Stephen F. Austin
Texas State
SFA Holds Off Texas State
2/27/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 27, 2008
SAN MARCOS, Texas - Stephen F. Austin hit 17 second-half free throws and got a big second period from Matt Kingsley, as the Lumberjacks held off Texas State for a 74-70 victory Wednesday in Strahan Coliseum.
With the win - SFA's eighth straight - the Lumberjacks improve to 23-3 on the season and 11-2 in Southland Conference play, while Texas State falls to 12-15 overall and 5-9 in league action.
After playing from behind for most of the first half, SFA secured a one-point halftime lead and led by as many as 12 points in the second frame. But the Bobcats cut the lead to two with 1:57 to play, before sophomore point guard Eric Bell hit 3-of-4 free throws down the stretch, and Kingsley nailed a pair of foul shots with eight seconds left to seal the win.
Kingsley scored 12 of his 13 points in the second half and pulled down 10 rebounds for his fourth career double-double. Bell scored five of his seven points on second-half free throws. Junior forward Josh Alexander hit 4-for-9 from 3-point range for a team-high 16 points.
The Lumberjacks erased one of the largest first-half deficits they've faced this season to take a 39-38 lead to the locker room. SFA relied heavily on Alexander's hot shooting and some timely scoring by reserves Eddie Williams and Kyle Jacobs to stay in the game.
The Bobcats began on a hot streak, hitting 60 percent from the floor in the game's first 10 minutes, and opened a 19-10 lead by the 11:43 mark. Texas State took the first lead of the game, and SFA spent the first 19 minutes and 17 seconds playing from behind.
But Alexander went 4-for-6 from 3-point range and finished the half with 14 points. With Eric Bell and Nick Shaw playing only eight and five minutes, respectively, in the first half due to foul trouble, Williams provided a spark off the bench. He used dribble penetration to put up 10 first-half points and led the Lumberjacks in the opening period with six rebounds.
The Lumberjacks finally tied the score at 38, then took their first lead of the game with 43 seconds left when Williams hit a pair of free throws, capping an 11-2 run over the final 4:40 of the half. The run began on Alexander's fourth 3-pointer and included a jumper and a free throw from Jacobs, who scored a season-high seven points in the opening stanza. He finished with nine points. Williams finished the game with 10 points and eight rebounds.
SFA finished the game shooting 42 percent from the field and went 23-for-36 from the foul stripe. The Bobcats were 36 percent from the floor and hit 40 percent from 3-point range, despite being held to 1-for-6 from downtown in the second half. Texas State outrebounded the Lumberjacks, 43-38.
The Lumberjacks will begin their final two-game home stand of the season Saturday when they host Texas-Arlington. The game is set for a 6 p.m. start from the William R. Johnson Coliseum.
-- SFA --
