Stephen F. Austin
Howard Payne
`Jacks Smother Howard Payne
11/14/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 14, 2008
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Three Lumberjack starters tied for the team lead in scoring, and Stephen F. Austin shot 52 percent from the field Friday in a season-opening 77-38 win over Howard Payne at the William R. Johnson Coliseum.
Seniors Josh Alexander and Matt Kingsley scored 16 points apiece, as did sophomore Eddie Williams. Williams and Alexander also posted three steals each, tying for the team lead on a night when SFA forced 22 turnovers.
Williams, who made his first career start at shooting guard, was 7-for-8 from the field, including five fast-break layups. The 16 points tied a career-high for Williams, as did his seven field goals and three steals.
The Lumberjacks forced 11 turnovers and put up 12 fast-break points in the first period to streak out to a 35-16 halftime advantage. Howard Payne cut the lead to 12 early in the second frame, but SFA steadily widened the margin back out to 20 over the next seven minutes and led, 58-33, with 6:54 left to play.
The Yellow Jackets never threatened again, and SFA's final margin of 39 points was its largest of the night. The 38 points scored are the fewest by a Lumberjack opponent since SFA held Huston-Tillotson to 33 last December. The Lumberjacks limited four opponents to fewer than 40 points last season. SFA held Howard Payne to 29.8 percent shooting.
For the game, SFA scored 22 points off turnovers and finished with 16 fast-break points. The Lumberjacks beat Howard Payne, 37-27, on the boards and outscored the Yellow Jackets, 38-20, in the paint. SFA shot 51.9 percent in the first half and 51.7 percent in the second half to finish with a .518 field goal percentage.
Alexander was 6-of-11 from the floor and hit three 3-pointers to do his damage on offense, while collecting five rebounds. Kingsley was 6-for-8 on field goals and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Senior Nick Shaw scored three points and pulled down six rebounds to tie redshirt freshman Jereal Scott for game-high honors.
Scott finished with five points in his Lumberjack debut, including a nice tip-in on a missed shot late in the second half. Junior point guard Girod Adams scored five points and pulled down five rebounds while dishing out a game-high seven assists in 20 minutes of action off the bench.
Junior Eric Bell knocked down his only attempt of the game - a 3-pointer - and finished with four assists in 25 minutes. Freshman small forward Zach Williams debuted with three points, four assists and a blocked shot. Senior center Benson Akpan finished with four points on a pair of two-handed dunks. Junior Aaron Smith and sophomore Preston Davis added three points each, and Smith had a blocked shot.
The Lumberjacks are now 6-3 in nine season openers and a perfect 9-0 in home openers under head coach Danny Kaspar. SFA (1-0) will resume action Tuesday, when the Lumberjacks take on Texas A&M in a road game. That contest is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start from College Station, Texas.
-- SFA --
