Conference Opener On Tap For 'Jacks
1/5/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 5, 2005
CONFERENCE OPENER: SFA opens the Southland Conference race against one of the preseason favorites to win the conference title when Northwestern State visits the coliseum Thursday night. The Lumberjacks enter the game having won four straight to move to 6-5 on the season following an 87-47 win over Houston Baptist Monday night. The Demons also posted a 40-point win Monday night to snap a six game skid that saw them lose to the likes of LSU, Cincinnati and Illinois. SFA is 3-1 in conference openers under Danny Kaspar and 1-0 at home in conference openers.
THE LAST GAME: SFA stepped up its defensive pressure in the second half of an 87-47 win over Houston Baptist to move to 6-5 in non-conference play. The `Jacks and Huskies were tied at 34-34 at halftime, but SFA limited Houston Baptist to only 13 second half points in cruising to the 40-point win. Houston Baptist was forced into 16 second half turnovers and committed 28 miscues in the game which allowed the Lumberjacks to break open a tight game in the opening minutes of the second half. G Marcus Clark led the `Jacks in scoring for the second straight game with a game high 15-points. F Anthony Paez and G Leonard Brown added 13 each for SFA with G Josh Porter also chipping in 10. F Hank Rivers continued his strong work on the boards with a game high 11 rebounds, his second straight 11-rebound game.
VS. THE OPPONENT: Northwestern State leads the overall series, 53-45. The teams split the season series a year ago with each team winning on its home floor. SFA has won five of the last six meetings between the two teams and posted a 69-59 win in Nacogdoches a year ago. The Demons handed the `Jacks a 64-63 setback in Natchitoches, La. last year in the conference openers for both teams.
THE OPPONENT: Northwestern State enters the game at 6-8 on the year after snapping a six game losing streak Monday night with an 86-46 win over Huston-Tillotson. The Demons are 0-6 away from Prather Coliseum. Eleven players are averaging at least 11 minutes per game for Northwestern State with Jermaine Wallace leading the team in scoring with a 10.6 ppg average. Jermaine Spencer is adding 8.8 ppg and Clifton Lee is also contributing 8.3 points per night. Spencer also leads the team in rebounding, averaging 4.6 rpg. Northwestern State is shooting .449 from the field and .339 from three point range. The Demons are averaging 71.4 points per game while allowing opponents 69.4 ppg. Northwestern State has outrebounded its opponents by an average of 5.5 rpg.
THE COACHES: The Lumberjacks are coached by Danny Kaspar (289-106) in his fifth year with the Lumberjacks. Kaspar is 70-54 at SFA. The fifth year head coach can move past Ned Fowler into fifth place on the all-time wins list with 9 more wins this year. Kaspar is 5-3 against the Demons. Northwestern State is coached by Mike McConathy (424-129) in his sixth year with the Demons. McConathy is 72-90 at Northwestern State and is 5-5 against the `Jacks.
UP NEXT: The `Jacks begin a stretch of three straight SLC road games at UL-Monroe (1/13), Sam Houston (1/15) and at Nicholls State (1/19). ™
