Lumberjacks Cruise Past Rival Demons on Wednesday Night, 86-74

Wednesday, January 20

Nacogdoches, Texas

6:30 PM

Stephen F. Austin

8-2,4-0Southland

Northwestern State University

2-14,1-4Southland

Northwestern St.

SFA

Lumberjacks Cruise Past Rival Demons on Wednesday Night, 86-74

1/20/2021 8:52:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

NACOGDOCHES, Texas -- The SFA men's basketball team took control early in Wednesday night's contest against the Demons of Northwestern State and never relented, taking down their rivals by an 86-74 score inside William R. Johnson Coliseum. SFA improves to 8-2 (4-0 SLC) with the victory, which was their third straight against NSU.

The Lumberjacks used yet another accurate offensive on Wednesday, shooting at a 57.7 percent clip in the opening half and improving on that mark with a 62.1 percent mark in the second half to outscore NSU in each half.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lumberjacks jumped out to a quick 12-5 lead in the opening five minutes of play, but yielded seven straight by the Demons to tie the game up at 12-12 with 13 minutes left to go. The teams continued to battle for the next ten minutes of action, with the 'Jacks holding the lead throughout. SFA closed out the final two minutes of play in the half with four quick points to take a 39-30 lead into the intermission.

SFA extended the lead into double-digits in the opening minutes of the second half, pulling ahead by 17 (69-52) with 8:28 left to play. A driving layup from David Kachelries extended the lead to a game-high 19 (86-67) with 2:14 left to play, capping off an 8-0 run that culled a Demon comeback attempt late in the contest.

LEADERS
Cameron Johnson led SFA with a game-high 26 points on 10-15 shooting (2-5 3PT), while Gavin Kensmil totaled 22 points and eight rebounds on 9-10 shooting from the field and a 4-6 effort at the line. Roti Ware added 14 points and Calvin Solomon and David Kachelries each added 10 points apiece. Kensmil and Kachelries tied for the team lead with eight rebounds, while Kachelries added a career-high 11 assists on the night.

KEY NUMBERS
SFA shot 33-55 percent (60 percent) from the field in the contest and 41.7 percent (5-12) from beyond the arc. The 'Jacks compiled 50 points in the paint, carving out a 20-point advantage there over NSU. NSU's bench scoring (43-4 advantage) provided a pivotal burst for the Demons offense, but 17 turnovers on the offensive end led to 21 points for SFA on the other end.

A BANNER DAY FOR SFA
The Lumberjack victory was sweet for the fans inside William R. Johnson Coliseum, but a dominant Ladyjack win in Natchitoches (87-28) gave SFA a sweep in the series on the day, and moved both SFA teams to a combined 9-0 mark in conference play.

UP NEXT
SFA basketball is home this weekend for an SLC doubleheader against Lamar University. As part of SFA's "Hunt the Birds" promotion, the first 250 fans in the door for each game will receive a free camo facemask, and are encouraged to wear camo as the 'Jacks "hunt" for a pair of league wins.