Lumberjack Game Notes: at Texas A&M
12/2/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 2, 2011
GAME TIME: Riding consecutive wins over UTEP and Wiley College, SFA next travels to College Station for a battle with nationally-ranked Texas A&M at Reed Arena. It will be the first time since the opening game of the 2009-10 season that the `Jacks have taken on a nationally-ranked team, and SFA will have its hands full with an Aggie squad that has won five of its first six games to open up the 2011-12 season.
LAST GAME: SFA held UTEP to its lowest point total on its home floor since opening the Don Haskins Center in 1976 on Saturday in taking a convincing 53-35 win over the Miners. Antonio Bostic had 18 points and Jereal Scott had 17 while SFA posted its second lowest opponent point total since becoming Division I entering the 1986-87 season, and its lowest versus a Division I opponent in that time.
THE AGGIES: Texas A&M comes into Saturday's contest ranked No. 25 in the latest national poll and sporting a 5-1 record overall. The Aggies have won each of their last three games after dropping a 69-60 game at Madison Square Garden to Mississippi State in the 2K Sports Classic. They are in the midst of a stretch of three of four games that has them taking on Southland Conference opponents, already having registered a double-digit win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and still yet to play Sam Houston State next Wednesday. They are coached by first-year head man Billy Kennedy, who has Southland ties of his own having graduated from and formerly coached Southeastern Louisiana.
vs. TEXAS A&M: SFA is 3-15 all-time against the Aggies, including 0-2 during Danny Kaspar's tenure as head coach. The teams most recently met last season with Texas A&M taking a 62-53, despite SFA holding the lead at the half. The `Jacks have not defeated the Aggies since an 89-82 win in College Station in the 1971-72 season.
COVERAGE: Saturday's game will be aired live on the airwaves via KTBQ Q107.7 FM in the Nacogdoches/Lufkin area with Rob Meyers on the call. Pregame begins approximately 15 minutes prior to tipoff. The game will also be streamed live via www.aggieathletics.com
UP NEXT: The `Jacks get nearly a week off before hosting its own tournament, the Etech Lumberjack Classic, at William R. Johnson Coliseum. SFA will host reigning SWAC champion Alabama State, as well as head coach Isiah Thomas' Florida International Golden Panthers and Texas Wesleyan University.
KASPAR GETS 200: Danny Kaspar closed out the 2010-11 season just one win shy of 200 for his career at Stephen F. Austin, but it did not take him long to register that win this year as the `Jacks got him the win in front of a home crowd with a season-opening, 84-43, win on Friday vs Centenary. He is already third all-time at SFA in head coaching wins, trailing only Marshall Brown (345) and Bob Shelton (245).
BREAKOUT BROUSSARD: Junior guard Kevin Broussard had gone for just 14 points in SFA's first four games, but exploded onto the scene in Wednesday's win over Wiley College with a 23-point night. The transfer from Coffeyville CC hit his first seven shots from the floor, including his first six three-point tries to become the first Lumberjack since Josh Alexander in 2009 to have at least six triples in a single game. He is now 9 for 16 (.563) from behind the arc this season, with the three-point bucket accounting for 27 of his 37 points for the year.
BURYING THE MINERS: The Lumberjacks held UTEP to just 35 points in a 53-35 win on Saturday in El Paso. It was the lowest point total for UTEP at home since the Don Haskins Center opened in 1976, eclipsing its previous low of 41 set in 1980. The 35 points was also the lowest opponent point total for SFA vs a Division I team since becoming Division I itself entering the 1986-87 season, and the second-lowest opponent total overall in the Danny Kaspar era, falling just short of the 33 points allowed to Huston-Tillotson in 2007-08.
BOUNCING BACK: SFA is now 8-3 over the last two seasons in games following a loss. Over the last four seasons, the 'Jacks are 19-0 in home games following defeats. The last time SFA dropped two straight games with the second loss coming at home was the 2006-07 season, when the 'Jacks fell at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, then lost at home to UTSA in the regular-season finale.
