'Jacks Head To Natchitoches
2/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 10, 2009
NACOGDOCHES, Texas -
ESSENTIALS
SFA at Northwestern State
Wednesday, February 11, 2009 • 7:00 p.m.
Prather Coliseum (3,600) • Natchitoches, La.
Radio: Q107.7 FM • Television: None • Internet: Yahoo! Sports
GAME INFORMATION
On The Road Again: The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack basketball team will play the first of two straight Southland Conference road games Wednesday, when the 'Jacks head to Natchitoches, La., to take on Northwestern State. SFA enters the contest as the SLC East Division leader with a 15-6 overall record and a 7-2 mark in league action. The Demons bring a 9-14 season mark and are sixth in the East with a 1-7 conference record. SFA will be going for its first set of back-to-back wins over Northwestern State since sweeping the regular-season series in 2002-03.
Last Game: SFA got a big game from Matt Kingsley and rode two Lamar shooting droughts to a 74-62 win over the Cardinals on Saturday. The Cardinals went without a field goal for a five-minute stretch at the end of the first period and opened the second half by going nearly 10 minutes without a bucket from the floor. SFA had built a 20-point lead by the time Lamar got its first second-half field goal, and the Cardinals' 20-for-26 performance at the free throw line in the second half was not enough to get them back into the game. Kingsley opened the game by going 7-for-8 from the field in the first half and finished 12-of-16 with 26 points, his second-highest point toal of the season. The senior center also pulled down nine rebounds, just missing his third consecutive double-double. Josh Alexander broke out of a three-game slump by hitting 3-of-6 from 3-point range in the second half to finish with 13 points.
vs. Northwestern State: SFA is 47-59 all-time against the Demons. The 'Jacks are 7-9 against Northwestern State under head coach Danny Kaspar. SFA has won just three of the last 10 meetings and two of the last five. The 'Jacks have won two straight regular-season match-ups with the Demons, including a 73-45 verdict in Nacogdoches on Jan. 28.
The Demons: Northwestern State went from averaging 74.5 points per game in non-conference action to 65.2 per contest in SLC games. The Demons broke out of their eight-game losing streak with an 80-64 home win over Central Arkansas -- the first time they'd broken 70 points since a 122-73 loss at Oklahoma State on Jan. 3. Northwestern is 5-4 in home games this season.
The Coaches: SFA is led by head coach Danny Kaspar. Kaspar is in his ninth season at the helm for the Lumberjacks. He holds a record of 149-102 (.594) at SFA and has a 368-154 (.705) overall record in 17-plus seasons as a collegiate head coach. Mike McConathy is in his ninth season as Northwestern State's head coach. He is 154-149 (.508).
Up Next: SFA will play another SLC East road re-match when the Lumberjacks head to Lake Charles, La., to take on McNeese State. The game against the Cowboys is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. from Burton Coliseum, following the women's game, which starts at 2.
NEWS AND NOTES
NINE BELOW: In all nine Southland Conference games to date, SFA has held its opposition below its season average for field goal percentage. Six of those nine foes have been squeezed to worse than 40-percent shooting. The 37.3 percent SFA opponents are shooting this season in conference play ranks second in the league. Overall, the Lumberjacks are tied for the SLC lead and rank fifth in the nation in field goal percentage defense at 37.4.
DOUBLING UP: Coming into SFA's game with Nicholls State on Jan. 17, Matt Kingsley had posted seven career double-doubles, but had never recorded double-doubles in consecutive games. He rectified that with 18 points and 11 rebounds against the Colonels to follow a 16-point, 11-rebound outing at Central Arkansas the game before. Three weeks later, Kingsley repeated the back-to-back double-double feat with 12 points and 11 boards against McNeese State, followed by 17 points and 11 rebounds in the rematch with Nicholls State. Kingsley now has 10 career double-double performances.
HIGH-LOW: December's 112-111 triple-overtime win against North Dakota State marked the most combined points (223) in a Lumberjack game in nine seasons under head coach Danny Kaspar. In January, SFA and McNeese combined for the fewest points in a game under Kaspar, as the Lumberjacks took a 43-41 win. SFA has played in 14 games over the last nine seasons that had a combined point total of fewer than 100 points. The 84 points against McNeese are the lowest combined total since SFA took a 43-40 win over Angelo State in the 1982 Lone Star Conference Tournament. The Lumberjack head coach in that game was Harry Miller, one of Kaspar's mentors in the coaching world.
CUTTIN' IT CLOSE: SFA's 43-41 win over McNeese State was just the fifth game this season with a final margin of two points or fewer. Only seven of the Lumberjacks' games this year have been decided by fewer than 10 points. SFA is 4-1 this season in games decided by two points or fewer. Last season, only two games had margins of two points or fewer, and SFA lost both contests.
CROWN A NEW KING: Two weeks ago, senior Matt Kingsley took over the team scoring lead, unseating teammate Josh Alexander, who has finished as SFA's top scorer and rebounder each of the last three seasons. The 25 points Kingsley scored against Northwestern State moved him into the team lead and seventh place in the Southland Conference. Kingsley currently leads the team with 15.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.
