Stephen F. Austin
Missouri
Lumberjacks Fall at Mizzou
11/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 25, 2006
COLUMBIA, Missouri - Missouri worked to get high-percentage shots, a strategy that yielded high-percentage results Saturday against the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks. The Tigers outscored SFA, 48-14, in the paint and shot a season-best 64.3 percent from the floor as they moved to 6-0 on the year with an 85-56 win in Mizzou Arena.
The Lumberjacks were harassed into a season-high 27 turnovers by a relentless Missouri defense that kept the pressure on the full length of the floor. The loss comes on the heels of a solid 99-54 win over Schreiner, during which SFA (2-3) scored 70 points in the paint and shot a season-best 62 percent.
Saturday, the Lumberjacks hit their average from the floor, shooting 48.6 percent for the game. But that figure was skewed by SFA's 60 percent shooting effort in the second half, the second-best shooting half the Lumberjacks have posted this season. The trouble for SFA was, it followed the worst shooting half SFA has endured so far. The Lumberjacks hit just 35 percent in the first half, helping Missouri to jump-start a rally that just wouldn't quit.
The Tigers were led by forward Kalen Grimes, who hit 7-of-8 shots from the floor to finish with 14 points. He also tallied a game-high nine rebounds.
Senior center Antuane Miller scored 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting to lead the Lumberjacks. After failing to score in the opening period, sophomore forward Josh Alexander hit 4-of-6 3-pointers to finish with 12 points. No other SFA player reached double digits, the first time this season that fewer than three Lumberjacks have broken into double figures.
Missouri scored the game's first bucket and never trailed in the contest, although the Lumberjacks did have their chances. After a slow start, SFA pulled to within four points at 18-14, late in the first half. But Missouri closed the half on a 14-3 run to take a commanding 32-17 lead to the locker room. The Tigers hit 6-of-8 shots from the floor during the run, which consumed the final seven minutes of the half and improved Missouri's shooting percentage from 47 percent to 56 percent.
SFA, meanwhile, shot just 35 percent in the first half, a 6-for-17 effort from the floor. Coming into Saturday's game, the Lumberjacks had shot no worse than 39 percent in the first half in any of their first four games this season. Saturday's performance, combined with SFA's 15 first-half turnovers, gave Missouri all the edge it would need.
The Lumberjacks found their shooting touch after halftime. Led by Alexander's solid showing from downtown and Miller's 4-for-5 effort, SFA hit 12 of its 20 second-half shots. At the other end of the floor, though, Missouri picked up right where it left off. The Tigers shot an impressive 71 percent, their best half of the season, by far, and the Lumberjacks could get no closer than 14 points. Missouri came into the contest shooting 48 percent for the year with a season-best of 57 percent against North Carolina A&T.
After Miller and Alexander, point guard Shelby Lewis was SFA's next-best scoring option. After sitting the entire first half, Lewis came off the bench for eight points in 16 minutes of action. Senior guard Keith Hardaway added five points. Miller's four rebounds tied for the team lead with sophomore Matt Kingsley, who started the game at center but played just seven minutes after getting in foul trouble early on. Senior guard Will Johnson posted a team-best three assists.
The Lumberjacks will return to action Tuesday, Nov. 28, when they host Texas College. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in the William R. Johnson Coliseum.
- SFA -
