saint Louis were offset by the Red Wolves' dominance in the "hustle stats." Arkansas State forced 23 SLU turnovers while giving the ball up just 12 times. Led by six thefts from senior guard Jazmine Taylor, the Red Wolves finished the game with 10 steals, and A-State ruled the offensive glass, outrebounding the Billikens 17-11 on the offensive end. Arkansas State also held Saint Louis to 36 percent shooting, including 4-for-14 (28.6 percent) from three-point range.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE FOR Q: Arkansas State sophomore guard Quinishia McDowell posted her first career double-double against UAPB Nov. 15, finishing the game with 10 points and a career-high 10 rebounds. McDowell scored all of her points in the second half and grabbed four boards in the final 20 minutes to complete the double-double.
JAZZY DEFENSE: Red Wolves senior guard Jazmine Taylor recorded a career-high four blocked shots against UAPB Nov. 15, raising her career total to 53. She now has 54 career blocked shots to rank ninth all-time at Arkansas State and is second all-time among guards, trailing only Shyla Tucker, who blocked 68 shots from 1991-94.
ALL-TOURNEY HONORS: Guards NeNe Hurst and Quinishia McDowell both earned all-tournament honors Nov. 13 after leading Arkansas State to a runner-up finish at the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders Tip-Off. Hurst, a junior from St. Louis, scored 12 points in each of ASU's two games, grabbed 11 rebounds, handed out five assists, notched seven steals and had three blocked shots in the two games combined. McDowell averaged 9.5 points per game and added five assists and four steals. The sophomore from Monroe, La. hit five-of-six shots from the field in the finals against No. 22 Iowa.
STRONG DEBUT: Freshman forward Jane Morrill (Scott City, Mo.) came off the bench and scored in double figures in both of the Red Wolves' games Nov. 12 & 13 at the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders Tip-Off. Morrill scored 14 points against host TAMUCC in her debut as a Red Wolf, hitting 5-of-6 shots from the field and 4-of-4 from the free throw line. In the finals against No. 22 Iowa, Morrill chalked up 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field and 2-of-2 from the line.
DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE: The Red Wolves were outstanding on defense Nov. 12 & 13 when they opened the season at the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders Tip-Off. The Red Wolves forced 32 turnovers against host TAMUCC in their 69-59 season-opening victory, holding the Islanders to 34.5 percent shooting from the field. In the finals against No. 22 Iowa, ASU held the Hawkeyes to 29.6 percent shooting from the field, including 17.9 percent from outside the three-point arc. The Red Wolves also forced 18 Iowa turnovers in the game.
BOYER CLIMBING: Arkansas State head coach Brian Boyer has climbed to second place on the ASU women's career win chart with a record of 185-155 and needs just 12 victories to take over first place as the all-time winningest basketball coach in A-State history among women's and men's coaches. Former women's head coach Jerry Ann Winters leads all coaches with 196 victories, followed by former men's coach John Rauth with 191. Former men's coaches Dickey Nutt and Nelson Catalina rank third and fourth with 189 and 188 wins, respectively, followed by Boyer. Boyer also enters the season ranked fifth all-time in Sun Belt Conference victories with 96.
THE RED WOLVES AT HOME: Over the last seven years, the ASU women's basketball program boasts a winning percentage of .777 at the ASU Convocation Center. The Red Wolves are 218-69 (.759) all-time at the Convocation Center and 107-46 (.699) under head coach Brian Boyer.
TAP THE APP: The Arkansas State athletics department unveiled a new statistical tool earlier this fall that allows fans and media to access real-time statistical information for all of its home basketball and football games. ASU has partnered with Tap Stats to deliver the information to personal iPhones, iPods or iPads anywhere in the world where WiFi is available using an application available through the iTunes App Store.
Arkansas State was one of only five schools in the nation to roll out the Tap Stats product this fall, which provides both fans and media with real-time statistical information as it happens without having to wait for postgame statistics. Media and fans who would like to download the Tap Stats utility should search for "tapstats asu" in the iTunes store. The application can be purchased and downloaded for $4.99 for either the iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad.
AUDIO OPPORTUNITIES: In addition to the Northeast Arkansas broadcast on KWHF 95.9 FM "The Wolf," Arkansas State fans world-wide now have the opportunity to follow ASU Red Wolves women's basketball at no charge through the StateZone portion of AStateRedWolves.com. To access the audio broadcast, simply click on the "Live" icon in the StateZone box on the right-hand side of the AStateRedWolves.com home screen. Video of most games is available as well through a paid subscription to the StateZone.
