Tuesday, March 7
Las Vegas, Nev.
10:00 p.m.
Stephen F. Austin
vs
Utah Tech
#6 Stephen F. Austin Takes on #11 Utah Tech in the First Round of the WAC Basketball Tournament
3/5/2023 6:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
#6 Stephen F. Austin vs #11 Utah Tech
Date: Tuesday, March 7th
Time: 10:00 p.m.
Live Stream: ESPN+
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Stadium: Michelob ULTRA Arena
Series: 3rd Meeting (SFA leads 2-0)
LAS VEGAS, NV - The Stephen F. Austin men's basketball team will battle Utah Tech in the first round of the 2023 Hercules Tires WAC Basketball Tournament. The winner of this game will move onto the next round to face #3 Southern Utah.
A Look at the Lumberjacks
After the final games of the regular season, the Lumberjacks led the conference in field goal percentage with 47.4% and in turnovers forced per game with 18.10. Sadaidriene Hall, who will be making his return to the court for the tournament, led the conference in field goal percentage with 59.6%. The whole SFA team shot 40% or better from the field on the year. The 'Jacks remain the third best team in the nation when it comes turnovers forced per game, as seven Lumberjacks have recorded 20 steals on the season with AJ Cajuste leading the way with 45 steals.
Latrell Jossell has been the sharp shooter from deep for SFA all season long as he is 67-for-157 (42.7%) on shots beyond the arc this year. At one point in the year, Jossell was a top five deep shooter in the country. However, as of late, he has struggled from the three-point line, as he has only made three three-pointers in the last four games. Watch for Jossell to bounce back against the Trailblazers and improve his accuracy from deep.
Nigel Hawkins has been the hottest Lumberjack in this last stretch of games for SFA. In his last three games, Hawkins posted 20 points and has recorded double-digits in seven of the last eight games. He has shot 43% or better from the field in the last four games and has made two three-pointers in each of the last three games.
A Look at the Trailblazers
Utah Tech finished the year 13-18, 5-13 against conference opponents. The Trailblazers are 4-13 in games not played on their home court this year.
Cameron Gooden and Isaiah Pope are the lead scorers for the Trailblazers, averaging 16.1 and 13.2 points per game, respectively. Both Gooden and Pope pose a threat from inside the paint and beyond the arc as they each have more than 100 attempts from deep and have both made exactly 50 shots each from the three-point line. They both know how to pass the ball around as they lead the team with at least 70 assists each.
The height of 6'10, Tanner Christensen will be a problem for the Lumberjacks as he leads the team with 213 rebounds on the year and accounts for 23 of the team's 70 total blocks. Expect Christensen to be near the basket all game as he also leads the team with a 57.7% field goal percentage (of those with at least 200 attempts).
Last Match Against the Trailblazers: Hall's Double-Double Performance Lifts SFA to 5-0 in Conference Action (1/12/23)
Stephen F. Austin defeated Utah Tech 85-72 to win their seventh straight game and win their 15th straight regular season conference match. The Lumberjacks improve to 13-5 (5-0 WAC) and the Trailblazers fall to 9-8 (1-3 WAC).
The Lumberjacks wasted no time getting the early upper hand on the Trailblazers, scoring nine unanswered points after allowing one free throw. The team grew the early lead thanks to some quick deep buckets from none other than Latrell Jossell. Jossell wasn't the only one showing off the deep range, as the team went 5-8 on three-pointers in the first half.
The 'Jacks expanded their lead to 36-18, after going on a 21-8 run in the span of seven minutes. That lead is partially credited to Sadaidriene Hall who went off in the first half, scoring 19 points in the half alone. Hall scored in his first eight attempts and finished the half making nine out of twelve in the paint.
The defense also played a significant role in the first half, forcing 13 turnovers to the Trailblazer's four, and outscoring Utah Tech 20-2 in points off turnovers. Roti Ware was a big key in the defense's strong first half recording four steals, his first one being his 100th career steal. The Lumberjacks entered the second half with a very comfortable 13-point lead at 44-31.
The second half started off as good as the Lumberjacks could ask for as they grew the lead all the way to 61-41. However, from that point on, it was anything but smooth sailing for the 'Jacks. From the 13 minute mark to the 9:30 minute mark, the 'Jacks allowed the Trailblazers to go on a 12-3 run after committing seven fouls and six turnovers. Utah Tech was able to ride on the Lumberjack's miscues and shrink the lead all the way to 69-63 after going on an overall 22-8 run.
Luckily the Lumberjacks weren't the only ones making crucial mistakes. A variety of turnovers and fouls from the Trailblazers late in the game allowed the Lumberjacks to bounce back, go on a ten-point run, and regain a comfortable lead once again at 79-63. The 'Jacks were able to regroup themselves in the end and come away with their seventh consecutive win. This game against the Trailblazers saw a total of 57 fouls and 40 turnovers between both teams.
Hall led the offense tonight after a dominate first half and put up a double-double performance recording 20 points, ten rebounds, four steals, and one assist. The Lumberjacks could've used more of Hall in the second half but he struggled to see much of the court the rest of the game after fighting through some back pain. Jossell once again showed off his deep range again tonight and dropped 17 points off of four three-pointers along with five assists and one steal. Ware had another solid performance tonight, scoring 11 points, two rebounds, three assists, and four steals. Jaylin Jackson-Posey recorded his first double-digit points outing after making his return back from the injury list, scoring ten points on the night.
