Stephen F. Austin
Northern Iowa
SFA's Home Streak Ends In OT Thriller
11/18/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Juniors Thomas Walkup and Demetrious Floyd each recorded 20 points, but Northern Iowa was able to outlast the Stephen F. Austin men's basketball team in a 79-77 overtime thriller on Tuesday morning inside William R. Johnson Coliseum as part of ESPN's College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon to close the nation's second longest active home court win streak at 34 consecutive.
Trailing by two points with 12 seconds to go in overtime, the Lumberjacks (1-1) drove the floor for the final possession of the game. Floyd made a move in the paint against UNI (2-0) and had a chance to tie it with a floater with two seconds remaining, but the shot just didn't fall, hitting the back of the rim.
Floyd proved to be a catalyst off the bench for SFA, shooting 8-of-14 from the field and 4-of-7 from deep across 26 minutes. The native of St. Louis, Missouri, was one of three `Jacks to net double figures, joined by Walkup and senior Jacob Parker (15 points), all recording season-high scoring performances. Parker also finished one rebound shy of a double-double, pulling down nine boards.
The size of the Panthers, who placed five in double figures, proved to be a difference in the battle under the basket, as UNI outscored the `Jacks 44-18 in the paint and held a 36-30 mark on rebounds.
Both teams played contested halves in regulation, before Panther Deon Mitchell forced the extra session with three-point play, converting a layup and free throw, with 50.8 seconds left in regulation that tied the game at 70-70.
Despite, SFA's pressure forcing UNI to just 1-of-7 shooting from behind the arc in the first half, the Panthers were able to keep pace and trail by just four points heading into the break. Each team made 14 shots from the field, with the `Jacks netting seven from three-point land, while UNI scored all but one of its in the paint.
SFA opened the second half on a 13-9 run to take a 52-44 lead, the largest of the game (eight points), but the Panthers quickly followed with a 8-0 run of their own to tie it up 52-all with 13:26 to play. Both teams then traded the lead seven times over the remainder of regulation to force the extra session.
The `Jacks will now begin preparation for their road opener, heading to Xavier for a 7 p.m. tip on Friday.
Postgame Quotes
Head Coach Brad Underwood
Underwood opening comments...
"It was a tremendous college basketball game for November 18. What a great game. It was two good teams competing and playing very, very hard. Today was their day. They made the plays. They played like a veteran basketball team.
"We had some good looks, and yet it was an offensive rebound that they got proved to be the difference. (Paul) Jesperson got it, and it was his only offensive rebound of the game.
"A lot of credit goes to Northern Iowa and a team that has over 90 percent of their scoring back. They are a very good basketball team.
"The great thing about basketball is we have another game on Friday. This team will grow, learn and get better. I am very proud of our guys. We had some very good looks, and sometimes they just don't go down. We'll learn to make those game-winning plays, like they did, and get better as we go."
Underwood on Northern Iowa...
"They are extremely well coached. That basketball team has a coach that is just about as good as there is in the country in my opinion, especially that I've faced. I was surprised, especially since they are a heavy-set orientated team, with the way they played us. About 90 percent of the time when teams get out of what they're trying to do, we come out on the winning side. You got to give (Seth) Tuttle and their guards a lot of credit."
Underwood on team...
"I love our team. I love those guys in the locker room and the fight they bring every day. We demand a lot from them and never stop working on getting better.
"I say good things happen to those who work hard and our day is coming. The next challenge is Xavier. Today, UNI made one more basket than we did, but who says we can't go do that our next time out. That is the way we approach things.
"All records get broke. All streaks get snapped. Let's go start another one."
Junior Demetrious Floyd
Floyd on last look of the game...
"Stuff like that happens all the time. I didn't make the layup, so that is something I have to work on."
-SFA-
