'Jacks and 'Kats Tangle For SLC Crown Saturday
3/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Stephen F. Austin vs. Sam Houston State
Saturday, March 7 • 6:30 p.m.
William R. Johnson Coliseum • Nacogdoches, Texas
Records: SFA (26-4, 16-1 SLC); SHSU (24-6, 15-2 SLC)
Watch Live: ESPN3
Radio: Q107.7 FM (listen online at Q1077.com)
Live Stats: SFAJacks.com
Twitter Updates: @SFA_MBB
OPENING TIP
Stephen F. Austin looks to win its third-straight outright regular season Southland Conference championship Saturday hosting rival Sam Houston State at William R. Johnson Coliseum Saturday at 6:30 p.m. The Lumberjacks sit at 16-1 in conference play, holding a one-game lead on the 15-2 Bearkats. The rivalry game will be broadcast on ESPN3 as a victory would give SFA its third-straight outright regular season conference title.
TIEBREAKING SCENARIOS
With one game separating SFA and Sam Houston State in the conference standings, Saturday's game is being played to not only determine the regular season champion, but the top two seeds for the SLC tournament in Katy next week. If the Lumberjacks win Saturday, they are the outright regular season champions and will clinch the top overall seed. If the Bearkats win, the rivals will share the regular season title and then will have to wait until the latest RPI rankings come out Sunday to determine the top overall seed as no other tiebreaking scenario will break the deadlock between the two.
UNDERWOOD STANDING ALONE
With SFA's win over the Demons, head coach Brad Underwood notched his 58th win at Stephen F. Austin, boasting a two-year record of 58-7. The 58 wins ties former North Carolina coach Bill Guthridge for the most wins by a second-year head coach in NCAA Division I history while Underwood's .892 winning percentage is tops all-time among second year coaches, besting the .873 by former North Carolina State coach Everett Case.
LUMBERJACKS AMONG ELITE FEW
SFA joined an elite group Monday night as the win over Incarnate Word was the Lumberjacks' 25th victory of the season, giving them three-straight years of at least 25 wins. The `Jacks are one of only four teams in the nation to accomplish that feat, joining Arizona, Duke, Gonzaga and Wichita State, with five other schools (Kansas, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, Ohio State and VCU) in position to join the club.
WELCOME TO THE SAWMILL
SFA has been one of the nation's toughest teams at home in recent years as the Lumberjacks have won 46 of their last 47 games at William R. Johnson Coliseum, dating back to the 2011-12 season. SFA has won 13-straight at home since the 79-77 overtime loss to nationally ranked Northern Iowa on Nov. 18 snapped a nation's best 33-game streak. The `Jacks have also won 28-straight SLC games at W.R. Johnson Coliseum, dating back to the 2012-13 season.
SFA vs. SAM HOUSTON STATE
Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State renew one of the longest-standing rivalries in the Southland Conference Saturday when the two teams meet for the 194th time in the series dating back to 1925 as the Lumberjacks hold a 103-90 edge in the all-time series. SFA has won nine-straight against its in-state rivals dating back to a 61-45 loss to the Bearkats in the 2011 Southland Conference tournament. In Nacogdoches, the `Jacks have been extremely tough against Sam Houston State, posting a 69-21 record, and have won the last three on the floor at William R. Johnson Coliseum.
SCOUTING THE BEARKATS
Sam Houston State enters Saturday's game at 24-6 overall and 15-2 in Southland Confernce play, the Bearkats' best season since joining the conference. The Bearkats have clinched at least the number two seed in the Southland Conference tournament next week. SHSU is one of the top defensive teams in the nation, ranking 14th nationally by allowing just 58.1 points per game and is eighth nationally in defensive field goal percentage at 37.8 percent. The Bearkats are also one of the nation's top rebounding teams, ranking sixth nationally in defensive rebounds (27.6) and 10th in rebounding margin (8.1). The Bearkats are led by DeMarcus Gatlin's 11.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game with Kaheem Rhansom adding 10.3 points and 4.2 rebounds. Michael Holyfield has emerged as one of the top defensive threats, averaging 8.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game.
THE LAST MEETING
Stephen F. Austin used a hot start and a well-balanced attack to take down Sam Houston State 79-68 in Huntsville. Four different Lumberjacks scored in double figures, led by 17 points from Thomas Walkup, 16 from Ty Charles, 15 from Clide Geffrard and 13 from Jacob Parker. The `Jacks shot 54.2 percent for the game while holding the Bearkats to just 39.1 percent from the floor as SFA led by as many as 22 in the second half to cruise to the victory.
LAST TIME OUT
SFA clinched at least a share of the Southland Conference regular season title with its 92-66 rout of Northwestern State Thursday night at W.R. Johnson Coliseum. Thomas Walkup (14 pts., 13 rebs.) and Jacob Parker (16 pts., 10 rebs.) both recorded double-doubles against the Demons, marking the second time this year the duo have notched double-doubles in the same game. The `Jacks held the Demons, the nation's top scoring team, to just 66 points, their third-lowest output of the season.
COMFORT IN HALFTIME LEAD
When leading at halftime, the `Jacks are 49-1 all-time under head coach Brad Underwood. SFA's lone loss when taking a lead into the locker room was at Texas on Friday, Nov. 15, 2013, just the third game of Underwood's tenure both with the `Jacks and as a head coach at the Div. I level. Since then, SFA has won 45 consecutive games under Underwood when on top after the first 20 minutes.
SENDING A MESSAGE
SFA heads into the weekend ranked ninth nationally in scoring margin, averaging 15.2 points per victory. The Lumberjacks have won by double digits in 23 of their 26 victories in 2014-15, including a 51-point victory over Central Arkansas, a 37-point win over Arkansas Tech and a 36-point win against Houston Baptist.
PARKER's ALL-TIME WINS
Senior forward Jacob Parker recorded the 98th win of his Lumberjack career in SFA's 95-59 victory over Houston Baptist to become the program's all-time winningest player at the Division I level. He has since added six more victories, sitting at 105 during his four-year SFA career, as he gets set to play possibly his final game at W.R. Johnson Coliseum against Sam Houston State Saturday.
WINNINGEST TWO-YEAR PLAYERS
Seniors Connor Brooks and Tanner Clayton picked up their 58th win of their Lumberjack careers in SFA's 92-66 win over Northwestern State. The two are now just two wins away from tying former teammates Nikola Gajic and Deshaunt Walker as the program's all-time winningest two-year players. Gajic and Walker are also the only two `Jacks to go undefeated inside William R. Johnson Coliseum across their careers, posting 30 wins (15 - 2012-13; 15 - 2013-14). Brooks and Clayton are 27-1 in the coliseum.
LOOKING AHEAD
Stephen F. Austin looks to defend its Southland Conference tournament title, heading to Katy for the 2015 SLC tournament. SFA has earned a double bye and will open up the tournament Friday in the semifinals.
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