The Lumberjacks led the Trailblazers in: field goal percentage (56.4-54.8), three-point percentage (53.3-38.9), free-throw percentage (57.7-57.6), bench points (32-31), fastbreak points (19-12), steals (14-3), points off turnovers (31-14), points in the paint (40-28), and second chance points (10-9).
Date: Tuesday, March 7th
Time: 10:00 p.m.
Live Stream: ESPN+
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Stadium: Michelob ULTRA Arena
Series: 3rd Meeting (SFA leads 2-0)
LAS VEGAS, NV - The Stephen F. Austin men's basketball team will battle Utah Tech in the first round of the 2023 Hercules Tires WAC Basketball Tournament. The winner of this game will move onto the next round to face #3 Southern Utah.
A Look at the Lumberjacks
After the final games of the regular season, the Lumberjacks led the conference in field goal percentage with 47.4% and in turnovers forced per game with 18.10. Sadaidriene Hall, who will be making his return to the court for the tournament, led the conference in field goal percentage with 59.6%. The whole SFA team shot 40% or better from the field on the year. The 'Jacks remain the third best team in the nation when it comes turnovers forced per game, as seven Lumberjacks have recorded 20 steals on the season with AJ Cajuste leading the way with 45 steals.
Latrell Jossell has been the sharp shooter from deep for SFA all season long as he is 67-for-157 (42.7%) on shots beyond the arc this year. At one point in the year, Jossell was a top five deep shooter in the country. However, as of late, he has struggled from the three-point line, as he has only made three three-pointers in the last four games. Watch for Jossell to bounce back against the Trailblazers and improve his accuracy from deep.
Nigel Hawkins has been the hottest Lumberjack in this last stretch of games for SFA. In his last three games, Hawkins posted 20 points and has recorded double-digits in seven of the last eight games. He has shot 43% or better from the field in the last four games and has made two three-pointers in each of the last three games.
A Look at the Trailblazers
Utah Tech finished the year 13-18, 5-13 against conference opponents. The Trailblazers are 4-13 in games not played on their home court this year.
Cameron Gooden and Isaiah Pope are the lead scorers for the Trailblazers, averaging 16.1 and 13.2 points per game, respectively. Both Gooden and Pope pose a threat from inside the paint and beyond the arc as they each have more than 100 attempts from deep and have both made exactly 50 shots each from the three-point line. They both know how to pass the ball around as they lead the team with at least 70 assists each.
The height of 6'10, Tanner Christensen will be a problem for the Lumberjacks as he leads the team with 213 rebounds on the year and accounts for 23 of the team's 70 total blocks. Expect Christensen to be near the basket all game as he also leads the team with a 57.7% field goal percentage (of those with at least 200 attempts).
Last Match Against the Trailblazers: Hall's Double-Double Performance Lifts SFA to 5-0 in Conference Action (1/12/23)
Stephen F. Austin defeated Utah Tech 85-72 to win their seventh straight game and win their 15th straight regular season conference match. The Lumberjacks improve to 13-5 (5-0 WAC) and the Trailblazers fall to 9-8 (1-3 WAC).
The Lumberjacks wasted no time getting the early upper hand on the Trailblazers, scoring nine unanswered points after allowing one free throw. The team grew the early lead thanks to some quick deep buckets from none other than Latrell Jossell. Jossell wasn't the only one showing off the deep range, as the team went 5-8 on three-pointers in the first half.
The 'Jacks expanded their lead to 36-18, after going on a 21-8 run in the span of seven minutes. That lead is partially credited to Sadaidriene Hall who went off in the first half, scoring 19 points in the half alone. Hall scored in his first eight attempts and finished the half making nine out of twelve in the paint.
The defense also played a significant role in the first half, forcing 13 turnovers to the Trailblazer's four, and outscoring Utah Tech 20-2 in points off turnovers. Roti Ware was a big key in the defense's strong first half recording four steals, his first one being his 100th career steal. The Lumberjacks entered the second half with a very comfortable 13-point lead at 44-31.
The second half started off as good as the Lumberjacks could ask for as they grew the lead all the way to 61-41. However, from that point on, it was anything but smooth sailing for the 'Jacks. From the 13 minute mark to the 9:30 minute mark, the 'Jacks allowed the Trailblazers to go on a 12-3 run after committing seven fouls and six turnovers. Utah Tech was able to ride on the Lumberjack's miscues and shrink the lead all the way to 69-63 after going on an overall 22-8 run.
Luckily the Lumberjacks weren't the only ones making crucial mistakes. A variety of turnovers and fouls from the Trailblazers late in the game allowed the Lumberjacks to bounce back, go on a ten-point run, and regain a comfortable lead once again at 79-63. The 'Jacks were able to regroup themselves in the end and come away with their seventh consecutive win. This game against the Trailblazers saw a total of 57 fouls and 40 turnovers between both teams.
Hall led the offense tonight after a dominate first half and put up a double-double performance recording 20 points, ten rebounds, four steals, and one assist. The Lumberjacks could've used more of Hall in the second half but he struggled to see much of the court the rest of the game after fighting through some back pain. Jossell once again showed off his deep range again tonight and dropped 17 points off of four three-pointers along with five assists and one steal. Ware had another solid performance tonight, scoring 11 points, two rebounds, three assists, and four steals. Jaylin Jackson-Posey recorded his first double-digit points outing after making his return back from the injury list, scoring ten points on the night.
The Lumberjacks led the Trailblazers in: field goal percentage (56.4-54.8), three-point percentage (53.3-38.9), free-throw percentage (57.7-57.6), bench points (32-31), fastbreak points (19-12), steals (14-3), points off turnovers (31-14), points in the paint (40-28), and second chance points (10-9).
Players Mentioned
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