Stephen F. Austin
Southeastern Louisiana
Bogues, Harris and Fitzgerald Lead 'Jacks' Second-Half Surge in 65-60 Win over SLU
1/2/2019 9:49:00 PM | Men's Basketball
SFA erases five-point second-half deficit to post first Southland win of season
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The top two projected teams in the Southland Conference got together inside William R. Johnson Coliseum Wednesday night and in the first league game of the 2018-19 campaign for those squads the result was exactly the same as it was at the conclusion of the 2018 Southland Conference Tournament title game (minus the confetti, of course).
Trailing by five at the break, the SFA men's basketball team watched senior Shannon Bogues spring for 15 of his 18 points in the final 20 minutes of action while Davonte Fitzgerald and Kevon Harris added 10 apiece through the last stanza to help the 'Jacks claim a 65-60 victory over Southeastern Louisiana.
Fitzgerald finished off a double-double effort with a career-high 12 rebounds and joined Harris by finishing with 15 points for SFA who has now won seven of its last eight Southland Conference openers after Wednesday night's result.
FIRST HALF
• Just like what happened in their non-conference finale against the Crimson Tide Sunday afternoon, the 'Jacks captured an early lead after a lengthy scoring drought for both sides to begin the tilt. Karl Nicholas started things off with a fast-break jam and Kevon Harris followed with a three-pointer to stake the hosts to a 5-0 lead 3:23 in.
• SFA remained in front after John Comeaux split a pair at the foul line to give the 'Jacks an 8-7 lead. Unfortunately, free throws were the only thing the 'Jacks could conjure up for a lengthy stretch.
• After Harris' three-pointer at the 16:37 mark, SFA did not hit another field goal for 9:19. That aided the Lions who, after Comeaux's free throw make, took off on a 9-2 run capped with a fast break dunk by Kajon Brown to open up a 16-10 edge with 8:31 left.
• The Lions increased their lead to nine, 26-17, when Julien slipped in for a back-door layup. Through the last 1:51 of the half, however, SFA closed the gap.
• Nathan Bain hammered down a powerful one-handed transition slam before Davonte Fitzgerald connected on a put-back layup at the horn that cut the Lions' lead to 26-21.
• Offense was difficult to come by for the 'Jacks in the frame as the hosts shot only .240/.222/.636.
• Fortunately, Southeastern Louisiana didn't fare much better from the field in the first stanza, going .385/.167/.571 from the field. In all, the teams combined to go just 4-of-21 (.190) from three-point range.
• It wasn't Moses Greenwood or Marlain Veal - the Lions' top two scorers - who caused the 'Jacks the most trouble in the opening half. That honor belonged to Von Julien who conjured up nine of the visitors' 29 first-half points.
SECOND HALF
• As poorly as the 'Jacks shot in the opening half, they did just the opposite through the final 20 minutes of action. During the hosts' 13-2 surge to start the frame, SFA connected on six of its nine shot attempts with Fitzgerald capping the run with a mid-range jumper with 13:44 left.
• Owners of a 34-28 edge at that point, SFA never trailed again. Keith Charleston did sink one of the Lions' nine three-pointers to trim the 'Jacks' edge to 43-42 with 7:41 left but Shannon Bogues and Harris took over at that juncture to make sure the Lions got no closer.
• Through a 13-3 scoring spree by the home team, the defending Southland Conference Player of the Week Harris laced a pair of three-pointers while Bogues added five points of his own to help the home team leap ahead 56-45 with 3:11 left.
• Harris kept SFA's lead at 10 by taking to the sky and unleashing a ferocious one-handed slam with 2:23 left.
• Pressed for time at that point, the Lions went on a furious run of the 10-3 variety to cut SFA's lead to 61-58 with 19 ticks to go. Bogues and Harris, however, iced things by sinking two free throws apiece in the last 17 seconds.
• SFA shot .581/.571/.750 in the second half to earn the win.
KEY PERFORMERS/STATISTICS OF NOTE
• Fitzgerald reset his career high by taking to the sky and grabbing 12 of the 'Jacks' 31 rebounds. Mitchell Seraille added eight rebounds and finished with three of SFA's four blocked shots in the team's second-straight triumph over the Lions.
• For the game, SFA finished 19-of-27 from the foul line and owned advantages of 14 in free throws made and 18 in free throws attempted. Bogues, Comeaux and Fitzgerald each went to the foul line eight times in the victory - one fewer time apiece than Southeastern Louisiana did as a team.
• Marlain Veal - the reigning Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year - fouled out in the final minute of the game and finished his night with 10 points, four rebounds and five assists. The senior, though, committed 10 of the Lions' 23 turnovers in the team's sixth-straight setback.
• Brandon Gonzalez (16), Julien (13) and Veal were the Lions' top three scorers. Southeastern Louisiana's top point producer (16.2 ppg) heading into Wednesday night's showdown, Moses Greenwood was held to nine points and five rebounds.
• SFA amassed 25 points off of the Lions' 23 turnovers. Bain and Comeaux helped that effort along by racking up four steals apiece.
COMING UP NEXT
• A break of six days awaits the 'Jacks and next Wednesday (Jan. 9), the squad heads southeast to Thibodaux, La., for a 7:00 p.m. Southland Conference showdown with defending league co-champion Nicholls. The 'Jacks and Colonels last met in the semifinal round of the 2018 Southland Conference Tournament.
-SFA-
