Stephen F. Austin
#1 Southeastern Louisiana
'Jacks Take On Top-Seeded Southeastern Louisiana Saturday Night in SLC Tournament Finals
3/10/2018 5:50:00 AM | Men's Basketball
SFA seeks a fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament in the past five seasons
Game Thirty-Three | TV • ESPN2
No. 3 Stephen F. Austin (27-6) vs. No. 1 Southeastern Louisiana (22-10)
Saturday, March 10 | 8:00 p.m. | Leonard E. Merrell Center (7,200) | Katy, Texas
Live Stats | Watch (ESPN3/ESPN app) | Listen (Q107.7/TuneIn) | SFA Game Notes | SLU Game Notes
OPENING TIPS
• Saturday night at the Leonard E. Merrell Center in Katy, Texas, the Stephen F. Austin men's basketball team will try to secure its fourth berth in the NCAA Tournament in the past five years when the 'Jacks do battle with Southland Conference Tournament top seed and Southland Conference regular season co-champion Southeastern Louisiana at 8:00 p.m.
• A nationwide television audience will be treated to the first Southland Conference Tournament championship game featuring the 'Jacks and Lions as the game is scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN2.
• Learfield's Lumberjack Sports Network is also set to carry the bout between the 'Jacks and Lions via Q107.7 FM in Nacogdoches and worldwide on the TuneIn app. As has been the case for years, seasoned play-by-play veteran Rob Meyers will narrate the action.
• Saturday night's game marks the first time in program history that the 'Jacks have made it to the finals of the Southland Conference Tournament as a number three seed. All-time, SFA is 4-4 in Southland Conference Tournament finals and has won the last three such games it has been involved in (2014, 2015, 2016).
• SFA and Southeastern Louisiana have done battle in the Southland Conference Tournament twice before. The first of those showdowns came in 2009 and top-seeded SFA got by eighth-seeded Southeastern Louisiana 67-56 in the quarterfinal round. Four years later, in 2013, the top-seeded 'Jacks defeated the Lions again, this time in the semifinal round by a 68-57 tally.
• Kyle Keller, SFA's second-year head coach, has accumulated three Southland Conference Tournament wins so far. That's the third-most in SFA history trailing only Brad Underwood (six) and Danny Kaspar (12).
• SFA has an all-time record of 7-8 (.466) against institutions from the state of Louisiana in the Southland Conference Tournament. Since 2012-13, however, the 'Jacks are 45-9 (.833) against foes from Louisiana.
• The 'Jacks have now advanced to the finals of the Southland Conference Tournament as a one, two, three and four seed in their program history.
• SFA leads the nation in steals per game (10.5) and turnovers forced per game (20.25). The 'Jacks' turnover margin of +4.5 is the fourth-best in all of NCAA Division I men's basketball, too.
SFA vs. SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA | SERIES HISTORY
Games | 47
All-Time Series | SFA leads 31-16 (.660)
In Nacogdoches, Texas | 15-4 (.789)
At William R. Johnson Coliseum | 15-4 (.789)
In Hammond, La. | 13-12 (.520)
At University Center | 13-11 (.542)
Last Win | at Southeastern Louisiana 52, SFA 60 (2/18/17)
Last Home Win | at SFA 81, Southeastern Louisiana 66 (1/5/15)
Last Road Win | at Southeastern Louisiana 52, SFA 60 (2/18/17)
Last Loss | at Southeastern Louisiana 73, SFA 62 (12/28/17)
Last Home Loss | at SFA 41, Southeastern Louisiana 52 (2/19/05)
Last Road Loss | at Southeastern Louisiana 73, SFA 62 (12/28/17)
Largest Margin of Victory | 29, at Southeastern Louisiana 60, SFA 89 (2/14/87)
Largest Margin of Defeat | 21, at Southeastern Louisiana 54, SFA 33 (2/5/05)
Current Streak | Southeastern Louisiana won one
SFA Points (Avg.) | 3,083 (65.6)
Southeastern Louisiana Points (Avg.) | 2,825 (60.1)
Keller vs. Southeastern Louisiana | 1-1 (.500)
At William R. Johnson Coliseum | 0-0 (.000)
At University Center | 1-1 (.500)
Keller vs. Ladner | 1-1 (.500)
Ladner vs. SFA | 1-3 (.250)
SFA all-time on 3/10 | 4-2 (.667)
SCOUTING SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS
• The only other time Southeastern Louisiana made it to the Southland Conference Tournament finals was in 2004-05. That season the Lions defeated Northwestern State in the finals and faced off against Oklahoma State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. That season was the last for then-head coach Billy Kennedy in Hammond.
• The engine that powers Southeastern Louisiana, senior guard Marlain Veal is coming off of a 29-point outing in the Lions' Southland Conference Tournament semifinal triumph over Sam Houston State (89-79). In that tilt, Veal went 14-of-14 from the foul line and the New Orleans, La., product is the Lions' second-leading scorer (13.1 ppg) as well as the team's second-leading rebounder (5.3 per game). He was named an All-Southland Conference First Team choice and the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year this season.
