SFA Closes Out 2006 Against Howard Payne
12/29/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 29, 2006
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Happy New Year: The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack basketball team will try to give itself some momentum heading into 2007 by ending 2006 on a high note. The Lumberjacks (6-5) host Howard Payne Saturday in SFA's last game of the year and final non-conference game of the 2006-07 season. The contest against the Yellow Jackets (2-7) is set to tip off at 4 p.m. from the William R. Johnson Coliseum.
Last Game: The Lumberjacks rebounded from their loss at Texas-Pan American to knock off Northern Illinois, 86-78. Three different SFA players set new season-bests for scoring, led by sophomore forward Josh Alexander, who scored a career-high 31 points on 9-of-12 shooting. The Shreveport, La., native also tied another career-high with seven 3-point field goals -- the second time he's accomplished that feat in his short career. Senior guard Will Johnson went 6-of-7 from the free throw line to set a new career-high with 11 points, and senior guard Keith Hardaway added a season-best 14 points on 3-of-4 shooting from 3-point range. As a team, the Lumberjacks hit a season-best 11 3-pointers and 31 free throws.
vs. Howard Payne: SFA holds a 44-30 edge in the all-time series with the Yellow Jackets. Much of that history was built when the teams played each other twice a year as members of the Lone Star Conference. The Lumberjacks have won eight of the last 10 meetings and five in a row, including an 84-46 home win in 2004, the last time the two teams met.
The Yellow Jackets: Howard Payne brings a 2-7 season mark to Saturday's contest. The Yellow Jackets are an NCAA Division III school and compete in the American Southwest Conference.
The Coaches: Danny Kaspar is in his seventh season as the head basketball coach at SFA and closing in on his 100th win in Nacogdoches. Kaspar is 99-81 (.550) in his time with the Lumberjacks. He is 318-133 (.705) in 15 seasons as a collegiate head coach. The Yellow Jackets are coached by Charles Pattillo. In 13 years at Howard Payne, Pattillo has compiled a 161-176 (.478) mark.
Up Next: The Lumberjacks will open Southland Conference play on Jan. 4, when they host Nicholls State in a 7 p.m. contest. SFA will then wrap up its current four-game home stand -- the Lumberjacks' longest of the year -- when it hosts Southeastern Louisiana on Jan. 6. That game is set to tip at 6 p.m.
• For complete game notes click on the Game Notes link in the side bar of the Men's Basketball home page.
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