Stephen F. Austin
UTSA
`Jacks Knock Off UTSA
1/15/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 15, 2011
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Stephen F. Austin got out to its worst start of the season Saturday night, falling behind, 9-0, in the first three minutes against UTSA. But the Lumberjacks got career nights from a pair of first-year players and owned the second half to take a 68-59 win.
The Lumberjacks (11-4, 2-1 Southland) picked up their first road win since Nov. 23 and moved into a tie atop the Southland Conference West Division standings. UTSA falls to 7-8 overall and 1-2 in league action.
Junior forward Dion Prewster scored all of his career-high 13 points in the second half, and freshman guard Desmond Haymon put up nine in the second period to post a career-best with 15 points. Senior forward Jordan Glynn scored a team-best 17 points and pulled down 11 rebounds for his second straight double-double.
SFA went to the locker room at the half down, 29-25, after shooting just 35 percent in the opening period. But the `Jacks shot nearly 58 percent after the break to outscore UTSA, 43-30 in the second half.
After the Roadrunners connected on their first possession in the second half, SFA rattled off a 6-0 run to tie the score at 31 with 16:08 to play. It was the first tie score of the game since 18-18 with 7:26 to play in the first half. Glynn, Eddie Williams and Haymon got buckets during the run, with Haymon tying the score on a layup.
Haymon ripped off a steal at the other end, then found Glynn on the block to give SFA its first lead of the contest, 33-31, with 15:45 to go.
SFA surrendered the lead once after that, but only briefly as Prewster took over down the stretch. He hit two free throws at the 10:02 mark to tie the score then put SFA in front, then drained three of the Lumberjacks' next four buckets. Prewster delivered the back-breaker on a 3-pointer from the corner in front of his own bench with 1:30 to play. That shot put the `Jacks up by 11, and all but sealed the game.
Williams finished with eight points, six rebounds and four assists. He shared the point guard duties with freshman Darius Gardner. Starting point guard Denzel Barnes was unavailable for the game after breaking his hand against Central Arkansas on Wednesday. Gardner finished with two points but had three assists against only one turnover in his first starting appearance.
Jereal Scott, battling a sore knee, came off the bench for six points in nine minutes. Brandon Cutler added four points, Mark Gomillia had two, and Antonio Bostic chipped in with a free throw.
Devin Gibson scored 18 to lead the Roadrunners. Fourteen of his points came in the second half.
SFA shot 47 percent for the game and went 20-for-26 from the foul stripe. The Lumberjacks outscored UTSA, 24-15, in points off turnovers after forcing 17 Roadrunner miscues.
SFA has Wednesday off and will be back in action on Saturday, Jan. 22 against UT Arlington. The game is set for a 6 p.m. tip from William R. Johnson Coliseum.
-- SFA --
