AJ Cajuste’s Career Night Lifts Lumberjacks over Wildcats in Double-Overtime

Wednesday, February 22

Abilene, Texas

7:00 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

18-10,10-5WAC

Abilene Christian

13-14,5-9WAC

OT 1

OT 2

SFA

Abilene Christian

Photo by: Hunter Overholt

AJ Cajuste’s Career Night Lifts Lumberjacks over Wildcats in Double-Overtime

2/22/2023 10:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: Colby Jackson, SFA Student Assistant for Strategic Communications

ABILENE, Texas - Stephen F. Austin defeated Abilene Christian University 91-87 in an action-packed double-overtime game. The Lumberjacks improve to 18-10 (WAC 10-5) while the Wildcats fall to 13-14 (WAC 7-9).

A potential WAC game of the season was a rollercoaster night for both teams right from the start. After allowing an opening lay-up, the 'Jacks picked up an eight-point run to take an early lead. The Wildcats were able to catch up briefly in the beginning and make it a one-point game at 10-9, but that's when the Lumberjacks turned up the heat and went on a 17-5 run consisting of three shots from deep on three attempts to make it 27-14. The 'Jacks were able to maintain a ten-point lead for majority of the last ten minutes of the first half, and went into halftime with a comfortable 42-31 lead. In the first half, SFA was 56% from the field compared to ACU's 39%. The Lumberjacks were feeling good from beyond the arc as they were 4-for-6 on the long shots. Defense played a big role in the first half as they out-rebounded the Wildcats 21-13 and picked up four steals.

The Lumberjacks were able to maintain around a ten-point lead in the early going of the second half, but the tide started to turn with 13 minutes remaining as the Wildcats went on a remarkable 21-5 run to retake the lead 70-64. Following ACU's monster run, the Lumberjack defense tightened up, and in the last seven minutes, only allowed the Wildcats to make two shots from the field. That allowed the SFA offense to slowly crawl their way back and tie the game 74-74 with one minute remaining. Each team traded free-throws to make it 75 each with 47 seconds remaining on the clock. The 'Jacks had a chance to take the lead and win the game with a little around 15 seconds left on the clock, but after a lengthy official review, it was determined that the 'Jacks ran out of time on the shot clock, forcing a turnover. The Wildcats then missed their last shot in the final seconds of regulation, causing the game to go to overtime.

The first five minutes of overtime was as even as you could ask it to be as both teams went back-and-forth with scoring, no one getting more than a two-point run. With both teams scoring eight points apiece, this action-packed game had more entertainment to come with a second overtime.

Latrell Jossell started the scoring in the second overtime with a lay-up to give the Lumberjacks their first lead since the end of regulation. The Wildcats then took advantage of two fouls committed by the 'Jacks and converted four free-throws to take a two-point lead. Then in the final 90 seconds of double-overtime, the Lumberjack's star of the night, AJ Cajuste, made two jumpers and two free-throws to give the 'Jacks a four-point lead that was big enough to finally hold off ACU and defeat the Wildcats in one of the best games of the year. The defense showed up at the right time and didn't allow ACU to make any shots from the field on nine attempts in the final five minutes.

Cajuste had his best performance of his career and scored 29 points on the evening along with leading the team with seven assists. Cajuste went 8-for-15 from the field, 4-for-7 beyond the arc, a perfect 9-for-9 from the charity line, and made the shots that mattered most in the final seconds of the game.

Sadaidriene Hall also had a stellar performance tonight, picking up another double-double with 18 points and ten rebounds. Hall had a near-perfect night from the field, scoring nine times on 11 attempts.

In the longest game of the year for the 'Jacks, SFA outscored ACU in: field goal percentage (54-39), three-point percentage (57-33), points in the paint (40-32), and blocks (5-1).

The Lumberjacks now return home for their final home stand of the year and plan to keep the momentum going from tonight's game. SFA will take on California Baptist University on Sunday, February 26^th with tipoff at 6:00 p.m.