ASU IN SEASON OPENERS: Following their Nov. 12, 72-58 victory over TAMUCC, the Red Wolves are 21-16 all-time in season-opening games, with a record of 8-14 when opening the season on the road. Under head coach Brian Boyer, Arkansas State is 7-5 in season openers, including a 4-5 record when opening on the road.
SBC HONORS: Arkansas State senior Shay Scott (North Little Rock, Ark.) was named preseason second-team All-Sun Belt Conference, and the Red Wolves were picked third in the Sun Belt West Division preseason poll as voted on by the league's 12 head coaches, the conference office announced Oct. 19.
The All-Conference team and poll were released in conjunction with the league's annual Sun Belt Conference Media Days, which got underway Tuesday using web-based video conferencing to give media members across the nation access to the league's head coaches.
"Shay has had a tremendous career already," said ASU head coach Brian Boyer. "She is already moving up the all-time list for both scoring and rebounding here at Arkansas State. She has flirted with being a post-season all-conference player the past three years and now it appears that she is ready to become that player. She has had the best pre-season of her career and I am confident that this will continue throughout the season."
An All-SBC Tournament selection in her freshman season, Scott scored in double figures in 22 games and pulled down double-digit rebounds in eight others to average 12.7 points and 7.5 rebounds per game last year. She notched seven double-doubles on the season to bring her career total to 18 and led ASU with a field goal percentage of .478. She blocked 30 shots on the season, which ranks at No. 8 in ASU history and averaged 3.7 offensive rebounds per game to lead ASU and rank 5th in the SBC. She will enter her senior season at No. 8 on the ASU career rebounding chart with 667, 22nd on the scoring chart with 963 points and at No. 5 on the career blocked shots chart with 76.
Arkansas-Little Rock's Chastity Reed was named the league's preseason Player of the Year, while Western Kentucky and UALR were picked as the favorites to win the league's East and West Divisions, respectively.
"I don't see any surprises with the preseason poll," said Boyer. "With what UALR and Western Kentucky have coming back, they were easy choices as favorites to win their divisions. I think most coaches were probably not sure which direction to go with us. We graduated two players that had very good senior seasons in Ebonie Jefferson and Lyndsay Schlup, but I think they recognize that we also have a strong group of returning players."
Arkansas State's season will get underway Nov. 12 at the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islander Tipoff, and the home opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff is scheduled for Nov. 15. Two exhibition games are also on the schedule 2010-11. The Red Wolves will host Lyon College Nov. 1 and Arkansas Monticello Nov. 9 in preparation for the upcoming season.
The Red Wolves return four starters and nine letterwinners for the upcoming season, including two of the three top scorers from the 2009-10 season.
RED WOLVES INK THREE: Arkansas State head women's basketball coach Brian Boyer announced Nov. 10 that post players Jasmine Hunt (Houston, Texas), Laura Reel (Wagoner, Okla.) and Kieanna Wharton (Indianapolis, Ind.) have all signed National Letters of Intent to continue their careers with the Red Wolves.
Hunt, 6'2", is currently averaging 13 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots per game during her senior season at St. Pius X High School, while shooting just over 57 percent from the floor.
"Jasmine is a post that is listed 6'2, but she plays much bigger than that," said Boyer. "She plays big and long in the post, which will be a great help for us defensively, and she fits our system because of her versatility. She handles the ball and shoots it well from the perimeter and has the potential to be an impact post player in the Sun Belt Conference."
Hunt is the daughter of Julie Hunt and is coached by Fernando Villasana at St. Pius X. She is also a member of the AAU HBA-Texas Blazers and is coached by Herbert LeDee.
As a junior at Wagoner High School, Reel averaged 14 points and eight rebounds, while shooting 51 percent from the field.
"Laura can be one of the most physical post players that we have had during my time here at ASU," said Boyer. "She can be a physical presence in the paint both on offense and defense and has very good speed to compliment her strength as well. "
Reel, 6'2", is the daughter of Ricky and Hazel Reel and plays AAU basketball for the Oklahoma Mustangs under head coach Ruben Diaz. She is coached at Wagoner by Shartese McHenry.
