Stephen F. Austin
McNeese State
SFA Holds Off McNeese
1/31/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 31, 2009
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Stephen F. Austin overcame a 27-percent effort from the field in the second half and a seven-minute field goal drought to hold off McNeese State for a 43-41 win Saturday in Johnson Coliseum. The win is SFA's third straight and improves the Lumberjacks to 14-5 on the season with a 6-1 mark in Southland Conference play.
On a night when the `Jacks shot just 30 percent for the game, their only redemption came at the defensive end. The Cowboys (7-12, 1-5 SLC) were a only shade better from the floor, at 31.9 percent, and became the eighth SFA opponent of the season to be held below 50 points. The Lumberjacks have limited three straight foes to fewer than 50 and have done so in four of their last five outings.
After a Walt Harris jumper at the 12:15 mark gave SFA a 31-30 lead, the Lumberjacks' only scoring over the next 7:18 was a free throw by Nick Shaw with 9:52 remaining. The Cowboys built a four-point advantage, their largest of the night, thanks to four free throws, but were unable to press their lead, as they suffered a nine-minute drought from the floor following Kleon Penn's layup at the 10:25 mark.
But Girod Adams canned a 3-pointer at the 4:57 mark to make it a one-point game, and freshman Zach Williams knocked down a pair of free throws two minutes later to put SFA ahead, 37-36, with 2:20 to play.
The Lumberjacks went up by three when Adams knocked down a jumper from the baseline with 1:27 to play, then Penn brought the margin back to one when he broke McNeese's drought on a layup with 57 seconds left.
The Cowboys threatened to retake the lead after an SFA turnover in the backcourt on the ensuing possession, but Eddie Williams rebounded a missed shot and heaved a long pass down court to Josh Alexander for a fast-break layup to put the `Jacks back ahead by three, 41-38, with 29 seconds to play.
McNeese answered with a layup at the 19-second mark but was forced to foul Adams, who calmly sank both ends of a 1-and-1 opportunity. Patrick Richard hit the front end of his 1-and-1 at the other end, but intentionally missed the second, and Alexander hauled in his 11th rebound of the night with three seconds left to seal the win for SFA.
Alexander was one of two Lumberjacks to pull down 11 rebounds, joining Matt Kingsley in double figures. Kingsley added 12 points on a 6-of-9 showing from the field to lead SFA in scoring for the second straight game and the sixth time in eight contests. Adams finished with nine points, Alexander had eight, and Shaw scored six before fouling out with 3:35 to play.
Penn led McNeese with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
SFA outrebounded the Cowboys, 40-39, for the game and held a 9-8 advantage on the offensive glass. But McNeese outscored the Lumberjacks, 8-4, in second-chance points and 22-16 in the paint, marking the first time in eight games for SFA to score fewer than 20 points in the paint. The Lumberjacks forced 14 Cowboy turnovers and got a point for each miscue, outscoring McNeese, 14-8, in points off turnovers.
SFA will return to action Wednesday, when the Lumberjacks start the second round of SLC East Division play with a road game against Nicholls State. The showdown with the Colonels will tip at 6:30 p.m. from Thibodaux, La.
-- SFA --
