'Jacks Look To Rebound Against Lamar
2/6/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 6, 2009
NACOGDOCHES, Texas -
ESSENTIALS
Lamar at SFA
Saturday, February 7, 2009 • 6:00 p.m.
William R. Johnson Coliseum (7,200) • Nacogdoches, Texas
Radio: Q107.7 FM • Television: None • Internet: Yahoo! Sports
GAME INFORMATION
No West For The Weary: The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack basketball team will try to rebound Saturday from its second Southland Conference defeat by playing the first of four remaining games against teams from the SLC West Division. The Lumberjacks host Lamar on Saturday in a 6 p.m. game. SFA is 14-6 on the season and tied with Nicholls State for the SLC East lead with a 6-2 league record. Lamar is 12-9 overall with a hard-luck 3-5 mark against conference foes.
Last Game: After scoring just 13 points through the first 18:21 of the second half Wednesday, SFA put up a 16-point flurry in the final 1:39, but it wasn't enough in a 57-50 loss at Nicholls State. The Colonels held SFA to just two field goals over a 13-minute stretch in the second period and built a 13-point lead that the Lumberjacks couldn't overcome. Senior Matt Kingsley recorded his second straight double-double and the 10th of his career with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Classmate Nick Shaw, a forward, joined him in double figures with 14 points. Led by Kingsley and Shaw, SFA outscored the Colonels, 24-20, in the paint, but the Lumberjack perimeter players couldn't find the basket. Until Eddie Williams' layup with 1:39 to play, the SFA backcourt had been held scoreless in the game. Anatoly Bose paced Nicholls State with 23 points (he was 10-for-10 at the foul stripe) and 10 rebounds. SFA shot just 39.6 percent for the game, was outrebounded by seven and committed 12 turnovers.
vs. Lamar: SFA is 23-22 all-time against the Cardinals. The Lumberjacks are 7-6 against Lamar in nine seasons under head coach Danny Kaspar. SFA has won six of the last 10 meetings and four of the last five, including three straight. The 'Jacks are 4-2 under Kaspar in six home games against Lamar.
The Cardinals: Lamar comes into Saturday's game with the momentum of a 59-57 win at Central Arkansas, as the Cardinals continue a three-game road trip that covers eight days and includes a non-conference tilt at Utah Valley on Monday. Lamar has lost two of its last three games, but those defeats came via an overtime verdict against Sam Houston State and a one-point loss to UTSA.
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 148-102 (.592) at SFA and has a 367-154 (.704) overall record in 17-plus seasons as a collegiate head coach. Steve Roccaforte is in his third season as Lamar's head coach. He is 46-37 (.554).
Up Next: The Lumberjacks will hit the road again for two straight games away from home. SFA takes on Northwestern State Wednesday, Feb. 11, in a 7 p.m. game. The 'Jacks will then head to Lake Charles, La., for a game against McNeese State on Feb. 14. The Valentine's Day clash with the Cowboys is set to start at 3 p.m.
NEWS AND NOTES
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 (123) 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: For the second time this season, senior Matt Kingsley has taken 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 14.9 points and 6.9 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 6th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage defense at 28.8.
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 212-192 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 1,552 points and 626 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 seven times 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. 14 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. A month ago, 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 97-27 (.782) record in the William R. Johnson Coliseum. SFA is 293-118 (.713) 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.
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS
FOR THE RECORD: Lamar is 12-9 overall with a 3-5 mark in Southland Conference play. The Cardinals opened the season with a five-game win streak before a 103-61 loss at Kentucky on Dec. 3. The Cardinals finished the 2008 calendar year with a three-game win streak that included an 85-79 verdict over Texas Tech, but Lamar hasn't won back-to-back games since. The Cardinals are 4-5 on the road and are coming off a 59-57 win at Central Arkansas, but Lamar has dropped two of its last three contests.
LAST GAME: Lamar held off Central Arkansas for a 59-57 win on Wednesday. Forward Jay Brown put up 16 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots to lead the Cardinals, who outscored the Bears, 24-16, in the paint, despite a 43-39 advantage on the boards by UCA. Senior guard Kenny Dawkins added 12 points despite going 0-for-5 from 3-point range. For the game, Lamar was just 3-of-17 from downtown. Senior guard Brandon McThay scored 14 points. Brooks Taylor scored 18 points for Central Arkansas.
LAST MEETING: Lamar trimmed what had been a 19-point second-half lead to three points with 17 seconds left, but SFA held on for an 81-75 win. Josh Alexander connected on 6-of-11 from 3-point range and scored a season-high 26 points. He was also 6-for-6 at the foul line, including the final two free throws of the game to seal the win. Matt Kingsley scored 17 points for SFA, and Eric Bell dished out nine assists. Lamar forced 20 turnovers in the game, and, despite a 34-27 Lumberjack advantage on the boards, the Cardinals outscored SFA, 9-4, in second-chance points. Kenny Dawkins scored 23 points to lead Lamar.
KEY NUMBERS: Lamar's 77.2 points per game rank fourth in the Southland Conference, just a fraction of a point off the third-place pace. But the Cardinals are tied for ninth in the league in scoring defense, allowing 74.0 points per contest. Lamar leads the SLC with a .738 percentage at the free throw line but is sixth in the conference from the field at .447. Lamar is third in the SLC in rebounding margin, besting the competition by an average of 3.0 boards per game.
LEADERS: Senior guard Kenny Dawkins is third in the Southland with 16.3 points per game. He is also fifth in the league in assists with 4.3 dimes per contest and ranks sixth in the league with 1.9 steals per game. Dawkins' .895 free throw percentage leads the SLC. He leads the league in minutes played, averaging 35.2 per contest. Senior guard Brandon McThay is Lamar's next-best scoring threat, averaging 13.8 points per game, which ranks 12th in the league. Senior forward Jay Brown leads the SLC with 9.9 rebounds per game and ranks third in the conference with 2.4 blocked shots per contest.
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-- SFA --