Wharton, 6'1", averaged seven points and five rebounds, while shooting 47 percent from the floor last year at Pike High School.
"Kienna will bring good size to the forward position for us," said Boyer. "She is a face-up forward with a very good shooting touch from the perimeter. Because of her size, I think she will cause some matchup problems with her ability to step to the perimeter and shoot, in addition to taking advantage of post-up opportunities."
Wharton is the daughter of Gloria Wharton, plays for Robert Anglea at Pike and plays AAU basketball for the Indy Gym Rats under head coach James Banks.
"My staff did an outstanding job with this recruiting class," added Boyer. "Going into the summer, we had committed to signing three front-line players, and this came during a year where there were very few post prospects in our normal recruiting areas. Our staff had to stretch our recruiting base into different areas of the country, and I could not be happier with this signing class. Jasmine, Laura and Kieanna are each individually talented but more importantly they complement one another very well. Combine these three with the guards that we have sitting out this season and it makes for a strong freshmen class next season."
LAST TIME OUT: ARLINGTON, Texas (11/24/10) - Arkansas State sophomore Quinishia McDowell hit five free throws in the final 48 seconds and finished with a career-high 19 points to lead the Arkansas State Red Wolves (4-2) to a 59-55 overtime victory over the Texas-Arlington Mavericks (1-4) Wednesday night in women's basketball action at Texas Hall.
Senior Shay Scott added 14 points and 15 rebounds to record her 19th career double-double, and junior Meghan Lewis added 11 points and tied her career high with five steals.
The Red Wolves trailed 55-54 when UTA guard Tamara Simmons banked in a basket high off the glass with 1:08 remaining in the extra period, but McDowell was fouled on an offensive rebound and hit both free throws to put ASU back on top 56-55 with 48 seconds to play. McDowell went back to the line and added another free throw for a 57-55 A-State advantage with 19 seconds remaining, then put the game away with two more free throws with three seconds to play.
"We played really, really hard tonight," said ASU head coach Brian Boyer. "We just battled and found a way to win, and a lot of people were involved in it. Shay Scott was just dominant. That is as strong as I have seen her play this year and it was not easy, because they crowded her and put three people around her. There were a lot of bodies and a lot of contact, and unless you were here to see it in person, you can't realize how big of a factor Shay was tonight."
"Tonight was just what we needed out of Meghan Lewis," Boyer added. "She played very good defense, she took care of the basketball and every time she shot it, you felt like it was going in. "'Q' was huge the whole night. Nineteen points and five assists with just two turnovers in 41 minutes was just a great effort from her."
The game was tied at 51 at the end of regulation, and the Red Wolves led 27-22 at the break behind 10 points and four rebounds from McDowell and nine points and six rebounds from Scott. The game was tied nine times and the lead changed hands on 13 occasions.
The Red Wolves also got seven points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal and one blocked shot from senior guard Jazmine Taylor, with sophomore Andi Watson and freshman Jane Morrill adding four points each. Simmons led UTA with 20 points, and forward Shalyn Martin added 16.
With the win, the Red Wolves improved to 12-1 in regular-season overtime games under Boyer.
SEASON OUTLOOK: As the 2010-11 season approaches, the pieces appear to be in place to return the Arkansas State women's basketball team to the winning ways that have become the standard during Brian Boyer's tenure as head coach. Injuries and inexperience played a key role in the Red Wolves sub-.500 record a year ago, but this year's team is healthy and built around a nucleus of veterans who are battle-tested in the Sun Belt Conference.
The Red Wolves return three players who started more than 20 games a year ago, and the starting lineup will be further strengthened by the return of veteran point guard Jazmine Taylor. Taylor will join senior forward Shay Scott, junior guard NeNe Hurst and sophomore guard Quinishia McDowell as returning starters for the upcoming season.
"We are looking forward to the upcoming season, and one of the main reasons is because of the returners we have coming back that were challenged and got a lot of playing time last year," said Boyer. "We had several freshmen who had to play valuable minutes last year, and that will only help this team as we go through this season.
"As a whole, I think we have the ability to score better than we have in the past few years," added Boyer. "Across the board, we shoot it better and our passing is better, so I think we are going to do a better job of scoring than we have in the past."
Taylor (Memphis, Tenn.) redshirted last season, but started in 61 of 62 games in the previous two seasons and returns for her senior year with 197 assists under her belt, ranking No. 14 all-time at ASU. Taylor also has 132 steals to her credit to rank 13th, and despite playing point guard, has blocked 49 shots in her career to rank ninth in the A-State record books.