THREE OF A KIND BEATS A FULL HOUSE?: The Lumberjacks' top three individual scorers -- Matt Kingsley, 25; Benson Akpan, 12; Eddie Williams, 11 -- in SFA's 73-45 win over Northwestern State combined to outscore the Demons, 48-45, on their own. This marks the sixth time this season and the second time in SLC play that SFA's top three scorers tied or beat the opponent's final score.
EXPECT LOWS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS: SFA held Northwestern State without a double-digit scorer in the Lumberjacks' 73-45 win, marking the second time this season SFA has posted such a performance. The `Jacks also held Jarvis Christian without a double-figure scorer.
ON THE DOWN-LOW: SFA scored a season-high 52 points in the paint against Northwestern State. The Lumberjacks are 11-1 when they score at least 28 points in the paint. SFA is outscoring the opposition down low by an average of 8.4 points per game.
SPRAINED ARCHES: SFA held Northwestern State to an 0-for-11 showing from 3-point range. That marks the first time this season for the `Jacks to hold the opposition without a 3-point field goal. The last time an SFA foe came up empty from 3-point range was the 0-for-4 performance by San Diego last season. The `Jacks have limited two opponents to one 3-pointer this season. SFA is first in the SLC and ranks 7th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage defense at 29.1.
ALL IN: All 15 SFA players touched the floor in SFA's win over Northwestern State, marking the second time this season that every Lumberjack in uniform has seen playing time. The first came in SFA's win over Austin Peay.
ASKING FOR SECONDS: SFA pulled down 13 offensive rebounds in its 60-49 win at Southeastern Louisiana and outscored the Lions, 15-9, in second-chance points. Southeastern managed just five offensive boards, tying for the fewest given up by SFA this season. For the season, SFA holds a 214-198 edge over its opponents in offensive rebounding.
HISTORY: Senior forward Josh Alexander is already the career leader in points, rebounds and field goals in SFA's Division I era. He also ranks in the top 10 in both scoring and rebounding on the all-time list. With his first bucket against Nicholls State, Alexander went over 1,500 for his career, making him the first player in SFA's Division I era and just the sixth Lumberjack all-time to record 1,500 points and 500 rebounds. Alexander has accumulated 1,565 points and 629 rebounds in four seasons.
BENCHED: The SFA bench outscored the Nicholls State reserves, 11-0, in the Lumberjacks' 55-40 win. The Colonels' top two scorers combined for 29 points with the other three starters accounting for 11 points, but none of the four substitutes who touched the floor found the scoring column. This marks the first time this season for SFA to hold the opposition's bench scoreless.
BETTER HALF: SFA held Texas College to 11 points in the second half of the Lumberjacks' 83-42 win. This ties for the lowest one-half point total given up to an opponent in nine seasons under head coach Danny Kaspar and is the best second-half point total allowed in that time span. The `Jacks have held opposing teams below 20 points in a single half 34 times under Kaspar and are 32-2 in such contests. SFA held eight opponents under 20 points in a half during the 2007-08 campaign and has done so seventimes this season.
QUADRUPLE-DOUBLE: Four different Lumberjacks reached double figures in scoring in SFA's win over Central Arkansas. That marked the seventh time this season for the Lumberjacks to accomplish that feat. SFA is 11-1 in games when at least three Lumberjacks reach double digits in scoring.
WIDE-OPENER: SFA's 75-73 win over Sam Houston State in the Southland Conference opener marked the highest combined point total of the season for a game that ended in regulation. The 73 points allowed are the most given up by SFA outside of its 112-111 triple-overtime win against North Dakota State. The game also marked the just the second time this season for the Lumberjacks to give up 60 or more points in regulation and win. SFA had been 1-3 in such situations coming into its game against Sam.
WELL, FOR STARTERS...: Four SFA starters reached double digits in scoring, and the starting lineup accounted for all but six points in the Lumberjacks' 75-73 win over Sam Houston State. Josh Alexander played all 40 minutes -- the second time this season he's played every minute of a game -- and Nick Shaw and Eddie Williams each logged 39 minutes. The only subs to take the floor in the contest were Girod Adams, Walt Harris and Benson Akpan.
MIS-FIRE: SFA held Jarvis Christian to 22.4 percent shooting in the Lumberjacks' 69-46 win. That marks the lowest shooting percentage of the season for an SFA opponent.
BLOCK PARTY: The Lumberjacks contributed to Jarvis Christian's poor shooting by blocking a season-high 10 shots. This marks the first time in nine seasons under head coach Danny Kaspar for an SFA team to record double-digit blocked shots. Matt Kingsley posted a career-high five blocked shots, and Benson Akpan tied a season-best with three blocks.
SCORE!: The 93 points SFA put up in its 93-54 win over Austin Peay are the most scored in regulation by a Lumberjack team this season and the most points in regulation against a Division I opponent since SFA beat Centenary College, 94-57, in the 2005-06 campaign.
