Stephen F. Austin
Howard Payne
SFA Aims to Maintain Perfect Record when Howard Payne Comes to Town
11/18/2017 12:05:00 AM | Men's Basketball
'Jacks have won each of their first three games of the 2017-18 season
Stephen F. Austin (3-0) vs. Howard Payne (0-1)
Saturday, Nov. 18 | 4:00 p.m. | William R. Johnson Coliseum (7,203) | Nacogdoches, Texas
Live Stats | Watch (Facebook Live) | Listen | SFA Game Notes
OPENING TIPS
• The endpoint of a three-game homestand for the Stephen F. Austin men's basketball team is in sight as NCAA Division III adversary Howard Payne heads into William R. Johnson Coliseum for a Saturday afternoon showdown. Tip-off has been set for 4:00 p.m. and the game will be streamed via Facebook Live on the SFA Athletics Facebook page. Over the airwaves, the game can be heard on KVLL 94.7 FM with Bobby Mauro providing play-by-play and analysis.
• One of 122 NCAA Division I men's basketball teams that have not suffered a loss so far in the 2017-18 campaign, SFA is seeking a fourth-straight win. The last time SFA won four games in a row to start a season came in 2012-13.
• Something all three SFA wins have had in common is a big outing from sophomore Kevon Harris. The Ellenwod, Ga., product ranks second in the Southland Conference in scoring at 22.3 points per game and is averaging a double-double by snaring 10 rebounds per tilt. Harris leads the Southland Conference in rebounding and in terms of total rebounds (30) as well. His two double-doubles also represent a Southland Conference high and place him ninth in the nation in that statistical category.
• Another area in which the 'Jacks have excelled thus far is on defense. Currently SFA ranks third nationally in terms of steals per game, grabbing 15 per tilt. SFA's 45 total steals are one fewer than North Carolina State who leads the nation in that category with 46 thefts.
• Opponents of the 'Jacks have thrown the ball away an average of 23 times per game, making SFA sixth nationally in terms of turnovers forced per game.
• Just a few NCAA Division I men's basketball teams have owned a better advantage on the glass this season than SFA. With a rebounding margin of +15, SFA ranks second in the Southland Conference and 21st in the nation. SFA's 127 total rebounds are the most in the Southland Conference and the 32nd-most by any NCAA Division I men's basketball squad this season.
SCOUTING HOWARD PAYNE | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS
• In the Yellow Jackets' season opener on Thursday night, they were on the wrong end of a lopsided 112-62 decision to Abilene Christian inside Moody Coliseum. Khyce Randall finished with 22 points for Howard Payne and was one of two players to post a double-digit scoring effort in the setback.
• De'Marcus Hurd added 18 for the Yellow Jackets and between he and Randall 64.5-percent of Howard Payne's scoring output against the Wildcats was represented.
• One season ago, Randall parlayed his basketball talent into an All-ASC and West Division First Team selection. In 2017-18, he'll be looking to lead Howard Payne as they try to prove the voters in the ASC preseason poll wrong. The Yellow Jackets were picked to finish in a tie for fifth out of the six teams in the ASC West Division in the league's preseason listing.
• Howard Payne heads to Nacogdoches on a 10-game losing streak to the 'Jacks. Since a 60-54 win over SFA in Brownwood, Texas, in 1983, Howard Payne has not posted a win over the 'Jacks. In Nacogdoches, the Yellow Jackets have not recorded a win since 1981.
LAST TIME OUT
• By racking up the most point in a single game in the Kyle Keller coaching era, SFA made it three wins in a row to start the 2017-18 season by throttling NCAA Division III adversary LeTourneau 91-68 inside William R. Johnson Coliseum Thursday night.
• Less than one week removed from posting a new career high in scoring in the 'Jacks' season opener at Longwood, sophomore Kevon Harris hit the reset button again by springing for a game-high 26 points. Harris was one of four SFA players who finished with 10 or more points in the rout.
• From three-point range, Harris put forth a 4-of-8 effort. That represented a career-high for the sophomore in that category and is tied for the most by an SFA player this season.
• Sophomore John Comeaux added a career-best 12 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting night. Comeaux also contributed a game-best three steals to SFA's collective 14-steal effort.
• Both Harris and junior TJ Holyfield finished two rebounds shy of double-doubles. Holyfield added 19 points on an 8-of-13 night from the field, adding two of the 'Jacks six three-pointers.
• At the end of the night, the 'Jacks finished with a +20 rebounding margin over their adversaries from LeTourneau. That margin is tied for the largest in a game in Kyle Keller's tenure as SFA's head coach.
• Harris and Holyfield added two steals each in the one-sided victory and moved up to 15th nationally in terms of total steals so far in the 2017-18 campaign. Each of those two SFA players has totaled nine thefts this season which represents the second-highest total in the Southland Conference.
• For the second-straight night, a major area of emphasis for SFA was pounding the rock inside. The 'Jacks did just that, racking up an impressive 56 points in the paint to finish with a +36 advantage in that particular statistical category over their adversaries from Longview, Texas.
• An early three-pointer by LeTourneau gave the YellowJackets their only lead of the game and in all SFA trailed for only 58 seconds. Through their first three games of the season, SFA has trailed for only 4:34 out of a possible 120 minutes of game time. To put it in a different perspective, SFA has led in 96.1-percent of its total game time this season.
• Shannon Bogues also made it three-straight games in which he has posted at least 10 points. The junior out of Killeen, Texas, added 15 while corralling a career-best six rebounds - all of which were of the defensive variety. So far this seaon, Bogues ranks 10th in the Southland Conference with a field goal percentage of .588.
• LeTourneau connected on 46-percent of its field goal tries against SFA - the highest field goal percentage by an SFA opponent this season. That shooting touch was negated, however, by 21 turnovers that turned into 31 points for the 'Jacks.
• Junior Jovan Grujic delivered a season-best six points on a perfect 3-of-3 effort from the field. The 7-0 Serbian also racked up five fouls and fouled out of a game for the first time in his SFA career.
• SFA hit all five of its free throw tries in the first half and finished the game with a 76.5-percent showing from the stripe - the highest percentage in a single game be SFA this season.
COMING UP NEXT
Before engaging in the usual Thanksgiving Day festivities with friends and family, the 'Jacks will head to Starkville, Miss., for the first time in the history of the program in order to do battle with SEC foe Mississippi State. Tip-off between the 'Jacks and Bulldogs has been set for 7:00 p.m. and the game will be streamed exclusively online on SEC Network+.
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