BELOW FIFTY: SFA held 10 opponents below 50 points last season, and started off this year by holding Centenary to just 43 points. In 12 seasons under Danny Kaspar the Lumberjacks have held an opponent to 50 points or fewer on 53 occasions, losing just five of those games.
AGAINST THE BIG XII: SFA is 2-10 against teams from the Big XII in 11 years under head coach Danny Kaspar. The Lumberjacks knocked off Baylor, 79-57, in Waco during the 2003-04 season and defeated Oklahoma, 66-62, on the road in 2007-08. SFA has already fallen this season at Texas Tech, but still has yet to play at Texas A&M, making this season marks the fourth time in the last five years for SFA to play two Big XII opponents.
DEFENSE FIRST: The Lumberjacks led the nation in scoring defense at 56.7 points per game allowed in 2010-11. SFA has finished the year ranked among the top 10 in scoring defense in each of the last four seasons, including No. 2 rankings in 2008 and 2009. The best defensive season by a Lumberjack team in the Division I era was 2008-09, when SFA held the opposition to 56.1 points per game. This year they are right back where they have been accustomed, leading the SLC and ranking 7th in the nation in scoring defense at 55.2 points per contest.
NOT ACCEPTING CHARITY: SFA has not been taking advantage of the free throw line through three games, hitting just 59.8 percent of its shots from the stripe, only hiting better than 57.9 percent once in its last four games; however, logic says that number should go up as SFA has never shot lower than in the 2001-02 season when it was a 63.1-percent team from the free-throw line in the Divsion I era (beginning in 1988-88). In all, SFA has shot a solid 69.1 percent from the foul line in the 12 years of the Danny Kaspar era.
HITTING THE BREAKS: The `Jacks avoided its first three-game losing streak in non-conference play since the 2004-05 season with Saturday's win at UTEP. That year SFA dropped consecutive road games to Grambling and Alabama A&M before falling in a four-point contest at home to Jackson State.
BOOM BOSTIC: Antonio Bostic never bucketed more than 15 points in a game during his sophomore year, but did manage to hit double figures eight times. This year, however, he has been SFA's go-to hand offensively through five games, leading the team with a 14.0-ppg average. After raising his career high in each of the first two games of the year, including a 22-point effort at San Diego, Bostic had 10 points in the loss at Texas Tech to put him in double-figures in three consecutive games for the first time in his career, and followed that with an 18-point night in Saturday's win at UTEP. He was the only `Jack in double-digit scoring efforts in each game this season before scoring just four points in Wednesday's win over Wiley; however, he did pull down a career-best eight rebounds in the victory.
SCOTT NEARING 1K: After a junior season where he scored 13.3 points per game and hit a school-record 60 percent of his shots from the floor, Jereal Scott has positioned himself well for a senior season that could leave his name sprinkled throughout the SFA record book. He has hit double figures three times, including averaging 17.5 points in each of his last two contests and now needs just 94 more points to become just the eighth Lumberjack with 1,000 points in a career in the Division I era.
SUB-SEVENTY: SFA has held each of its first five opponents under 70 points this season, but still has a long way to go to hit the longest streak of sub-70 defensive performances to open up a season. The five straight is the longest such streak since the 2008-09 season; however, the 2007-08 team did not allow a team to break 70 points in a game until the 16th game of the year and just allowed 70 on four occassions. The 2008-09 team just allowed 70 twice for the year.
THE GARDNER DID IT: Not known for his scoring output, sophomore point guard Darius Gardner was key in helping the `Jacks nearly pull out a road win at San Diego. Gardner only scored three points in the opener vs Centenary, but canned a pair of threes and pumped in 16 points to go with four assists against the Toreros. It was a career best for Gardner, bettering a 15-point outing last year in a win at Sam Houston State. He curently stands fourth on the team in scoring at 7.4 points per game.
