Free Throw Margin Hurts 'Jacks in 78-70 Loss to Cowboys

Saturday, December 9

Laramie, WY

3:00 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

5-5,1-1WAC

University of Wyoming

6-3,0-0Mountain West

SFA

Wyoming

Free Throw Margin Hurts 'Jacks in 78-70 Loss to Cowboys

12/9/2023 8:14:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: Jace Green, Assistant for Strategic Communications

LARAMIE, Wyoming- The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks lost 78-70 tonight to the University of Wyoming Cowboys at the Arena Auditorium in a non-conference game. In a high energy contest throughout the night, The Lumberjacks are now 5-5 overall and 1-1 in conference play. The Cowboys improve to 6-3 overall.

SFA couldn't find the bottom of the basket to start the game and found themselves in an early 7-0 at the 17:57 mark.  But it was now the Jacks turn and SFA battled back and capped off an 10-0 run of their own with a Clayton Southwick's made jumper.  After five minutes of play SFA led 10-7.

Latrell Jossell, Clayton Southwick, and Frank Staine each hit consecutive three-pointers to give SFA a 22-19 lead with 8:00 left in the first half.  SFA was shooting at a high percentage from behind the arc early, as four different Lumberjacks converted from the three-point line with under 10 minutes to play in the half.

With 2:30 left before halftime, the 'Jacks had scored 13 points off their defense creating 10 turnovers forced.  After the first twenty minutes of play, SFA led the Cowboys 40-36 at the break.  The Lumberjacks led the Cowboys in almost every statistical category at halftime.  SFA out rebounded Wyoming 17-13 and had five more steals than the Cowboys (8-3).

The Lumberjack scoring at the half was led by Sadaidriene Hall who shot 3-for-4 with eight points, three rebounds, and one steal.  SFA shot 15-for-32 (46.9%) from the field, 5-for-6 from the free throw line and 5-for-11 (45.5%) from three-point range.

Jalil Beaubrun got the scoring started in the second half as his dunk put the 'Jacks up 42-36 with 18:06 remaining in the game.  Nana hit with 15:00 minutes left in the second half SFA's bench outscored the Cowboy's bench 28-3.

SFA went on a 7-0 run over 1:23 to take a 51-41 lead over the Cowboys, with just over 14 minutes of play left.  With under ten minutes to play the Cowboys clawed back to a 55-51 deficit.  A 15-2 run by Wyoming gave them a 63-59 lead over SFA with 5:57. It was the first time all night that the 'Jacks trailed. During the final 10-minute key stretch of the game, the Cowboys got to the free throw line 15 times compared to the Jacks seven attempts. Wyoming was 13-for-15 to the Jacks 4-for-7 from the line. On the game the Jacks didn't fair much better getting to the line, shooting 11-for-15 (73.3%) and Wyoming at 25-for-29 (86.2%).

SFA had a balanced scoring attack once again with 10 players scoring and led by AJ Cajuste's 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting and four steals.  Sadaidriene Hall was the only other Lumberjack to finish with double-digit scoring.  Hall finished with 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting from the field and a team high five rebounds.

The Lumberjacks head home and close out December with three straight home games. SFA will host New Mexico State on Tuesday, Dec. 19 (6:30 p.m.), Paul Quinn College on Friday, December 22 (1:00 p.m.), and New Orleans on Friday, December 29 (6:30 p.m.).