"Following the 2008-09 season, Jaz was voted as our team defensive MVP," said Boyer. "And to go along with that, she is a true point guard and a true leader on the floor. We struggled at times last year with turning the ball over too often, so we certainly expect her to help us with that this season."
Taylor is joined by Scott (North Little Rock, Ark.), who has etched her name in the ASU record books and has the potential to be one of the premiere post players in the Sun Belt Conference this year. Scott was second in scoring and rebounding for the Red Wolves a year ago, averaging 12.4 points and 7.3 rebounds. She scored in double figures in 22 games a year ago and pulled double-digit rebounds in eight others, posting seven double-doubles along the way to bring her career total to 18. Scott will enter her senior season at No. 8 on the ASU career rebounding chart with 667, 22nd on the scoring chart with 963 career points and at No. 5 on the career blocked shots chart with 76.
"I am really pleased with Shay heading into the season," Boyer said. "I think her conditioning is at a higher level than at any time since she has been at Arkansas State. She is really locked in and has worked hard on her conditioning, knowing that this is her senior year. We are going to depend on her an awful lot this year. She is going to have to be a big scorer for us as well as a big rebounder."
Hurst (St. Louis, Mo.) started in 29 games a year ago, and after being hampered by injuries in her first two seasons, appears ready to raise the level of her game this season. Hurst averaged 11.5 points per game and scored a career-high 20 points on the road at FIU and again in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament against UALR. She led the Red Wolves with 90 assists on the season and shot a team-high .795 from the free throw line. Hurst will enter her junior season at No. 20 on the ASU career steals chart with 105 and at No. 22 on the ASU career assists chart with 152.
"We all certainly hope that this is a healthy year for NeNe, because if it is, we are all going to see the real NeNe Hurst come out. She has been plagued with injuries throughout her career, but she has the potential to be an all-conference player and we hope that she has the type of year that will allow her to do that."
McDowell (Monroe, La.) played in 29 games and started 19 as a freshman a year ago, averaging 6.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists. She proved to be tough when the game was on the line, hitting the winning shot in the final seconds of ASU's 77-76 win on the road at North Texas in mid-January.
"'Q' is the energy of this team," said Boyer. "When she is on the floor, the speed and energy level of our team increases, and she is a scorer. I think she compliments Jaz well in that she can play either the point or off guard and at either of those positions, she gives us a scoring threat."
Senior guard/forward Breaunna Ellison is expected to provide versatility and depth. Ellison (The Colony, Texas) played in 29 games a year ago after transferring to ASU from Lon Morris College and averaged just over a point and a rebound per outing.
"Coming into this year, we had a hole to fill with the loss of Ebonie Jefferson and what she gave us defensively, her athleticism, her ability to get to the basket and her toughness and rebounding. That is the role that Bri will fill for us this year, so I am excited about her drive and desire and we look for her to replace some of what we lost with Ebonie."
Junior guard Meghan Lewis started 10 games a year ago and is a constant threat from beyond the three-point arc. Lewis averaged 6.3 points and 23.2 minutes a year ago and scored a career-high 18 points on the road at Western Kentucky. The St. Louis, Mo. native knocked down five three-pointers against the Hilltoppers, averaged just over a steal a game and blocked 13 shots on the season.
"We saw the strides that Meghan made from her freshman season to her sophomore season, and she is such a dangerous threat from behind the three-point line." Boyer continued. "I think we will see a different level of maturity from her this year on the court, and she always has that potential to have a breakout game."
Sophomore guard Andi Watson (Jonesboro, Ark.) played in 23 games as a true freshman, with sophomore LaWanda Clayborn (Memphis, Tenn.) seeing time in 20 a year ago. Both are expected to see increased playing time in the upcoming season, as will sophomore guard/forward Jasmine Taylor. Taylor (Memphis, Tenn.) played in 20 games last year and saw her playing time increase in the latter stages of the season, logging 18 minutes per game in back-to-back February outings on the road at UALR and New Orleans.