COMING AND GOING: Jereal Scott was a hard man to slow down last season, scoring in double figures 47 of 60 games over the last two years, including 22 of 28 games played last season with SFA going 3-3 in the six games where he didn't total at least 10 points. The games at San Diego and Texas Tech marked only the third time since he moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore that Scott has gone consecutive games without hitting double figures, with it happening just once each of the past two seasons. But Scott responded with 17 and 18 points in each of his last two games, giving SFA its three wins in its three games in which he scored at least 10 points.
START ME UP: The Lumberjacks saw a pair of freshmen get action in it's season-opener vs Centenary in guard Micah Delph and forward Jacob Parker; however, it was the 6-6 Parker that, despite a stat line that did not sparkle, turned the most heads. Parker found himself on the floor at the opening tip, making him the first Lumberjack freshman since Marcus Clark in 2002 to be in the starting lineup for the season opener.
TURNOVERS, TURNOVERS: SFA forced 33 turnovers in a season-opening win over Centenary, which was the most since the `Jacks forced 33 turnovers vs Schreiner College on Nov. 21, 2006. Through three games the `Jacks have managed to top the Southland in turnover margin with a +8.0 differential.
NOT NEEDING THE DISTANCE: The Lumberjacks scored 84 points and won by a 41-point margin in its season opener, but did it without the benefit of the long ball. SFA was just 3-for-15 in shooting from 3-point range, which makes Friday's game the biggest margin of victory for SFA with no more than three 3-point makes since the 99-54 win over Schreiner College in 2006.
JUCO CONNECTION: The `Jacks have managed to develop a recruiting pipeline to two successful junior colleges in recent years, and those recruiting dividends are evident once again on this year's roster. Joe Bright joins former Lumberjacks Denzel Barnes and Benson Akpan as transfers from Howard College since 2007-08, while Taylor Smith is the fifth `Jack from McLennan CC since 2007, joining Jordan Glynn, Eric Bell, Walt Harris and Orren Tims in that category.
SEASON OPENERS: SFA is now 8-4 in season-opening games under head coach Danny Kaspar. The Lumberjacks have compiled a 13-13 record in season openers as a Division I program (since 1986-87 season). Under Kaspar, the Lumberjacks are 7-0 when opening the season at home and 12-6 in home season openers overall as a Division I program. SFA is 1-4 under Kaspar when opening on the road and is just 1-7, in all, as a Division I program when playing the season opener on the road. The Lumberjacks' only season-opening road win in the last 23 seasons was an 82-72 verdict at Tulsa to start the 2005-06 campaign.
CAN'T PUT OUT THE FIRE: The Texas Tech Red Raiders were red hot from the field in Lubbock, especially in the first half. The `Jacks had trouble slowing them down as Tech hit 14 of 17 shots (82.4) percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes. It was just the third time since 2006-07 that SFA has allowed a team to shoot at least 70 percent in a single half, while the Red Raider's 62.9 shooting percentage for the game was the highest allowed by an SFA squad since North Texas shot 65.9 percent from the field on Dec. 6, 2006.
HOME OPENER: SFA knocked off Centenary, 84-43, in the 2011-12 home opener. Head coach Danny Kaspar's teams are a perfect 12-0 in home openers at SFA. The last time an SFA team failed to win its home opener was a 67-55 loss to Texas A&M in 1998.
SOUTHLAND SUCCESS: SFA is 6-3 in its last three Southland Tournament appearances. The 'Jacks have been in the championship game in two of the last three years, winning it in 2009 and losing last season.
HOME INVASION: SFA's 55-40 loss to Sam Houston State in last year's home finale marked the first time since 2006-07 for SFA to lose at least three home games in a single campaign. The 'Jacks went 10-5 at home in 2006-07.
LOW POINT: The 40 points SFA scored against Sam Houston State in last season's match-up with the Bearkats set a Johnson Coliseum record for fewest points scored by the 'Jacks. The previous record was 41 in a 52-41 loss to Southeastern Louisiana in February of 1995.
