Stephen F. Austin
Arkansas
Razorbacks Stop SFA
12/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 20, 2008
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks found themselves behind at the half for the first time this season and were unable to recover Saturday, as Arkansas took a 67-51 win in the final game of the Jim Thorpe Classic. The loss snaps SFA's six-game winning streak and moves the Lumberjacks to 7-3 on the season.
SFA's .429 shooting percentage was well below the Lumberjacks' .492 average coming into the contest, a problem compounded by 14 turnovers and a 40-25 Arkansas advantage in rebounding. The Razorbacks (8-1) pulled down 16 offensive boards and outscored SFA, 27-9, in second-chance points.
Arkansas' Michael Washington led all players with 17 points and 13 rebounds and was one of four Razorbacks in double digits. SFA broke a string of four straight games with at least four players reaching double figures in scoring, as no Lumberjack got into double digits until senior Josh Alexander knocked down a three to give him 12 points at the four-minute mark. He finished with a team-high 17 points.
Senior Matt Kingsley added eight points and six rebounds, and classmate Nick Shaw finished with eight points.
SFA was held scoreless over the final five-and-a-half minutes of the first period and found itself trailing at halftime for the first time this season, facing down a 35-24 deficit.
The Lumberjacks put themselves in a big hole early with four turnovers in the first five minutes and found themselves trailing, 17-6, with 12:16 to play.
Nick Shaw stopped the bleeding with a 3-pointer at the 11:57 mark, and, after an Eric Bell steal at the other end, the Lumberjacks drew to within five points when Bell canned a three with 10:25 remaining. Shaw drove to the paint for a layup at the 10:03 mark to make it a three-point game.
Arkansas pressed its lead back out to six, but a jumper by Kingsley, followed by a steal and dunk from Alexander trimmed the margin to two, 22-20, with 7:57 left. After an Arkansas turnover at the other end, Kingsley tied the score with a jumper in the paint with 7:06 remaining.
The Lumberjacks tied it at 24 nearly two minutes later, but the Razorbacks went on an 11-0 run over the half's final 5:29.
The Razorbacks held a 19-12 advantage on the boards and outscored SFA, 8-4, in second-chance points in the opening period.
The Lumberjacks cut the 11-point halftime lead to as few as six points twice early in the second half, but Arkansas used SFA's turnover woes and a healthy advantage on the offensive glass to steadily extend its lead, pushing the margin to as many as 20 in the second period. Coming into the contest, the most the Lumberjacks had trailed by this season was eight.
Kingsley and Alexander were named to the all-tournament team.
The Lumberjacks will return to action on Jan. 1 with a road game against Texas Tech. The contest against the Red Raiders is scheduled for a 3 p.m. start.
-- SFA --
