Stephen F. Austin
Louisiana Tech
'Jacks Return Home to Host Louisiana Tech for First Time in Almost Two Decades
12/6/2018 5:33:00 PM | Men's Basketball
SFA welcomes Bulldogs to Nacogdoches for first time since 1999
Game Eight
SFA (5-2) vs. Louisiana Tech (6-3)
Friday, Dec. 7 | 6:30 p.m. | William R. Johnson Coliseum (7,203) | Nacogdoches, Texas
Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+/ESPN app) | Listen (Q107.7/TuneIn) | SFA Game Notes | Louisiana Tech Game Notes
Play-by-Play/Analysis | Rob Meyers
THE STARTING FIVE
• For the first time in almost two decades, the SFA men's basketball team plays host to Louisiana Tech when the Bulldogs head to William R. Johnson Coliseum for a 6:30 p.m. non-conference clash Friday night. ESPN+ and the ESPN app will carry the Southland/C-USA tilt with Rob Meyers providing play-by-play and analysis. Meyers' call can also be heard on Q107.7 FM in Nacogdoches and around the globe on the TuneIn app.
• Friday's game is also SFA's annual Toys for Tots game. All fans that bring in an unwrapped toy valued at $10 or more will receive a free general admission ticket to the game.
• When they take the court against Louisiana Tech, the 'Jacks will by putting the nation's best home court advantage over the last six-plus seasons. Since 2012-13, SFA is 91-4 (.958) inside William R. Johnson Coliseum and owns the nation's best home court winning percentage in that same span.
• It has been six days since the 'Jacks' most recent action. In that particular tilt, SFA captured the program's first win on international soil by besting Horizon League foe Milwaukee 66-51 in the team's final game of the 2018 Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic in Belfast, Northern Ireland. That win was also the 1,500th in the history of the program for SFA.
• Monday afternoon, junior guard/forward Kevon Harris collected the third Southland Conference Player of the Week award of his career and his first of the 2018-19 season. Harris earned a spot on the 2018 Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic Goliath Bracket All-Tournament Team by helping SFA go 1-1 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Over SFA's two-game stretch last week, Harris averaged 16.5 points, seven rebounds and two assists per game.
LET'S GET DEFENSIVE
• In their last game against Milwaukee, the 'Jacks put forth arguably their finest defensive effort of the season by defeating the Panthers 66-51.
• Milwaukee's 51 points represented the squad's lowest single-game scoring output of the season. Those 51 points were also the Panthers' lowest total in a game since being held to just 49 at Wisconsin in the early stages of the 2017-18 season.
• Sophomore forward Karl Nicholas loomed large on the defensive end by registering a season and career-best five blocked shots. Those five rejections are tied for the fifth-most in a single game by an SFA player.
COMEBACK KIDS
• By erasing a 17-point second-half deficit against Marist on Tuesday, Nov. 20, the 'Jacks completed one of the biggest comebacks in all of college basketball this season.
• SFA is one of just three teams this year to come back from a deficit of 15 points or larger in the second half. Georgia State came back from 22 down against Alabama - who SFA will play on Sunday, Dec. 30 - to score a buzzer-beating victory while William & Mary trailed St. Joseph's by 20 (59-39) with 17:04 left only to come back and win 87-84.
TOP TEN 'JACKS
• Senior Shannon Bogues leads the team and ranks sixth in the Southland Conference in scoring at a rate of 14.3 points per game.
• Bogues also leads the team, ranks third in the Southland Conference and 35th nationally in free throw shooting with his mark of 90.5-percent on the year.
• Additionally, Bogues ranks fifth in the Southland with an assists per game average of 4.1.
• Junior Kevon Harris leads the team and ranks eighth in the Southland Conference in rebounding at a rate of 6.9 rebounds per game.
• Sophomore Karl Nicholas ranks fourth in the Southland and leads the team with a blocked shots per game average of 1.5.
SCOUTING LOUISIANA TECH | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS
• Coming into Nacogdoches on a two-game winning streak, the Bulldogs are looking to even their road record at 2-2. Louisiana Tech's first road victory of the 2018-19 campaign was a marquee one as the Bulldogs knocked off Wichita State in Wichita, Kan., on Tuesday, Nov. 6.
• Possessing a varied scoring attack, five different Bulldogs are averaging at least 10.1 points per game. Leading the charge in that area is Exavian Christon who puts in points at a team-leading rate of 12.0 per game. In addition to Christon, Anthony Duruji (11.7 ppg), Amorie Archibald (10.8 ppg), Oliver Powell (10.7 ppg), and DaQuan Bracey (10.1 ppg) also average double-digits.
• Through their first nine games of the season, the Bulldogs rank second in Conference USA in both free throws made (140) and free throws attempted (205).
• Powell has helped Louisiana Tech rise to 37th nationally in rebounding margin (+7.2) by grabbing a team-leading 6.9 rebounds per game.
COMING UP NEXT
• Another foe from Louisiana awaits the 'Jacks following a break of a little over one week. On Saturday, Dec. 15, SFA take a trip to Monroe, La., for a 2:00 p.m. showdown with Sun Belt adversary Louisiana-Monroe. In Kyle Keller's tenure as SFA's head coach, the 'Jacks are 1-1 against the Warhawks.
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