LOW-BALLED: The 46 points A&M-Corpus Christi put up in its win over SFA last season tied for the fewest points by a Lumberjack opponent in an SFA loss over the last 11 seasons. In 11 years under Danny Kaspar, the 'Jacks have held the opposition below 50 points 52 times and lost only five times.
BEAST AGAINST THE EAST: In four-plus years of divisional play in the Southland Conference, SFA has only lost one home game to a team from the Southland East Division. That was a 67-57 decision against Northwestern State in 2006-07, the first year of divisional action. Since then, the 'Jacks have reeled off 15 straight home wins against the East. SFA is 18-1 at home against East Division teams, and has a 30-8 overall mark against teams in that division.
DIVIDE AND CONQUER: Since the Southland Conference began divisional play in 2006-07, SFA has won three of a possible six division championships. The 'Jacks won the Southland West in 2008 and won the East Division title in 2009 and 2010.
SOUTHLAND OPENERS: In 11 seasons under Danny Kaspar, SFA is 5-6 in Southland Conference openers. The 'Jacks have dropped three of their last four league-opening games and have lost five straight times when opening Southland play on the road. SFA is 2-5 under Kaspar in Southland openers away from home. The last time a Lumberjack team won a league-opening road game was a 2002-03 verdict at former Southland member ULM.
HOME DEFENSE: SFA held its opponents to 50 points or fewer in nine of 16 games at home last season, and allowed just 51.6 points per game at home in 2010-11. SFA opened up 2011-12 on a good note as well, holding Centenary to just 43 points in Nacogdoches.
HOME NON-CONFERENCE: After its win over Wileyy and putting together an 8-0 pre-conference record at home last year, SFA has now won 30 of its last 31 home, non-conference games, dating to the 2006-07 season. The only loss during that stretch is a two-point defeat against Texas Tech in 2009-10. The Lumberjacks are 59-4, overall, in home, non-conference games in 12 seasons under head coach Danny Kaspar.
SAFE AT HOME: In 10-plus seasons under head coach Danny Kaspar, the Lumberjacks have compiled a 129-32 (.801) record in the William R. Johnson Coliseum. SFA is 325-123 (.725) all-time in the Coliseum. SFA has recorded six straight seasons and eight campaigns in nine years with double-digit wins at home.
CLASSIC RESULTS: SFA is 4-0 in the Etech Lumberjack Classic after hosting the event for the second straight year in 2010-11. The 'Jacks are 10-0, all-time, in home, regular-season tournaments. SFA went 4-0 in two years of hosting the Tall Pines Classic in 1975 and 1976, and the 'Jacks picked up two wins in the Stephen F. Austin Tournament in 1963. SFA will host the third annual Etech Lumberjack Classic in December when it hosts Alabama State and Florida International.
TOURNAMENT TEAM: Over the last three seasons, SFA is 9-1 in five regular-season, tournament-format events. The Lumberjacks won two games at the Drake Hy-Vee Classic in 2008-09 and split a pair of contests at the Arkansas Jim Thorpe Classic later that season. Last year, SFA swept two games each in the Etech Lumberjack Classic and the St. Mary's Shamrock Classic, then picked up two wins in the 2010 Etech Classic. The `Jacks have five games scheduled over two tournaments this season: the Etech Lumberjack Classic in Nacogdoches, and the Global Hoops Showcase in Eugene, Ore.
SITTIN' ON 20: The `Jacks came up two wins shy of 20 last season, finishing 18-11 overall, snapping a string of three conseuctive 20-win seasons for Danny Kaspar's troops. In 11 seasons as head coach, Kaspar has put together five 20-win seasons. Prior to Kaspar's tenure, the only 20-win season in the program's history at the Division I level was the 22-8 record put up by the 'Jacks in the 1986-87 campaign, the program's first as a D-I team.
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