"These three players are a group that may make or break our season," said Boyer. "Each of them have great potential. They all got valuable experience last year, and I would consider them all as the most improved players on this team. "
"Andi Watson has really improved and we expect her to be a difference-maker for us defensively," said Boyer. "She is shooting the ball much better than I ever imagined she would. LaWanda brings immediate scoring to the team. She has a knack for scoring. If the rest of her game, the defense and toughness develops, she has a chance to really help this team. Jasmine can really be a benefit to our team because of her shooting ability and her overall understanding of the game of basketball. "
Sophomore guard Lunden Roberts, who prepped at Batesville Southside, will sit out the season after transferring to ASU from Western Illinois.
Five true freshmen join the Red Wolves for the 2010-11 slate, with forward Jane Morrill (Scott City, Mo.) expected to challenge early for a spot in the starting lineup. Morrill averaged 13.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game during her four years at Notre Dame High School and was named All-District, All-Conference and All-State following her junior and senior seasons.
"We need Jane to step in and help us immediately," Boyer said. "She has a lot of tools in that she can really shoot the ball, she is a good decision maker and she has the size to be a really good defender. In our system, she fits what we need at forward because of her ability to pass the ball as well as score."
Forward Lexy Harris (Houston, Texas) averaged a double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds) and five blocked shots per game during her career at Dekaney High School, and was named District MVP following her senior season. Guard/forward Mekena Randle (Madison, Al.) also put up double-double numbers each night during her senior season at Bob Jones High School. Randle averaged 15 points and 12 rebounds to go along with four assists and three steals and played in the Mississippi-Alabama High School All-Star game after earning All-Metro honors.
"I've been very impressed with Lexy during the preseason," said Boyer. "She is a very athletic front line player who will be very valuable for us as a compliment to Shay Scott. We will need her to be a spark for us at times, and athletically she is very capable of coming in and being a very good rebounder and defender."
"Mekena, even as a freshman, is probably the best athlete on our team," added Boyer. "What she is capable of doing right away is being able to beat people off the dribble. As the year goes along, we look for her to improve her perimeter shooting, and when she does, she is going to be very effective for us offensively."
Freshman guards Hanna Qedan and Olivia Maddox will both redshirt this year after undergoing surgery in the preseason. Qedan (Farmington, Ark.) averaged 19 points and 11 rebounds during her senior season at Farmington, while Maddox averaged almost seven points and eight rebounds while earning All-District and All-State Tournament accolades during her senior season at Millington (Tenn.) High School.
As Boyer begins his 12th season at the helm of the ASU women's basketball program, he has the opportunity to surpass all other ASU basketball coaches, both women's and men's, in career victories. With 181 wins under his belt, Boyer needs just 16 victories to take over first place as the winningest basketball coach in A-State history. Currently ranked fifth all-time in the Sun Belt Conference for career wins, Boyer also has the opportunity to post his 100th SBC victory as he enters the season with 96 league wins to his credit.
To reach those goals, Boyer and the Red Wolves will face a schedule that is challenging both in and out of Sun Belt Conference play. Fourteen home games, including matchups with six teams that advanced to post-season play following the 2009-10 season, highlight the schedule.
The Red Wolves open the regular season Nov. 12-13 in Corpus Christi, Texas at the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders Tip-Off Tournament. Arkansas State will take on host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the opening round before facing Iowa or Southern in round two. Following the Islanders Tip-Off, A-State will return to the ASU Convocation Center Nov. 15 for the home opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, the first of three consecutive home games for the Red Wolves. The Red Wolves will host Saint Louis Nov. 19, then welcome Big East power and 2010 NCAA Tournament participant St. John's to the Convocation Center for a Nov. 22 clash.
Arkansas State will return to Texas for three games Nov. 24-27, visiting Texas-Arlington Nov. 24 before playing in the SMU Hoops for the Cure Tournament Nov. 26-27.
ASU will face SMU in the opening round before taking on Akron or Georgia Southern in the second-round matchup.
"I am very pleased with this year's schedule," said Boyer. "We will be a part of two tournaments that are set up to be very challenging, with every possible opponent in both tournaments winning at least 18 games last year. Our non-conference home schedule should be challenging and very entertaining for our fans. St. Johns is a potential top-25 team and both Charlotte and Stephen F. Austin will most likely be post-season teams. Each of our non-conference road opponents should really test us as we prepare for the Sun Belt Conference."
