SFA to Meet Northern Illinois
12/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 21, 2006
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Hoping for Happy Holidays: The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack basketball team will try to spread some holiday cheer to its fans Friday when the Lumberjacks host Northern Illinois in their last game before a short break to celebrate Christmas. A win would move the Lumberjacks (5-5) back above .500 and give SFA the chance to build some momentum heading into the Southland Conference schedule, which starts on Jan. 4 against Nicholls State. Friday's game against the Huskies (3-6) is slated for a 7 p.m. start in the William R. Johnson Coliseum.
Last Game: The Lumberjacks suffered narrow 46-44 defeat at Texas-Pan American on Dec. 18. The low-scoring loss marked the first time since SFA's 45-42 win at Southeastern Louisiana in 2000-01 -- head coach Danny Kaspar's first season -- for both the Lumberjacks and their opponent to be held under 50 points. Matt Kingsley went 6-of-10 from the floor and hit all seven of his foul shots to lead all scorers with 19 points. For the game, SFA committed 18 turnovers and shot 40 percent.
vs. Northern Illinois: Friday's game will mark the first meeting between SFA and the Huskies.
The Huskies: Northern Illinois, a Mid-American Conference school, enters Friday's showdown with a 3-6 record. The Huskies opened the season with three straight wins but have fallen on hard times, losing each of their last six games. NIU returned six lettermen and two starters from last year's squad that went 17-11 overall and won the MAC West Division with a 12-6 conference record.
The Coaches: Danny Kaspar is in his seventh season as the head basketball coach at SFA. Kaspar is 98-81 (.547) in his time with the Lumberjacks. He is 317-133 (.704) in 15 seasons as a collegiate head coach. The Huskies are coached by Rob Judson. Judson is in his sixth season at Northern Illinois, where he has compiled a 70-84 (.455) record.
Up Next: After a brief break for the Christmas holiday, the Lumberjacks will be back in action on Dec. 30, when they host Howard Payne. The game is scheduled for a 4 p.m. start in the William R. Johnson Coliseum and is the second in a four-game home stand -- SFA's longest of the season. The 'Jacks will continue the home stand after the new year, when they open Southland Conference play on Jan. 4 against Nicholls State, then host Southeastern Louisiana on Jan. 6.
• For complete game notes, click on the Weekly Release link in the side bar of the men's basketball home page.
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