Stephen F. Austin
Texas College
SFA Puts Clamps On Steers
11/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 29, 2008
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - After two consecutive lackluster shooting performances, the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack basketball team bounced back with a 54.7-percent effort in Saturday's 83-42 win over Texas College.
SFA shot 30 percent and 39 percent, respectively, in back-to-back losses at Texas A&M and Louisiana-Monroe over the last two weeks. Saturday, the Lumberjacks went inside and were rewarded with high-percentage shots. SFA outscored the Steers, 50-10, in the paint, the largest such margin for the Lumberjacks this season.
For the game, SFA held Texas College to just 12 made baskets and only two field goals in the second period. After going to the locker room with a 44-31 lead, the `Jacks redoubled their efforts on the defensive end and held the Steers without a point until Jafer Johnson hit a 3-pointer with 8:27 to play. But, by that time, SFA had built a 35-point lead, and Texas College did not get within 30 down the stretch.
With the victory, the Lumberjacks even their record at 2-2, while Texas College falls to 1-6 on the season.
Senior center Matt Kingsley scored 11 first-half points and finished tied for game-high honors with 13. Classmate and back-up Benson Akpan had 12 points to go along with his six rebounds and two blocked shots, while sophomore guard Eddie Williams scored 11, and senior forward Josh Alexander added 10.
Alexander also hauled down seven rebounds, including five on offense, in helping SFA to a 16-8 advantage in second-chance scoring. His understudy, freshman forward Zach Williams also finished with five offensive boards and just missed his first double-figure rebounding performance with a career-high nine total. Williams had seven points.
Point guards Girod Adams and Jarrod McDaniel combined for 10 assists and just one turnover in 35 minutes of action filling in for starter Eric Bell, who sat out recovering from an injury sustained against ULM. Adams was also 2-for-2 from 3-point range for six points, and McDaniel posted seven assists with four points. Playing significant minutes for the second consecutive game, redshirt freshman center Jereal Scott finished with seven points, four rebounds and a block.
SFA owned a 44-25 advantage on the boards and forced 29 turnovers, which resulted in 34 Lumberjack points. The SFA bench outscored the Texas College subs, 38-15. After opening the game with a 58.8-percent showing from the floor in the first half, the Steers shot just 9.1 percent after the break to finish at 30.8 for the game. This marks the third time in four contests that SFA has held an opponent below 35 percent.
The Lumberjacks will continue their three-game home stand Tuesday when they open a weeknight double-header with the SFA women's team with a 5:30 p.m. tip against Jackson State. The Ladyjacks will follow with a game against Texas A&M.
- SFA -