• Moses Greenwood (10.4 ppg) and Jordan Capps (13.4 ppg) are the two other Lions who average greater than 10 points per game. Capps is the squad's leading scorer but netted just four points in Friday night's win. The Lions' bench totaled only 12 of the team's 89 points but SLU used an 11-of-23 showing (47.8-percent) from three-point land to advance.
• Saturday night, the Lions put their NCAA Division I-era record nine-game winning streak up against SFA. Southeastern Louisiana hasn't lost since Jan. 31, in Corpus Christi and during their nine-game winning streak the Lions average margin of victory has been 11.2 points.
• No team in the Southland Conference has a bigger aversion to committing personal fouls than Southeastern Louisiana. The Lions lead the league by fouling an average of just 17 times per game. That ranks 95th nationally and it's the only statistical category the Lions lead the Southland in.
• All but one of the 10 players who have logged minutes for Southeastern Louisiana this season have drilled a three-pointer but the vast majority of the Lions' three-point tries come from two individuals - Joshua Filmore and Eddy Polanco. Those two have combined to take 284 of the Lions' 673 triples - 42.2-percent - and have been responsible for 104 of the team's 243 makes - 42.8-percent.
LAST TIME OUT
• With just two games separating them from a spot in the NCAA Tournament, the 'Jacks received big-time performances by Shannon Bogues, Ty Charles and TJ Holyfield and used a heavy dose of defense to slow down the Southland Conference's top scoring team and claim a 78-66 win over Nicholls Friday night.
• Shannon Bogues dazzled in yet another high-scoring performance off of the 'Jacks' bench. The junior out of Killeen, Texas, pumped in a game-best 27 points on the strength of 9-of-15 shooting from the field. Bogues' offensive yield helped the 'Jacks own a 31-3 advantage in bench points over their rivals from Thibodaux, La.
• Early on, Nicholls had to wonder if it would even sniff its season scoring average of 83.1 points per game after the 'Jacks' defense made life miserable for the Colonels. SFA allowed the Colonels to go just 2-of-21 from the field in the game's first 12:41.
• Much of the 'Jacks' stellar defensive effort was made possible by Holyfield's imposing mitts on the interior. The junior out of Albuquerque, N.M., wreaked havoc around the rim for the 'Jacks and finished his night with a game and career-high eight blocked shots. With those rejections, Holyfield took over as SFA's all-time leader in blocked shots with 133.
• Ty Charles hit two of the three triples the 'Jacks finished with in the win. It was an off night from three-point range for the Southland's best three-point shooting team as the 'Jacks finished just 3-of-16 (18.8-percent), but defense and rebounding kept SFA's poor three-point shooting from hindering it too much.
• In all, Charles finished with 17 and eight rebounds in SFA's triumph. The win was the first for SFA over Nicholls in the Southland Conference Tournament and evens the 'Jacks' league tournament record against the Colonels at 1-1.
• Holyfield came up with his third double-double of the season, putting in 11 points while taking to the sky for a game and season-high 11 rebounds. That puts the junior one off of the team lead for double-doubles as he trails Leon Gilmore III and Kevon Harris who both have four double-doubles to their credit this season.
• Nicholls' 28.8-percent (17-of-59) showing from the field was the lowest single-game field goal percentage by an SFA opponent this season. The Colonels' 17 field goal makes tied a season-low for an SFA foe, too.
• Just two points and one rebound away from a double-double, sophomore Kevon Harris showed off his passing skills and finished with four assists. That total ties a career-best for the Ellenwood, Ga., product and put him in a tie with senior Ivan Canete for the most assists in the game.
• Shannon Bogues scored the last nine points of the first half for the 'Jacks to give SFA a 37-27 lead headed into the break.
• With his 27 points, Bogues became the ninth player in SFA's NCAA Division I history to amass 500 or more points in a single season. Currently, Bogues has 518 points to his credit this season which is the fifth-highest single-season scoring total in the 'Jacks' DI history books.
• Nicholls' Lafayette Rutledge hoisted 18 three-pointers in the setback - the most in a game by an SFA opponent this season.
• SFA's nine blocks in the game represented a season-high and the 'Jacks also tied a season high by attempting 41 free throws.
• Over the last five games, SFA's opponents are averaging just 62 points per game on 36.3-percent shooting from the floor.
• Below is a full breakdown of where Stephen F. Austin's points came from in its Southland Conference Tournament semifinal triumph over regular season co-champion Nicholls:
Two-pointers | 51.3% (40-78)
Three-pointers | 11.5% (9-78)
Free throws | 37.2% (29-78)
Points in the paint | 33.3% (26-78)
Points off turnovers | 21.8% (17-78)
Second chance points | 10.3% (8-78)
Fast break points | 15.4% (12-78)
Starters points | 60.3% (47-78)
Bench Points | 39.7% (31-78)
COMING UP NEXT
• If SFA emerges as the victor, they would earn the Southland's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Like the other 67 teams in the big dance, they would have to wait until 5:00 p.m. Sunday to find out their first round opponent and where they would be playing.
-SFA-
