Stephen F. Austin
Centenary
'Jacks Crush Centenary In Season Opener
11/11/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 11, 2011
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NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Stephen F. Austin forced 33 turnovers and put four players in double figures as head coach Danny Kaspar got his 200th win at SFA, 84-43, over Centenary on Friday night at William R. Johnson Coliseum.
Senior Jereal Scott scored the first 12 Lumberjack (1-0) points in less than the first four minutes of the game on his way to an 18-point, six-rebound night to lead an offense that shot 50 percent from the floor, despite hitting just 3 of 15 shots from behind the 3-point arc.
Antonio Bostic and Desmond Haymond each added 16 points and five rebounds, while Taylor Smith hit all six of hits shots from the floor - including two monster dunks - to finish with 13 points, five rebounds and two blocked shots in 25 minutes off the bench.
The win marks the 12th consecutive win in a home opener for the Lumberjacks under Kaspar, and the 33 forced turnovers were the most since SFA forced 33 in a win over Schreiner on Nov. 21, 2006.
It took SFA less than seven minutes to build a double-digit lead on its way to a comfortable 49-16 halftime advantage after hitting nearly 59 percent of its shots in the opening 20 minutes of play. Scott had 16 of his game-high total in the first half, with Bostic pumping in 10 of his 16 points.
In all, eight Lumberjacks found the scoring column, while Centenary's Maxx Nakwaasah, who had 19 points and six rebounds, was the only Gent who managed to score more than six points on the night.
The `Jacks opened the second half on a 14-3 run before Centenary finally cracked the 20-point mark at the 12:21 point of the second half on a pair of free throws, of which they hit 14 of 15 on the night.
SFA continued to build upon the lead by feeding the ball inside, finishing with a commanding 34-10 edge on points in the paint, and a 24-6 advantage in points off turnovers.
The Lumberjacks will look to move to 2-0 on the year and pick up their first road win of the season on Monday when they take on the University of San Diego at Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego. Tip time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PST.
-SFA-
