Stephen F. Austin
Louisiana-Monroe
Warhawks Rally Past SFA
11/25/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 25, 2008
MONROE, La. - Brandon Williams' 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds left tied the score, then Malcolm Thomas hit a 15-footer with time expiring as Louisiana-Monroe erased what had been a 17-point lead by Stephen F. Austin for a 60-58 win Tuesday night.
Williams' three came from 30 feet out and followed a pair of SFA misses at the foul stripe. After he tied the score, the Lumberjacks turned the ball over on the inbound play, giving the Warhawks possession right under their basket and setting up Thomas for the game-winner.
SFA falls to 1-2, while the Warhawks even their record at 2-2 with the victory.
ULM outscored the Lumberjacks, 24-5, over the final eight minutes, as SFA put in just one field goal during that stretch.
After going nearly the first 37 minutes without a 3-pointer, the Warhawks pulled to within seven points, 56-49, on a pair of threes inside the 3:12 mark. ULM then hit four free throws down the stretch, while SFA went the final 5:20 without a field goal and was just 2-of-7 on free throws in that same time period to set up the Warhawks' late heroics.
Senior Josh Alexander led all scorers with 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting with four 3-pointers and six rebounds. Thomas was close behind with 18 points on 5-for-9 shooting from the field and a 6-for-8 effort at the stripe.
The Lumberjacks were hot and cold in battling to a 33-26 advantage in a streaky first half. SFA jumped out to a 5-0 lead as ULM posted four turnovers and two missed shots on its first six possessions. But the Warhawks scored on three straight touches to take a 6-5 lead.
McDaniel gave SFA the lead back shortly after checking in when he drilled his first shot in a Lumberjack uniform - a 3-pointer at the 14:25 mark. Alexander stretched the lead with an offensive rebound and put-back, and later followed a Girod Adams three with one of his own to give SFA an 18-8 lead with 11:12 to play in the half.
The Lumberjacks pressed their advantage to 13 (23-10) at the 9:42 mark with a driving layup by McDaniel and a second-chance 3-pointer by Alexander.
Following the long bucket, SFA went cold and endured a nine-minute scoring drought while the Warhawks trimmed the lead to 23-16. Nick Shaw broke the drought with an offensive rebound and layup at the 4:42 mark, but the Lumberjacks could not pull away down the stretch.
ULM used a zone look on defense to force SFA into eight first-half turnovers, and outscored the `Jacks, 12-8, in the opening period in points off turnovers. ULM's 47.8-percent shooting in the first half is their best performance in the opening period of a game this season and allowed the Warhawks to cut the lead to five by the break.
Alexander opened the second half by hitting each of his first two 3-point attempts. Shaw knifed to the hoop for a layup on the next Lumberjack possession to cap an 8-0 run and give SFA a 12-point lead, 41-29, with 15:49 to play.
Redshirt freshman Jereal Scott checked in shortly after and energized the team when he followed a rebound and put-back by Alexander with two similar plays of his own. Scott's second basket gave SFA a 49-33 advantage with 12:10 left.
After a driving layup by Eric Bell, Scott tipped home his third second-chance bucket at the 7:59 mark to give SFA a 53-36 advantage. Bell then knocked down a jumper in the lane at the 5:20 mark to give the Lumberjacks a 15-point edge, but SFA would not find the hoop from the floor again.
No other SFA player joined Alexander in double digits, as Adams scored seven on a pair of threes, and Matt Kingsley, McDaniel and Scott each added six. Shaw and Bell finished with four points apiece, and Eddie Williams and Walt Harris each scored three. Shaw pulled down a game-high nine rebounds.
SFA outrebounded the Warhawks, 37-30, but gave up 17 turnovers. ULM scored 25 points off turnovers, and the Warhawk bench outscored their SFA counterparts, 41-22. SFA worked for 15 offensive rebounds and held a 20-8 edge in second-chance points.
The Lumberjacks will return to action Saturday when they host Texas College in a 6 p.m. contest.
- SFA -
