Stephen F. Austin
11-2
Arlington Baptist
3-10
Pass-Happy 'Jacks Run Over Arlington Baptist, 116-66, to Conclude Non-Conference Slate
12/21/2017 9:17:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Canete dishes out 11 of SFA's 31 assists - the most in a single game in nine years
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Traditionally, late December has been known as the season of giving.
Back in their home venue to wrap up their 13-game regular season non-conference slate, the Stephen F. Austin men's basketball team exemplified the spirit of the season.
Kevon Harris scored a game-high 29 points, senior Ivan Canete dished out 11 assists - the most by an SFA player in a half-decade - and the 'Jacks hammered visiting Arlington Baptist 116-66 in their final non-conference game of the regular season Thursday evening inside William R. Johnson Coliseum.
At no point did the 'Jacks wont for scores on the interior throughout the drubbing. Of the team's 116 points, 74 of them - almost two-thirds - came in the paint. Those easy scores were aided some fine passing by the entire team as the 'Jacks finished with a season-high 31 assists during the rout.
"Before the game started, we talked about having unselfish thoughts and all of us - most noticeably Ivan - took that to heart tonight," remarked SFA head coach Kyle Keller following the game. "All we want to do is play the right way, run out sets correctly and execute. Tonight we did that and I loved how unselfish we were and have been since we started.
"Every guy who goes out there doesn't care who plays, doesn't care who scores. They just care about the front of the jersey."
In all, the 'Jacks connected on 62.5-percent (50-of-80) of their field goals, setting new season highs in field goals made and field goals attempted in the process. By the time the final horn had sounded, five SFA players found themselves with at least 12 points including Harris, Shannon Bogues (15), Ty Charles (14), TJ Holyfield (13) and John Comeaux.
Two players - Canete and Holyfield - narrowly missed out on double-doubles. To go along with his 11 assists, Canete finished with eight points while Holyfield hauled down a game-high nine rebounds.
Right from the start, the 'Jacks had little to no difficulty establishing their offense. Harris' first score of his 17-point first half came at the free throw line. Of the team's first 20 points, only four came outside of the painted area as the hosts built up a 20-10 lead with 13:12 to go in the first frame.
The runaway didn't begin in full until a little later in the first half thanks to a stretch of offensive aggressiveness by the Patriots. Markel Semien drained one of Arlington Baptist's four triples and Quinton Moore converted a layup to wrap the 5-0 run which trimmed SFA's lead to 22-17 at the halfway point of the stanza.
Arlington Baptist stayed within striking distance after Jashun Petite completed a three-point play at the foul line which cut the 'Jacks' edge to 30-23 before the hosts - propelled by Harris' offense - put the hammer down.
Through a span of 5:13, SFA put the Patriots in the rearview mirror with a 22-2 run in which Harris scored 13 points. That scoring outburst put the 'Jacks up 52-25 with 2:13 left in the opening frame and Arlington Baptist never threatened again.
Bogues' three-point play with 5:18 left in the game extended the 'Jacks' lead to 108-54 - a margin of 54 points.
Kennedy Jones put in a team-high 20 points for the Patriots while Moore added 17.
With the regular season non-conference portion of their schedule in the history books, the 'Jacks sights are now set squarely on obtaining the program's fifth regular season Southland Conference title in the last six seasons as league play begins on one week. SFA starts its 18-game Southland slate on Thursday, Dec. 28, in Hammond, La., by tangling with Southeastern Louisiana at 7:00 p.m.
-SFA-
