Stephen F. Austin
Texas Wesleyan University
'Jacks Hang On for 83-71 Season-Opening Win over Texas Wesleyan
11/6/2018 8:28:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Shannon Bogues nets a game-high 21 for SFA
SFA Postgame Press Conference
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Senior Shannon Bogues scored a game-high 21 points and went 4-of-6 from three-point land to lead the SFA men's basketball team to an 83-71 season-opening victory over visiting Texas Wesleyan Tuesday night inside William R. Johnson Coliseum.
Trailing by five points early in the final frame, SFA outscored the Rams 46-32 in the final 20 minutes of action to early their second-straight season-opening victory.
FIRST HALF
• Charged up to be back in Nacogdoches for the first time since February of 2018, SFA started the game on a 10-3 run that was capped by a powerful two-handed slam from freshman Mitchell Seraille.
• SFA's lead bulged to as many as nine point through the early stages of the frame following a straightaway three-pointer from Kevon Harris that made matters 17-6 with 15:31 remaining in the frame. From there, however, the Rams started the slow process of chipping away at the home team's lead.
• By connecting on five of their eight first-half three pointers, Texas Wesleyan was able to close the game and tied things for the first time since the opening tip with a Sam Lorenzen long ball that made matters 28-28 with 6:14 to go in the half.
• The 'Jacks and Rams swapped buckets from there, with Samuli Nieminen pushing the home team ahead 37-34 with his first downtown hit of the night. That three-pointer, however, proved to by SFA's final bucket of the half and Texas Wesleyan went on a 5-0 run through the last 1:07 of the half to open up a 39-37 lead at the break.
• Cleared by the NCAA to play a little over one hour before tip-off, sophomore Karl Nicholas stepped in and contributed seven points and three rebounds in his first half in an SFA uniform.
SECOND HALF
• Another three-pointer - this one off the mitts of Julien Jones - extended the Rams' early second-half lead to 42-37 before the 'Jacks put the clamps on Texas Wesleyan to retake the lead.
• Finally finding their offensive groove after a difficult first half, the 'Jacks took off on a 14-1 over a span of 6:29 to go up 51-43 with 12:31 left. Through that scoring spree, SFA did not allow Texas Wesleyan to hit a field goal and received fast-break dunks from both Nathan Bain and Bogues.
• Playing in his first SFA game, forward Davonte Fitzgerald pushed SFA's lead to double-digits for the first time in the frame with a smooth right-handed runner in the lane with 10:31 left. That upped SFA's edge to 58-48.
• The 'Jacks finished +14 in scoring against Texas Wesleyan in the final frame, outscoring the Rams 46-23 in the stanza. SFA posted its largest lead of the night - 79-60 - when Bogues splashed his fourth and final three-pointer with 3:52 to go.
• That long-range hit capped a 21-9 SFA run and effectively ended things.
• After watching Texas Wesleyan drill 55.6-percent (15-of-27) of its shots in the opening frame, the 'Jacks held the Rams to just 34.8-percent (8-of-23) shooting in the final frame. Conversely, SFA cooked in the final 20 minutes of action, connecting on 57.1-percent (16-of-28) of its shots.
KEY PERFORMERS/STATISTICS OF NOTE
• Bogues picked up right where he left off in 2017-18, pumping in a game-high 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field. The senior out of Killeen, Texas, settled into a newfound role as distributor, too, by dishing out a career-best six assists in the victory.
• Graduate student Davonte Fitzgerald turned some heads in his first showing in a Lumberjack uniform. The Atlanta, Ga., native finished with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting in his Nacogdoches debut.
• Putting forth a fine all-around effort, junior Kevon Harris turned in a line of 10 points, three rebounds, five assists and two of SFA's seven steals.
• All of the emotions Nicholas felt after learning he would be cleared for the 2018-19 season just 90 minutes before tipoff did not limit the effectiveness of the Pearland, Texas, native. Nicholas finished with 10 points and three rebounds during the win.
• Also finishing in double-digits in the scoring department was junior Nathan Bain who registered a career-high 10 points in his first start of the season.
• SFA connected on 50.8-percent (30-of-59) of its shots as a unit and held a plus-seven (28-21) edge on the glass over the Rams. Leading the way in the rebounding category was freshman forward Mitchell Seraille who snared a team-high six to go along with seven points, a steal and a block in 20 minutes of action.
• Five players finished with 10 or more points for the Rams, too, with Juwan Jones' 12 leading the way. Rob Thomas narrowly missed out on a double-double as he finished with 11 markers and a game-best nine assists.
• Twenty-one of SFA's 83 points - or 25-percent - of the 'Jacks' points came off of 21 Texas Wesleyan turnovers. SFA committed just 10 throwaways the entire night.
COMING UP NEXT
• Facing a turnaround of less than 48 hours between games, the 'Jacks return to the floor of William R. Johnson Coliseum for another bout with a nationally-ranked NAIA adversary. Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m., SFA tangles with Southwestern Assemblies of God in a matchup that will be broadcast nationwide on ESPN3 and the ESPN app.
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