Stephen F. Austin
New Orleans
SFA Readies for Midweek Clash with League-Leading New Orleans
1/9/2018 5:27:00 PM | Men's Basketball
'Jacks have won four of five all-time meetings with defending league champions
Stephen F. Austin (13-3, 2-1 Southland) vs. New Orleans (7-8, 4-0 Southland)
Wednesday, Jan. 10 | 7:00 p.m. | William R. Johnson Coliseum (7,203) | Nacogdoches, Texas
Live Stats | Watch (ESPN3/ESPN app) | Listen (Q107.7/TuneIn) | SFA Game Notes | UNO Game Notes
OPENING TIPS
• Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m., the winners of each of the last five Southland Conference regular season titles will collide inside William R. Johnson Coliseum when Stephen F. Austin plays host to league-leading and defending league titleholder New Orleans in a high-profile Southland showdown sponsored by Whataburger.
• Official voice of the Lumberjacks Rob Meyers will provide play-by-play and analysis of the 'Jacks' tilt with the Privateers from his court side seat. That delivery can be heard nationwide concurrently with the ESPN3/ESPN app video stream and locally over the airwaves on Q107.7 FM in Nacogdoches. Meyers' call can also be found online via the TuneIn app.
• Entering last season, New Orleans was one of three Southland Conference teams who had never beaten SFA. That all changed when the Privateers scored a 17-point win over the 'Jacks last Feb. 23, ending SFA's four-game winning streak in the all-time series which the 'Jacks now lead 4-1 (.800). That win by UNO helped the Privateers end SFA's four-year reign as Southland Conference champions.
• Wednesday night's battle will be the third between the two squads inside William R. Johnson Coliseum. Both of the previous meetings inside that facility resulted in SFA wins by at least 10 points and by taking a look at the 2017-18 stats another SFA win could be in order. According to Kem Pomeroy - the nation's foremost authority on advanced college basketball analytics - New Orleans turns the ball over on 24.8-percent of its possessions (346th out of 351 DI teams). SFA, meanwhile, forces turnovers on 28.8-percent of its opponent's possessions which is the best rate in the nation.
• Thanks to its win over Northwestern State in Natchitoches, La., last Saturday evening, SFA managed to keep pace with Wichita State for the nation's best in-conference winning percentage since 2012-13. Both the 'Jacks and Shockers have gone 83-10 (.892) in conference games during that span.
• Since 2012-13, no team in the nation has enjoyed a better home court advantage than SFA. In that time, the 'Jacks are 80-3 at home which is good for a winning percentage of .964. Arizona (89-4, .957), Kansas (86-6, .935) and Louisiana Tech (82-7, .921) round out the top four.
SCOUTING NEW ORLEANS | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS
• The only man on the Privateers' roster who is averaging more than nine points per game is senior Travin Thibodeaux. His scoring average of 15.8 points per game is the seventh-highest in the Southland Conference and the Plaquemine, La., product has served as his squad's leading scorer in nine of its 15 games. In league action Thibodueax's scoring average is at 16.5 points per game.
• Just because Thibodeaux reigns as the Privateers' primary scoring threat doesn't mean New Orleans su ers from a lack of firepower. Sophomore Bryson Robinson is the reigning Southland Conference Player of the Week after he busted out of a recent shooting slump in a big way in Lake Charles, La. Headed into last Saturday's game at McNeese, Robinson has gone just 6-of-26 (21.4-percent) from three-point range but shot 7-of-8 from there against the Cowboys to finish with 31 points.
• In addition to being the team's leading scorer, Thibodeaux leads New Orleans in rebounding (5.9/game), steals (1.3/game) and blocked shots (1.3/game) throughout the 2017-18 campaign. His field goal percentage of .550 is the third-highest in the Southland Conference and the 72nd best among all NCAA Division I men's basketball players.
• Even though they possess the top three-point shooting threat in the Southland Conference in Ezekiel Charles (52.4-percent, 22-of-42), the Privateers receive only 19-percent (201 of 1,060) of their offense from the three-pointer. That's the third-lowest percentage among the 351 DI men's basketball teams this season.
