Axe ‘Em Classic Presented by Etech Tips Off November 21 Lumberjacks To Celebrate The 5th Anniversary Win Over Duke
11/19/2024 4:20:00 PM | Men's Basketball
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Lumberjacks men's basketball team will host Monmouth, Presbyterian, and Youngstown State in the inaugural Axe 'Em Classic presented by Etech in a three-game round-robin tournament. The Classic takes place Thursday, November 21 through Saturday, November 23 at the William R. Johnson Coliseum.
The Lumberjacks will celebrate their 85-83 upset victory over the number one ranked Duke Blue Devils on Saturday, November 23 when the Jacks' face Youngstown State in the final game of the Axe 'Em Classic. The first 500 fans attending the game will receive a commemorative ticket of the game.
The historic SFA win took place on November 26, 2019, at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Lumberjacks Nathan Bain in the final seconds of the game stole the ball and hit the game winning layup at the buzzer to knock off No. 1 Duke. The Lumberjacks win ended the Blue Devils' 150-game home winning streak against non-conference opponents. The Lumberjacks became the first non-Atlantic Coast Conference team to beat Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium in 20 years.
How did it happen? Duke had the ball in the closing seconds of overtime but missed a jumper with 15 seconds left but Duke secured the rebound. Hounded by the Lumberjacks' high-pressure defense, Duke forward Wendall Moore threw the ball away with about 3 seconds left and SFA forward Nathan Bain came up with the loose ball and went the length of the floor for a buzzer-beating layup. Kevon Harris led all scorers with 26 points and Gavin Kensmil added 15 for the Lumberjacks. The Lumberjacks improved to 5-1 overall. Kevon Harris scored 26 points and Gavin Kensmil added 15 for the Lumberjacks (5-1).
"Our players displayed an incredible sense of calm," said head coach Kyle Keller. "Even as we fell behind early, they kept the game close, and by halftime, we were still very much in it. The game was truly defined by the leadership and resilience of our three incredible seniors: Kevon Harris, John Comeaux, and Nate Bain. Their grit, determination, and dedication were felt every second of the 40 minutes, plus overtime.
So many key moments stand out: David Kachelries' clutch three-pointer, Cameron Johnson's fearless drives to the basket, Gavin Kensmil's powerful finishes at the rim. But perhaps the most overlooked play of the game was Roti Ware's defensive challenge at the rim against Duke's Cassius Stanley as time expired, sending the game to overtime.
In true Lumberjack fashion, we sealed the victory with a forced turnover and a buzzer-beater layup from Nate Bain. It was a fitting moment for Nate, whose family had endured the devastation of the hurricane in the Bahamas just months earlier. That layup, that moment, symbolized everything the team had been through and the strength they will show all season.
At the time, we didn't fully realize the gravity of what we'd just done. A win over Duke. On their home court. It was the start of something extraordinary. That victory set the tone for what would become a remarkable 28-3 season and a No. 26 final ranking in the AP Poll. We'll always be haunted by what could have been had the NCAA tournament not been canceled due to COVID-19, but for one night, it didn't matter. For one night, no one could tell us that our Lumberjacks couldn't have won the national championship."
The Axe 'Em Classic presented by Etech
The Lumberjacks open the Axe 'Em Classic presented by Etech on Thursday, November 21st at 6:30 p.m. and face the Hawks of Monmouth on Friday, November 22nd with tip-off set for 5 p.m. The Jacks' finish up with Youngstown State on Saturday, November 23rd at 6:00 p.m.
Here is a look at the three-day round-robin tournament schedule.
Thursday, November 21st:
Monmouth vs. Youngstown State ??4:00 PM CST
*Presbyterian vs. Stephen F. Austin?? 6:30 PM CST
Friday, November 22nd:
Presbyterian vs. Youngstown State?? 2:30 PM CST
*Monmouth vs. Stephen F. Austin ??5:00 PM CST
Saturday, November 23rd:
Presbyterian vs. Monmouth??? 11:00 AM CST
Youngstown State vs. Stephen F. Austin? 6:00 PM CST
*Streaming on ESPN+
This marks the first time SFA has played Monmouth, Presbyterian, and Youngstown State.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tournament, season and single game tickets are on sale now. Fans can visit SFAtickets.com for more information.
FOLLOW THE LUMBERJACKS
For all the latest information on SFA basketball, visit SFAjacks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Lumberjacks on X, Instagram and Facebook.
