JSU Lady Tiger goes up for a shot.

Lady Tigers go a record 0-6 in conference play

2008 SWAC champs have work cut out for them

By: Maurice Richardson

Posted: 1/23/09

The Jackson State Lady Tiger's basketball team lost on Monday, Jan. 19 to Prairie View A&M 85-64. With that loss they are 0-6 in conference play.

The Lady Tigers are not playing with the style and swagger they had last year to become 2008 SWAC Champions and earned a bid to the NCAA tournament where they eventually lost to Final Four LSU Tigers in the first round.

This 0-6 record has never occured under the leadership of Coach Denise Taylor.

The Lady Tigers are averaging 57.5 points per game, while their opponents are averaging 67.6 points per game. Jackson State is currently last in the conference and knows that if they plan on being where they were last season they are going to need to work harder and take care of home court.

Jackson State is averaging 9.3 steals per game and is fifth in the conference in steals. Rebounding is another key factor. They are shooting .695 from the free throw line and are second in the conference.

The Lady Tigers' three wins came against Cal State Northridge, Central Arkansas, and Nicholls State.

Senior Erlexis Cooper scored a team high 23 points and pulled down nine rebounds for JSU in their loss to Prairie View. Prairie View was led by Gatti Werema with 24 points on 11-13 shooting from the field.

J-State had 15 second chance points, 18 points in the paint and off turnovers. They had 14 assists as a team with Phenicia Taylor leading the way with five.

Taylor is in her eighth season at Jackson State.

She has posted six winning seasons over the last seven seasons. In the 2002-2003 basketball season Taylor won her first SWAC regular season championship. Taylor has won 133 games at JSU and hopes to get the team's first conference win against Grambling this year, and her 134th victory as a head coach at Jackson State University.

The Lady Tigers' keys to winning last season was hustling, rebounding, playing hard and steady offense and defense for an entire game. If they plan on repeating as SWAC champions, and getting a bid to the NCAA tournament it is going to start at practice and in remaining games of the season.

The Lady Tigers will be back in action against Grambling State University in Grambling, La. on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009 at 5:30 p.m.