The Red Wolves will host Henderson St. Nov. 30 before road trips to Missouri State (Dec. 5) and Louisiana Tech (Dec. 15). Four consecutive home games follow the Louisiana Tech matchup, including the final two non-conference games of the season. Charlotte and Stephen F. Austin, both of which advanced to the WNIT following last season, will visit Jonesboro Nov. 19 and 21, and the Red Wolves will open Sun Belt Conference play by hosting South Alabama Dec. 30 in an double-header with the ASU men's basketball team. Western Kentucky, also a 2010 WNIT participant, will wrap up the four-game home stand Jan. 2.
Middle Tennessee and Arkansas-Little Rock, both 2010 NCAA Tournament participants, will also visit the ASU Convocation Center, along with SBC foes Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, Denver and North Texas.
The Sun Belt Conference Tournament is scheduled for March 5-8 at Summit Arena in Hot Springs.
HEAD COACH BRIAN BOYER: Through 11 seasons as head coach at Arkansas State University, Brian Boyer's name has become synonymous with success and the women's basketball program. Entering his 12th season as head coach at ASU, Boyer has climbed to second place on the ASU career win chart with a record of 181-153 and needs just 16 victories to take over first place as the all-time winningest basketball coach in A-State history. Under Boyer's guidance, Arkansas State has reached the Women's National Invitation Tournament four times, including three of the past seven seasons. He led the Red Wolves to the 2003-04 Sun Belt East Division Championship, the program has produced 18 All-Sun Belt Conference players with Boyer at the helm, and Boyer was named Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year following the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons. His 96 career Sun Belt Conference victories rank him fifth all-time in career conference wins.
The 2009-10 Red Wolves finished the year at 13-18 under Boyer, with a 7-11 mark in Sun Belt Conference action. Although Arkansas State did finish under .500 on the year and below the lofty standards that Boyer has maintained during his tenure, the Red Wolves did advance to the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament before falling late to the eventual tournament champions. The Red Wolves posted an 80-79 overtime victory on the road against Big XII power Kansas State, and that overtime win, coupled with three other extra-period victories during the season, boosted Boyer's overtime record to an impressive 11-1 in the regular season.
Boyer directed the Red Wolves to yet another winning season as he wrapped up his first decade as the program's head coach in 2008-09. The Red Wolves finished the season at 16-14, posting victories over post-season participants Creighton and Arkansas-Little Rock along the way.
Although the 2007-08 season was expected by many to be a rebuilding year, Boyer put forth what was arguably one of his finest coaching performances, molding a group of unheralded players into a team that produced yet another 20-win season at Arkansas State. Faced with the task of replacing three 1,000-point scorers, including the program's all time leading shot blocker and rebounder, along with the all-time assists leader, Boyer directed Arkansas State to a 20-12 record. ASU won a record 13 conference games during the 2007-08 season, and reached the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament for the 13th time in 16 tries. The Red Wolves finished the season with the distinction of being the only Division I program in the country with a winning record that did not have a single player who averaged double figure scoring.
Arkansas State posted victories over Brigham Young and Alabama early in the season, earning the win over the Crimson Tide on the road in Tuscaloosa. The Red Wolves finished 2007 with a 6-7 record, but went on a tear in the New Year, closing out the season with a 14-5 finish and a run to the semifinals of the SBC Tournament for the fourth consecutive season.
Like always, the 2007-08 team was especially tough at home, posting a 13-2 record at the ASU Convocation Center that included a 9-0 record against Sun Belt Conference opponents.
In the 2006-07 season the Red Wolves finished 21-13, advanced to the second round of the WNIT before falling to eventual tournament runner-up Wisconsin, and continued to build on their already-impressive home record with a 14-2 mark at the ASU Convocation Center. The Red Wolves posted home victories over NCAA Tournament participants Oklahoma State and Louisiana-Lafayette, Southeastern Conference member Alabama, and WNIT participants South Dakota State and Murray State. In all, 14 of the Red Wolves' 34 games during the 2006-07 season were against teams that played in the NCAA or WNIT tournaments. The 2006-07 Red Wolves also reached the 10-victory milestone quicker than any other team in ASU history, picking up their 10th win of the season Jan. 3, 2007, and their 21-win total equaled the highest in Boyer's eight seasons.
Under Boyer's guidance, several individual records fell during the 2006-07 season as well. Seniors Adrianne Davie and Rudy Sims rewrote the Red Wolves record books, with Davie shattering the career blocked shots record with 132 and the career rebounding record with 1,147. Sims set a new mark in career assists with 548, and became the first ASU player in over a decade to record a triple-double when she scored 14 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and handed out 10 assists in a 65-58 overtime victory at Louisiana-Lafayette. Davie was named All-Sun Belt Conference for the fourth straight season, while Sims earned the honor for the third straight year. Senior Ali Carter became the 16th member of the career 1,000-point club.
