Stephen F. Austin
Texas-Pan American
SFA Downs Broncs
12/20/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 20, 2005
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Senior point guard Marcus Clark picked up his third foul of the night just minutes into the second half of Tuesday's basketball game between Stephen F. Austin and Texas-Pan American, but SFA head coach Danny Kaspar elected to leave Clark in the game. The decision paid off, as Clark scored 15 of his game-high 21 points in the second half, leading his team to a 71-52 victory.
After opening the game with six points in the first half, when Texas-Pan American took a 29-28 lead, Clark finished 7-of-12 from the field and broke 20 points for the second time this season. He did the most damage over a four-minute stretch during the middle of the second half when he scored 10 points to put his team ahead, 50-40. Clark also added five assists and went 4-of-6 from 3-point range.
Both teams shot just 40 percent in the first half, but UTPA managed to get to the foul line 13 times and converted 11 of those chances. The Broncs also beat SFA on the boards, 21-11, in the first half to take their slim halftime lead. But when Clark warmed up in the second frame, the rest of the Lumberjacks followed suit. SFA shot 65.2 percent after halftime and finished at 50.9 percent for the game. After opening the game with an ice-cold 1-for-9 performance from 3-point range in the first half, the Lumberjacks found better looks after halftime and converted 3-of-5 from downtown.
Junior forward Antuane Miller joined Clark in double figures with 12 points, as did freshman guard Josh Alexander (11) and junior guard Keith Hardaway (10). Alexander also recorded three assists and four steals. Senior forward Anthony Paez and freshman forward Matt Kingsley each scored six points. Paez was a perfect 4-for-4 from the foul line and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
Texas-Pan American was led by center Colin Lien's 16 points. The 6-11 junior scored half of his points at the free throw line, where he was 8-of-10. Senior forward Derrick East's seven rebounds led the Broncs (2-9).
With the win, the Lumberjacks improved their season mark to 7-2 and wrapped up their four-game home stand. SFA is now 6-0 at home in the William R. Johnson Coliseum. The Lumberjacks will take a 10-day break for the holidays before returning to action on Dec. 30 with a road game against North Texas. The contest is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start in Denton.
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