Stephen F. Austin
Northwestern State
SFA Routs Demons, 92-66; Claim Share of Title
3/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Stephen F. Austin 92, Northwestern State 66
William R. Johnson Coliseum • Nacogdoches, Texas
Records: SFA (26-4, 16-1 SLC); NSU (17-11, 12-5 SLC)
Up Next: vs. Sam Houston State • Saturday, March 7 • 6:30 p.m.
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Paced by double-doubles from both Thomas Walkup and Jacob Parker, Stephen F. Austin throttled Northwestern State 92-66 at William R. Johnson Coliseum. With the victory, the Lumberjacks clinched at least a share of the 2014-15 Southland Conference regular season crown.
"It's an amazing accomplishment," said head coach Brad Underwood. "To win three-straight titles in a league that has the quality of players and coaches this conference has speaks volumes about this team and the players that have come through here."
The Lumberjacks improved to 26-4 on the season and 16-1 in Southland Conference play, while the Demons dropped to 17-11 overall and 12-5 in the SLC. The win was the sixth-straight for the 'Jacks, the 13th-straight at home and the 28th-straight home conference victory for SFA.
Walkup finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds while dishing out five assists and was complemented by the efforts of Parker, who notched 16 points and 10 rebounds with three assists and a block. It marks the second time this season the duo have posted double-doubles in the same game, accomplishing the feat in the win against Southeastern Louisiana earlier this season.
The pair led a balanced offensive Lumberjack attack that saw five different players finish in double figures while shooting 56.1 percent from the floor. Demetrious Floyd led the `Jacks with 19 points, hitting five of his eight three-point shots on the night. Clide Geffrard and Ty Charles also posted 15 points in the victory as SFA hit 12 of its 19 three-point attempts, a blistering 63.2 percent.
Going head-to-head with the nation's top scoring team, SFA held Northwestern State to just 66 points, the Demons' third-lowest point total of the season as NSU shot just 39.7 percent from the floor, including 33.1 percent from beyond the arc.
SFA was again very efficient at ball movement and waiting for the key shot, dishing out 23 assists on its 32 made shots on the night. Dallas Cameron recorded a career-best seven assists with Walkup finishing with five and Charles, Parker and Trey Pinkney finishing with three each.
The `Jacks never trailed in the contest, scoring the game's first seven points and never looking back. The closest the Demons could scratch to was within three of SFA a handful of times, the last of which came at 19-16 with 11:51 remaining in the opening half. But the `Jacks countered with a number of extended runs, leading by double digits for nearly the remainder of the first half and taking a 52-34 lead into halftime.
SFA picked up right where it left off in the second half, building a 20-point lead at 58-38 with 17:54 to go. The Demons pulled to within 14 at 58-44 at the 15:41 mark, but that seemed to spark the Lumberjack offense which continued to distance itself, building leading by as many as 29 off a three from Jared Johnson with 2:02 remaining.
The victory over the Demons was the most lopsided in the storied history between the two since 2009, a 73-45 Lumberjack victory. SFA has now won five-straight against their border rivals, who were led by 21 points from Zeek Woodley and 17 points and eight rebounds from Jalan West.
With at least a share of the conference title now in its grasp, SFA looks to capture the title all for itself when it hosts rival Sam Houston Saturday at W.R. Johnson Coliseum. The Bearkats sit at 15-2 after a 67-61 victory at Lamar Thursday evening, setting up a defacto SLC championship game. Opening tip against Sam Houston State is set for 6:30 p.m. on ESPN3.
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