RANK AND FILE: SFA is ranked No. 21 in the most recent CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll. SFA began the year at No. 11, the first time in the poll's 10-year history for SFA to enter the season as a ranked team and the highest entry to the poll for a Lumberjack team to date. In December, SFA was ranked No. 10, marking the earliest move into the top 10 for the `Jakcs since the poll began. SFA spent a program-best 15 consecutive weeks ranked in last year's Mid-Major Top 25. The `Jacks climbed as high as No. 6, including a first-place vote, on Feb. 25, and finished the season ranked 14th.
SCORING SPREE: The 223 combined points SFA and NDSU scored is the highest combined total in an SFA game since the Lumberjacks' 123-103 loss to San Francisco in the 1994-95 season.
MOVIN' ON UP: In a five-game stretch earlier this season, senior center Matt Kingsley jumped five slots on the list of career scoring leaders at SFA. He was 20th all-time heading into the Drake Hy-Vee Classic but came away from the Arkansas Jim Thorpe Classic 16th and moved into a tie for 15th with 1,151 career points following SFA's game at Texas Tech.
NO SHOT: The Lumberjacks dominated Texas College in the second half of their 83-42 victory. The Steers were just 2-for-22 from the field -- both 3-pointers -- in the final 20 minutes for a second-half shooting percentage of .091. That's the lowest single-half average of the season, and it left Texas College with a .308 shooting percentage for the game, the third time in four contests an SFA opponent had shot worse than 35 percent.
LOW POINT: In eight-plus seasons under head coach Danny Kaspar, SFA has held 34 opponents to 50 points or fewer. SFA held the competition below that level nine times in 2007-08. The previous best under Kaspar was four games in a single season with fewer than 50 points. So far this season, the Lumberjacks have held eight opponents to fewer than 50 points. Five of the top nine performances for points allowed have been recorded this season.
SAFE AT HOME: In nine seasons under head coach Danny Kaspar, the Lumberjacks have compiled a 98-27 (.784) record in the William R. Johnson Coliseum. SFA is 294-118 (.714) all-time in the Coliseum. SFA defeated Howard Payne, 77-38, in the season opener. Kaspar's teams are 9-0 in home openers at SFA.
REMEMBERING A LUMBERJACK LEGEND: In memory of Marshall Brown, who passed away over the summer, the Lumberjacks will wear a black band on the left shoulder of their game jerseys during the 2008-09 season. Brown coached men's basketball at SFA from 1959-1978 and is the school's all-time winningest coach with 345 career victories.
SCOUTING THE DEMONS
FOR THE RECORD: Northwestern State comes into Wednesday's meeting with a 9-14 overall record and a 1-7 mark in Southland Conference play. The Demons rebounded from their 73-45 loss at SFA -- their eighth straight defeat -- by knocking off Central Arkansas, 80-64, at home on Jan. 31. Northwestern State has since lost two straight games, falling at McNeese State, 81-75, and dropping an 85-66 home decision to UT-Arlington on Saturday.
LAST GAME: The Demons shot 29.2 percent from the field in an 85-66 home loss to UT-Arlington Saturday. Two Mavericks reached double digits in rebounding, and UTA outscored Northwestern, 47-29, in the paint. UTA had four players in double digits scoring, led by Roge'r Guignard's 15. The Demons attempted 27 3-pointers, connecting on just five of them. Kalem Porterie scored 13 points to lead Northwestern, and William Mosley registered a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds -- six on offense.
LAST MEETING: SFA went on an 18-2 second-half run and outscored the Demons, 38-19, in the second period of a 73-45 win on Jan. 28. Senior centers Matt Kingsley and Benson Akpan combined for 37 points -- 25 from Kingsley -- as SFA outscored Northwestern, 52-32, in the paint. The Lumberjacks forced 19 turnovers while committing just 10 of their own and outscored the Demons, 18-10, in points off turnovers. Northwestern State shot just 33.3 percent from the field, failed to connect on a 3-point basket and didn't have a single player reach double figures in scoring. Damon Jones scored eight points to pace the Demons.
KEY NUMBERS: Northwestern State's minus-8.1 scoring margin ranks last in the Southland Conference, as do the Demons' 79.4 points allowed per game. Northwestern leads the league with 41.0 rebounds per game but ranks last in the SLC in rebounds allowed, giving up 38.6 boards per contest. The Demons' 5.9 blocks per game rank second in the conference.
LEADERS: Junior guard Damon Jones leads the Demons and ranks 19th in the SLC with 12.6 points per game. Freshman center William Mosley is No. 4 in the conference in rebounding with 8.0 boards per contest, while sophomore forward Devin White's 5.7 rebounds per game rank 18th in the league. Mosley (2.3 bpg) and White (2.0 bpg) rank third and fifth in the conference, respectively, in blocked shots. Junior guard Michael McConathy ranks fourth in the conference with 4.5 assists per game and stands eighth in the league with 1.6 steals per outing. McConathy's .806 free throw percentage ranks fifth in the SLC.
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-- SFA --