• Currently New Orleans ranks last in the Southland Conference and 294th nationally in terms of field goal percentage defense. The Privateers' opponents are hitting 46.3-percent of their field goal tries while Southland squads are firing at a rate of 43.4-percent against New Orleans.
• Through their first four Southland Conference games of the season, the Privateers have found ways to come out on the winning end of things down the stretch. Each of New Orleans' wins has come by 10 points of fewer and dating back to last season five of its last 10 triumphs over Southland foes have come by less than 10 points. The Privateers are currently one of two Southland teams who do not have a Southland Conference loss in their ledger this season.
LAST TIME OUT
• Although the 'Jacks failed to connect on a three-pointer, going 0-for-16 during the 40-minute affair, that didn't stop them from collecting their fifth-straight victory over Northwestern State in Prather Coliseum Saturday afternoon. SFA bested the Demons 64-56 to improve to 2-1 in the Southland and 2-0 in the month of January.
• Trailing by one point at the half, the 'Jacks used a 12-2 run during the final 20 minutes of action to turn a three-point deficit into a seven-point lead with 12:35 to go. TJ Holyfield scored four of his 11 points during that run and it was his layup with 15:44 left that put the 'Jacks ahead for good.
• Saturday marked the first time in almost six years that SFA did not hit a single three-pointer in a game. The last time the 'Jacks were shut out from downtown was February 22, 2012, at Lamar and in that tilt SFA went 0-for-4 from beyond the arc. The result in that game was also a win with the final score reading 62-52 against the Cardinals.
• For the sixth time in 2017-18, sophomore Kevon Harris finished with 20 or more points. The Ellenwood, Ga., pumped in exactly 20 points in Saturday's victory and was aided by an 8-of-9 showing from the free throw stripe. It also marked Harris' first effort of 20 or more points in a Southland Conference of his collegiate career.
• Almost one-third of SFA's 22 field goal makes came courtesy of junior Shannon Bogues. The Killeen, Texas, product went 7-of-11 from the field and finished with 14 points to up his number of double-digit scoring outings to 13 in 2017-18. In Southland Conference action, Bogues is one of four SFA players averaging double figures and possesses a scoring average of 10.3 per game in league tilts.
• Holyfield went 3-of-3 from the field and took a season-high seven free throws in the win to finish with 11 points. All 11 of Holyfield's points came in the final 20 minutes of action as did five of his seven rebounds and all three of his blocked shots. Those three blocked shots were the most by an SFA player in a single game this season, too.
• Another reason why the 'Jacks were able to escape Natchitoches with a win was because of Northwestern State's abysmal free throw shooting. The Demons converted only 48.4-percent (15-of-31) of their tries from the foul line during the tilt.
• Rebounding played a big part in SFA's win over the Demons as well. The 'Jacks finished with a rebounding margin of +15 (44-29) over Northwestern State and tied a season-high with those 44 total rebounds. SFA's 32 defensive rebounds were also a season-best and Ivan Canete grabbed six of those defensive rebounds to tie a career high.
• Northwestern State was whistled for 28 personal fouls throughout the 40-minute engagement - the highest number by an SFA opponent this season. Additionally, the Demons' 26 second-half points, their six total assists and their field goal percentage of 36.7 were all season lows by an SFA opponent in 2017-18.
• The Demons are still the only Southland Conference team to hold a winning record against the 'Jacks, but SFA continued to inch closer to evening the all-time series at .500 with the win. The 'Jacks have won 10 of the last 11 and 17 of the last 21 games in the series to cut Northwestern State's all-time lead in the series to 66-62.
• Senior Leon Gilmore III finished with four rebounds in the win but was held without a point. It marked the first time in his SFA career that he failed to score in a Southland Conference game.
• Canete finished with a team and game-high four assists in the win. Those four assists represented exactly half of the 'Jacks' total during the game.
• With Saturday evening's win, SFA continued its run of recent dominance against foes from the state of Louisiana. Since the start of the 2012-13 campaign, the 'Jacks have posted a 41-9 (.820) record against adversaries from that state and 11 of those triumphs have come over Northwestern State.
