Stephen F. Austin
Texas Tech
SFA Falls At Texas Tech
11/17/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 17, 2007
LUBBOCK, Texas - Stephen F. Austin turned the ball over a season-high 23 times in Saturday's game against Texas Tech. The Red Raiders converted those turnovers to 16 points, which proved to be the final margin in a 60-44 loss at the United Spirit Arena. The loss is SFA's first of the season, dropping the Lumberjacks' record to 2-1.
After going to halftime down, 27-18, the Lumberjacks rallied with an 11-2 run to open the second half. Junior center Matt Kingsley had six points during the run. SFA capped the scoring flurry and tied the score at 29 with 14:40 to play on a jumper by junior forward Nick Shaw.
But foul trouble and turnovers spelled doom for SFA, as Texas Tech shot 54 percent after halftime and the Lumberjacks committed a season-high 19 fouls. Four players finished the game with at least three fouls, including second-leading scorer Josh Alexander. He picked up his third personal with 18 minutes left in the game and spent most of the second half on the bench. Alexander finished with four fouls and three points.
Kingsley scored 19 points to lead SFA. He was the only player to tally more than five points in the game. Shaw and senior guard Gerald Fonzie scored five each. Shaw pulled down four rebounds to share game-high honors with Fonzie and freshman guard Eddie Williams.
SFA held the Red Raiders to 35 percent shooting in the first half, but turnovers hounded the Lumberjacks. SFA came into the game averaging 16 turnovers per contest but gave the ball up 12 times in the opening period, including four in the game's first four minutes, when Texas Tech took a 6-0 lead. The Red Raiders converted the SFA miscues to nine points in the first half.
SFA shot just 33 percent in the first half but stayed in the game by outrebounding the Red Raiders, 20-15. That advantage was flipped after halftime, when Tech beat SFA on the boards, 15-8. The Red Raiders enjoyed a 30-28 edge in rebounding for the game.
Senior guard Martin Zeno scored 23 points and pulled down eight rebounds to lead Texas Tech (2-1) in both categories.
The Lumberjacks will return to action next Wednesday, when they host Louisiana-Monroe in a 7 p.m. game at the William R. Johnson Coliseum.
- SFA -
