Stephen F. Austin
3-0,0-0Southland
Niagara
0-3,0-0MAAC
Early Second-Half Surge Helps SFA Survive Niagara's Late-Game Run
11/13/2019 10:54:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Johnson puts in game-high 19, was one of four 'Jacks with 10+ points
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Archaeological evidence supports the fact that early man settled the area in and around the current area where Stephen F. Austin State University sits as long as 10,000 years ago. Long after those Ice Age settlers first set foot in the area, their ancestors established more settlements and were discovered by explorers among Hernando de Soto's excursion to the New World in the mid-1500s.
These explorers referred to the indigenous beings as the Nacagdoche tribe. Centuries later - in 1837, to be precise - Nacogdoches was established as the first town in Texas and was named after the indigenous people who settled there lifetimes earlier.
Wednesday night - nearly 200 years after it was established as a city - the members of the SFA men's basketball team filed an unofficial waiver to change the name of the city from Nacogdoches to Dunk-ogdoches by riling up their crowd with a number of highlight-reel rim-rockers during a game-changing 32-14 run in the second half.
Junior Cameron Johnson poured in a game and season-high 19 points and was one of four players in double-digits as the 'Jacks held off a late charge by Niagara to claim an 89-80 victory over the Purple Eagles Wednesday night inside William R. Johnson Coliseum.
SFA, who is 3-0 for the first time since 2017-18, led by as many as 21 points a little over midway through the second half only to see Niagara cut that edge down to seven with 4:03 left. Fortunately, SFA camped out at the free throw stripe to recover and lock down its third-consecutive victory.
FIRST HALF
• A slow start hampered both teams, but it was the 'Jacks who struck first when David Kachelries converted a fast-break layup 2:24 into the tilt. The junior completed a three-point play with a make at the foul line and that helped the home team stay in control through the majority of the half.
• Niagara committed a trio of offensive fouls during the first 10 minutes of the game, giving the 'Jacks ample opportunities to grow their lead. The 'Jacks' first-half edge got as high as six points, 13-7, after Nathan Bain came up with put-back layup, but Niagara clawed its was back into things.
• When the Purple Eagles weren't committing offensive fouls, however, they were putting that rock in the bucket with some frequency. Nicholas Kratholm started a 7-0 run with a pair of free throw makes, and Justin Roberts ended it with a fast-break downtown make that put SFA in a 23-18 hols with 5:33 left in the half.
• The teams traded leads from there, and after a jumper from Roberts put the visitors ahead 32-31 with 13 ticks to go, a botched play sent the ball out of bounds just before the break. Not willing to take a look to see if there was any time left on the clock before sending the teams to their locker rooms, however, the officials initially let the half end on that note.
• Fortunately, the trio of officials recognized their mistake and called both teams back out to the court to play the final 0.6 seconds. It was a good thing they did, too, as Oddyst Walker triggered an inbounds pass that went right to Johnson who splashed a wing triple at the horn to put the home team on top, 34-32 at the break.
SECOND HALF
• It didn't take long for the 'Jacks to turn a nail-biter into a runaway once the final 20 minutes of action commenced. Through the first 10 minutes of the frame, the hosts embarked on a 29-14 run to turn a two-point lead into a 17-point one for the 'Jacks.
• That scoring surge was punctuated by a trio of powerful dunks - one courtesy of Nathan Bain another other a fast-break one off the mitts of Gavin Kensmil and one a put-back highlight reel jam from Sama'Zha Hart— to put a charge into the pro-Lumberjack congregation assembled. Those throwdowns helped the home team hike its lead to 63-46 with 9:50 to go.
• SFA's edge grew to 21, 70-49, after Oddyst Walker completed a three-point play with a make at the foul line at the 8:09 mark of the half.
• From there, Niagara hit the 'Jacks with an 18-4 run to make it a game once again. Half of the Purple Eagles' point came at the foul line and one of those makes at the stripe concluded a four-point play by Marcus Hammond.
• Nicholas Kratholm's two free throw swishes pulled Niagara within 74-67, but SFA took its turn at the free throw line to make sure the Purple Eagles couldn't get any closer.
• The 'Jacks went 11-of-12 from the foul line over the final 2:31 to keep Niagara out of the win column. Individually, it was John Comeaux who did most of SFA's damage at the stripe through that stretch by connecting on nine of his 10 tries.
KEY PERFORMERS/STATISTICS OF NOTE
• Along with Johnson, SFA received 12 points apiece from Comeaux and Kensmil while Harris chipped in 11. In all, each and every one of the 12 SFA players who saw court time put in points.
• Freshman Calvin Solomon hauled in a season and game-high 10 rebounds to go along with five points. At the stripe, SFA went 26-of-33 to lock up the victory which Niagara hit 22 of its 30 tries in the foul fest.
• Five Purple Eagles put in 10 or more points led by Noah Waterman's 15. James Towns and Hammond finished with 14 apiece while Raheem Solomon chipped in 12 and Justin Roberts 11.
• Niagara (.556/.444/.733) shot better from the field than SFA (.438/.318/.788), but the 'Jacks turned 22 turnovers into 25 points to secure the win.
COMING UP NEXT
• A visitor from The City of Brotherly Love makes its way to Texas' oldest town Saturday night when Colonial Athletic Association adversary Drexel heads to William R. Johnson Coliseum for a 5:30 p.m. showdown with the 'Jacks. ESPN3 and the ESPN app will carry the first clash between the 'Jacks and Dragons.
-SFA-
