Stephen F. Austin
EXHIBITION
'Jacks Win Exhibition Opener, 67-57
11/14/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 14, 2002
NACOGDOCHES, Texas -- The Lumberjacks used 16 points from junior Antonio Burks to ease to a 67-57 win over MBC Nikolaev, a touring team from Ukraine Thursday night at the William R. Johnson Coliseum. Burks was one of two Lumberjacks to end the night in double figures. Taylor Moore added 11 for the ?Jacks on a four of seven shooting night.
SFA started slowly trailing the visitors 12-11 with 9:32 remaining in the first half before going on a 10-3 run to take a 21-15 lead with 7:07 remaining the first half. Freshman point guard Marcus Clark started the run with one of his two three-point baskets. Percy Green, a preseason SLC first team selection, continued things with a basket on a pass from newcomer B.J. Banks. Stevin Ozier, a sophomore from Freeport, the SLC Freshman of the Year in 2002, then converted on a three point play following a basket and a foul by the Ukrainians to give the ?Jacks a 21-16 lead.
The ?Jacks stretched the lead to 16 points at the half, taking a 36-20 lead into the dressing room. SFA came out in the second half and put the game out of reach building a 30-point lead, 59-29 with 11:19 to play. Coach Danny Kaspar substituted freely for the remainder of the game as MBC Nikolaev trimmed the final margin back to 10 points.
Ozier led SFA on the glass with seven rebounds to go along with seven points. Burks also added five rebounds for the ?Jacks as SFA outrebounded the visitors by a 30-22 margin. For the night, SFA shot an even 50 percent from the field (25-50), and was 7-18 (.389) from beyond the three point stripe.
The Lumberjacks held Nikolaev to an even 40 percent from the field in the first half (8-20), but allowed them to shoot just under 52 percent from the floor in the second half (14-27) to finish the game shooting .468 (22-47). Olexiy Onufriyev led Ukraine with 17 points while Oleksyy Pavenskyy and Philip Epifantcev added 13 each.
The ?Jacks play their second and final exhibition of the season next Tuesday night when they host Athletes First in a 7:00 p.m. tip.