During the 2005-06 season, the Red Wolves posted a 15-15 overall record against a schedule that included nine NCAA Tournament teams, and three that participated in the WNIT. A-State advanced to the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, and Davie earned first-team All-Sun Belt Conference honors for the third straight season. Davie also joined the ASU 1,000-point club, along with Sims and senior Amber Abraham.
In the 2004-05 season, ASU put together a program-best 10-game Sun Belt Conference winning streak, part of an 11-game win streak that was the fourth longest in Red Wolves history. The Red Wolves finished the season 21-11 overall and in second place in the Sun Belt East Division at 11-3, giving Boyer his first 20-win season as head coach. The Tribe advanced to the quarterfinals of the WNIT Tournament, defeating SEC powers Mississippi State and Arkansas along the way. The second round victory over Arkansas was played in front of a Convocation Center record crowd of 10, 892. The team's success earned Boyer his second straight Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year Award. Boyer joined former Red Wolves coach Jerry Ann Winters as the only two ASU women's basketball coaches to win back-to-back coach of the year honors. Davie, Sims and Carter all earned All-Sun Belt honors following the 2004-05 season, marking the first time in Red Wolves history that three players earned all-conference honors in a single season.
The 2003-04 season culminated with the program's first-ever regular season conference championship, and a return to the WNIT. The Red Wolves finished 19-10 overall and 10-4 in league play, earning a share of the Sun Belt East division title as they posted one of the top turnarounds in Division I, picking up seven more wins than the previous season. ASU's 19 victories that season were the most since the 1997-98 season, sparked in part by the best start in ASU women's basketball history - a seven game win streak to open the season. The strong start carried over into Sun Belt play as the Red Wolves held the top spot in the East division from start to finish. Davie earned honorable-mention all-conference honors as a true freshman, and Boyer was rewarded with his first conference Coach of the Year Award.
The 2002-03 season capped a pair of rebuilding years and resulted in a strong finish and a trip to the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
In his first season as head coach of the Red Wolves, Boyer led ASU to its first-ever Top 25 national ranking, 18 victories, and a trip to the WNIT Tournament. The Red Wolves' 18 victories gave Boyer the most wins by a first-year coach at ASU since Sara Wooley won 19 games in her first season in 1979.
The Red Wolves opened the season by winning 10 of their first 11 games, including road wins over Southern Miss and nationally ranked Kansas, giving ASU a No. 25 ranking in the Associated Press poll the following week. The Red Wolves finished the season at 18-12 overall, ending the year with the program's second straight invitation to the WNIT.
Boyer came to ASU in 1995 spending four seasons as an assistant for former head coach Jeff Mittie, who is now the head coach at TCU.
A graduate of Missouri Western State College in St. Joseph, Mo., with a bachelor's degree in education, Boyer was an assistant coach for the men's program for six seasons, including the last three, which he spent as an assistant with the women's program as well.
As an assistant to the men's team, Missouri Western was a NCAA Division II Tournament participant five years (1990, 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1995) and won two conference championships. The team made the Sweet 16 in 1990. As a women's assistant, Boyer and Missouri Western made two NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the Final Four in 1995 and the Elite Eight the previous season.
The team went 31-3 in 1995 and made it to the Final Eight of the national tournament. It also went undefeated through its MIAA schedule at 16-0. In 1994, the team finished third in the nation, losing in a national semifinal contest and finishing with a 29-3 overall mark.
In his four seasons at Arkansas State as an assistant coach, Boyer and the Red Wolves earned a 75-42 mark. The 1998-99 team went 18-14 with a trip to the Women's NIT.
In the process, ASU earned wins over nationally ranked Virginia and Kansas. The Red Wolves won 20 games in back-to-back seasons in the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons.
The 1997 team opened the season with a victory over nationally ranked Illinois and had a 12-game winning streak during the season, the second longest in school history.
The 1998 squad knocked off nationally ranked Western Kentucky at the Convocation Center and came within four points of scoring an upset over national power Louisiana Tech at home as well.
In his first season at ASU, the Red Wolves won 17 games despite having just seven scholarship players.
