Stephen F. Austin
Huston-Tillotson
SFA Rolls Past Huston-Tillotson
12/21/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 21, 2007
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Three different Lumberjacks reached double figures Friday as Stephen F. Austin rolled to a 79-33 victory over Huston-Tillotson in the William R. Johnson Coliseum. Junior Josh Alexander scored 19 points to lead SFA, and the Lumberjacks blocked a season-high nine shots en route to allowing the fewest points by an opponent since the 1981-82 season. The 46-point win nearly doubled the Lumberjacks' previous best margin of victory this season and is SFA's largest since a 101-48 win over Paul Quinn in the 2005-06 season.
The victory improved SFA to 9-1, extending the Lumberjacks' best start in 26 years and pushing their winning streak to seven games, including a perfect 5-0 start at home, SFA's best season-opening home-court winning streak since the `Jacks went 16-0 in the Coliseum in 2003-04.
Huston-Tillotson (0-8) led twice in the opening moments of the game, but Alexander scored SFA's first nine points and connected on all of his first six shots. His game-opening hot streak included a pair of 3-pointers and a fast-break dunk, as the `Jacks bolted out to a 16-5 lead with 13:10 to play and never looked back.
Alexander capped the first half with a steal and fast-break dunk that put the Lumberjacks up, 36-13, their largest lead of the game to that point. He finished the half with 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting and was 8-for-10 from the floor for the game. The 13 first-half points are the fewest scored by an SFA opponent this season.
The Lumberjacks led by as many as 52 points in the second half before coasting to the final margin behind a 54.2-percent effort from the floor. At the other end of the court, SFA held the Rams to 22 percent shooting, the lowest percentage by an SFA opponent this season.
Junior center Matt Kingsley joined Alexander in double digits with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting. He also registered a career-high four blocked shots, a feat matched by Kingsley's backup, Benson Akpan. Alexander provided SFA's other block. Freshman guard Eddie Williams scored 12 points, his first double-figure performance since dropping 16 against Jackson State on Nov. 13. Ten of Williams' points came in the second half.
Sophomore point guard Eric Bell served up seven assists, despite playing a season-low 17 minutes. Williams and freshman point guard Preston Davis added four assists each. Bell also ripped off four steals as the `Jacks tied their best mark of the season with 12 thefts.
Freshman guard Dean Pele hit 2-of-5 from 3-point range to finish with eight points and hauled in a game-high seven boards, both career highs. Junior forward Nick Shaw added six points on 3-for-4 shooting, and Akpan and Davis each chipped in with four points. Senior guard Gerald Fonzie and junior guard Jason Rogers scored three points apiece, and Austin Falke, Kyle Jacobs and Scott Weaver added two points each. Alexander finished with six rebounds, while Shaw, Weaver and Williams pulled down five each to help SFA to a 49-27 advantage on the boards, the Lumberjacks' biggest rebounding margin of the season.
The Lumberjacks will be back in action next weekend when they head to Dallas for a tournament at SMU. SFA opens play in the SMU Holiday Classic on Saturday, Dec. 29, with a game against Paul Quinn. The Lumberjacks will take on host team SMU on Sunday. Both games are set for a 4:35 p.m. tip in Moody Coliseum.
- SFA -
