Stephen F. Austin
Minnesota
Minnesota Rallies Past `Jacks
11/16/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 16, 2009
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Minnesota outscored Stephen F. Austin, 56-23, in the second period Monday to take an 82-42 victory in Williams Arena in the Lumberjacks' season opener. The loss breaks a four-year run of season-opening wins for SFA.
The Lumberjacks went to halftime down just seven points, but the Gophers opened the second period with a 16-0 run and shot 61 percent after the break to put the game out of reach.
Minnesota forced the Lumberjacks into 10 second-half turnovers and got 16 points off the mistakes. For the game, the Gophers finished with a 26-8 advantage in points off turnovers.
Lawrence Westbrook and Devoe Joseph scored 15 points each to lead all players, and Ralph Sampson III pulled down 11 rebounds to pace a 34-26 advantage on the boards for Minnesota.
Senior guard Eddie Williams scored 12 points to finish as the only Lumberjack in double digits. Senior Walt Harris and junior Orren Tims added seven points apiece.
Despite scoring just three points over the final nine minutes of the second half, the Lumberjacks were down only seven (26-19) at halftime. SFA forced 11 Gopher turnovers in the first period against just nine of its own and held a 16-15 edge in rebounding at the break.
The Lumberjacks led by as many as five points and held a 16-15 lead with nine minutes to play. But the long drought to end the first period led to a 27-3 Minnesota run that covered the end of the first half and the start of the second.
For the game, SFA shot 30.6 percent and was 3-of-14 from behind the 3-point arc. Williams and sophomore center Jereal Scott pulled down five rebounds apiece to lead the `Jacks. Senior Eric Bell finished with five of SFA's nine assists.
The Lumberjacks will be back in action on Nov. 21, when they host Jackson State in the opening contest of a three-game home stand. The game is set to tip at 7 p.m. from Johnson Coliseum.
-- SFA --