• Wednesday night's win was a milestone victory for the 'Jacks' home facility of William R. Johnson Coliseum. It marked the 450th triumph for SFA inside the building since it opened just prior to the start of the 1974-75 season.
• Below is a full breakdown of where Stephen F. Austin's points came from in its road win at Northwestern State:
Two-pointers | 68.8% (44-64)
Three-pointers | 0.0% (0-64)
Free throws | 31.2% (20-64)
Points in the paint | 56.3% (36-64)
Points off turnovers | 20.3% (13-64)
Second chance points | 18.8% (12-64)
Fast break points | 9.3% (6-64)
Starters points | 70.3% (45-64)
Bench Points | 29.7% (19-64)
THE LINE STARTS HERE
• Through 16 of their 30 regular season games, the 'Jacks are leading the 13-team Southland Conference in seven statistical categories.
• SFA is tops in the league in field goal percentage (.491, 29th nationally), scoring margin (+13.5, 28th nationally), steals per game (11.8, second nationally), total steals (188, second nationally), turnover margin (+6.3, third nationally), turnovers forced per game (22.31, first nationally) and winning percentage (.813, 24th nationally).
• Another area where SFA is the best in the Southland is in terms of total wins. The 'Jacks' 13 wins are at least two more than any other team in the league and makes SFA one of 15 teams with exactly 13 triumphs this season. Just 19 other NCAA Division I men's basketball teams have posted more wins than the 'Jacks thus far in 2017-18.
TOP TEN TJ
• A little over halfway into his third regular season of college basketball, junior TJ Holyfield has cemented himself as not only one of the best SFA has to offer but one of the finest players in the Southland, too.
• The Albuquerque, N.M., product is the only player in the Southland to rank among the top ten in field goal percentage (third, .576), three-point field goal percentage (second, .462) and free throw percentage (ninth, .800).
• In all, Holyfield ranks among the top 10 players in the 13-team league in seven statistical categories. Aside from his trio of top-ten shooting percentages, Holyfield ranks eighth in the Southland in scoring (15.3 ppg), fifth in rebounding (7.0/game), 10th in blocked shots (1.2/game) and fourth in offensive rebounding (2.8/game).
• After snaring seven rebounds in the 'Jacks' Southland Conference win at Northwestern State Saturday night, Holyfield also remained at 10th place on SFA's career rebounding charts. For his career, Holyfield has grabbed 485 rebounds and with 15 more he would become only the ninth player in SFA's NCAA Division I history to reach at least 500.
FOUR OF A KIND
• SFA is one of three teams in the Southland Conference who have four players averaging 10 or more points per game in league action.
• TJ Holyfield leads that list with an average of 14.3 points per game while Kevon Harris (12.3) sits second. Ivan Canete and Shannon Bogues are tied for third on the team in scoring in Southland Conference action by averaging 10.3 points per game.
• Three of those four players - Bogues, Harris and Holyfield - are shooting at a clip of .520 or better in Southland Conference play. Holyfield tops that list having drilled 57.1-percent (16-of-28) of his field goal tries while both Harris and Bogues have hit 52-percent (13-of-25) of their shots.
NOWHERE TO GO BUT UP
• Three-point accuracy has not been a forte of SFA through its three Southland Conference games so far this season. The 'Jacks have drilled just 18.2-percent (8-of-44) of their long range tries in Southland Conference action thus far which is the third-lowest three-point field goal percentage in conference play in all of NCAA Division I men's basketball.
• The only teams in the United States who have a worse three-point field goal percentage in conference play than SFA are Florida Atlantic (9-of-54, .167), Hampton (4-of-26, .154) and CSU-Bakersfield (2-of-13, .154).
COMING UP NEXT
• One of the three Southland Conference squads that have yet to capture a win in league play, Incarnate Word makes the trip from San Antonio, Texas, to Nacogdoches, Texas, for a Saturday evening showdown with the 'Jacks. Tip-off between the 'Jacks and Cardinals inside William R. Johnson Coliseum is set for 6:00 p.m.
-SFA-
