‘Jacks Welcome Abilene Christian for Friday Night Tip

Friday, November 14

Nacogdoches, Texas

8:00 P.M.

Stephen F. Austin

Abilene Christian

Tickets

Bench celebration vs. Arkansas State (11-7-25)

‘Jacks Welcome Abilene Christian for Friday Night Tip

11/13/2025 6:39:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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SFA puts 3-0 record on the line against unbeaten Wildcats

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – A second-straight in-state matchup is on tap for Stephen F. Austin men's basketball on Friday night inside William R. Johnson Coliseum as the 'Jacks battle unbeaten Abilene Christian. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. The action will be streamed live on ESPN+ and additional live coverage links are available at www.SFAjacks.com.

LAST TIME OUT

In their first road test of the season, Stephen F. Austin had all the answers for host Rice inside Tudor Fieldhouse as the 'Jacks trailed for just 22 seconds in the game's first moments before controlling the tempo throughout in an 81-69 victory
The 'Jacks shot 50% from the floor in the first half, including a 7-for-14 effort from beyond-the-arc and played with a lead for 18:42 of the twenty minutes
The 'Jacks shot 49% from the floor, 43% from three-point range and 74% from the stripe
SFA finished with 26 paint points and spread out a dozen assists
SFA led for 38:42 of the game after the Owls scored the game's first points
Thompson delivered his third-straight 20-point performance with 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting with a pair of threes to go along with four boards, one steal and a helper
Burton dropped 19 points on an efficient 5-of-6 from deep and the four free throws in the final moments
Patrick finished with 11 points
Colonel led with nine rebounds and Christmas followed with six boards
Christmas and Patrick each delivered three assists and Colonel led with three blocks

BUCKET GETTER

Senior guard Keon Thompson was honored by the Southland Conference as the league's first men's basketball player of the week; an honor that followed Thompson's tabbing as the Lou Henson National Mid-Major Player of the Week
In two wins, Thompson averaged 23.0 points including a 26-point performance against Arkansas State
He shot 57.6% (19-of-33) from the floor and .333 (3-of-9) from three-point range
Thompson averaged 5.0 boards, 4.0 assists and 1.0 steal

IN THE SEASON'S EARLY GOING…

Currently, Thompson rated with a top 15 scoring average of 24.3 ppg which paces the SLC
His 29 made field goals through three games are an SLC best and the fourth most in the nation
Jerald Colonel rates third nationally in blocks per game at 4.33 and in total blocks with 13
Colonel paces the SLC in rebounding at 9.7 boards per game
Three 'Jacks are averaging double figures in scoring (Thompson, Patrick, Burton)
Colonel and Chrishawn Christmas rank second in the SLC and ranks inside the top 50 nationally in offensive rebounds with 4.0 per game

KEN POM

Through three games, the 'Jacks are rated 143^rd in the Pomeroy Ratings
SFA is the second-highest ranked SLC team behind McNeese which rates at 103^rd
Among the metrics, the 'Jacks are 111^th in adjusted defensive efficiency
ACU enters with a KP rating of 180

LIGHTING UP THE SCOREBOARD

The 'Jacks have scored 193 points through the first two games of the season marking the most through two contests to start a campaign since the 2010-11 season
The 'Jacks have eclipsed 80+ points in each of the first three games of the season for the first time since 2020-21

ABILENE CHRISTIAN RUNDOWN

Abilene Christian enters the Friday night tilt unbeaten after earning wins over McMurry and Southwestern Adventist in addition to a Division I victory over Omaha, the Summit's AQ a season ago
As a team, ACU is shooting 52.6% from the floor
The Wildcats hold a top 30 mark nationally in rebound margin (+15.3)
ACU rates eighth nationally in bench points per game with 46.67
Joseph Scott's 32 total rebounds rank inside the DI top 30 and his 10.7 total rebounds and 7.0 defensive rebounds per game pace the WAC
Bradyn Hubbard leads ACU with 18.3 ppg and Scott follows at 10.0 ppg for a double-double average through three contests
Isaac Dye is shooting 53.3% from beyond-the-arc

SERIES HISTORY VS. ACU

The 'Jacks hold the all-time series lead over the Wildcats at 20-16
SFA has won two straight against ACU and is 3-2 in the previous five meetings which followed a nine-game win streak by the 'Jacks

SEASON-OPENER SUCCESS

The 'Jacks have now won nine straight season openers since their last season-opening loss at #2 Kentucky to tip off the 2016-17 season
The win, in the first meeting all-time with Millsaps, pushed the Lumberjacks' win streak in home openers to 27 games
SFA's 103 points are the most in a season opener since dropping 114 on Howard Payne to begin the 2010-11 campaign

NEW 'JACKS ON THE BLOCK

Eleven Lumberjacks made their SFA debuts in the season-opening win against Millsaps
Patrick scored 18 points, all from beyond-the-arc, in his first action for SFA and Jerald Colonel followed with 13 points, eight rebounds, four blocks, one assist and a steal
Of the 11 new 'Jacks that saw the court, Marcus Scurry and Bryceson Melvin made their collegiate debuts
Scurry dropped 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting with two made threes in 21 minutes of work to go along with an assist
Melvin saw nine minutes of action and delivered his first career bucket in addition to grabbing four rebounds

UP NEXT
SFA heads to California for the first two games of a three-game road swing away from WRJ Coliseum. The 'Jacks meet Fresno State (2-2) on Tuesday, November 18, from inside the Save Mart Center. Three days later, SFA trips to Malibu for a Friday night tip off against Pepperdine (2-1). It will be the first meeting with both the Bulldogs and the Waves.

BRAEUER GETS HIS FIRST
First-year head coach Matt Braeuer earned his first career win against Millsaps, knocked off Arkansas State for his first win over a Division I opponent and then the 'Jacks handled Rice for Braeuer's first road win.

99 SEASONS FAST FACTS
*70 seasons with an overall record north of .500
*31 seasons of 20 or more wins
*5 NCAA Tournament appearances
*2 seasons of 30 or more wins

AXES SHARPENED IN PINEY WOODS BATTLE
An exhibition edition of the hardwood version of the Battle of the Piney Woods took place in Houston on October 25 and it was the Lumberjacks that outlasted their Conference USA opposition in overtime beating longtime foe Sam Houston State 105-100 in the extra period. SFA shot over 51% from the floor, withstood a 59-point second-half effort by the Bearkats who erased a 15-point deficit at the intermission and used a 43-point outburst, including a perfect 19-of-19 from the stripe, by Thompson to claim the unofficial victory in a series that was first contested in 1925.

SLC VIRTUAL MEDIA DAY
Head coach Matt Braeuer and senior guard Keon Thompson joined the Field of 68 on October 27 as part of the SLC's Virtual Media Day. The interview is available on-demand here.

CUE THE MUSIC
CBS Sports announced a slate of five Southland Conference men's basketball matchups that will be featured on the network this coming season and among the showcased contests is a January 26 matchup between the 'Jacks and cross-border rival Northwestern State inside William R. Johnson Coliseum.

SEASON THEMES & PROMOTIONS
A dozen dynamic nights designed for fan engagement and to pack out WRJ with Lumberjack spirit are on tap during the 2025-26 season. From classic promotions like "Cram the Coliseum" and "Purple Out" to new favorites such as "Dance Hall Night" and "Social Media Night," this season's lineup promises a high-energy experience for fans of all ages. For a full list of game themes and promotions, visit here.

SECURE YOUR SEATS TODAY
Single game tickets and five-game flex plans for the remaining 14 SFA men's basketball home matchups are available for purchase now. Fans interested in purchasing season ticket packages can secure their seats here. Don't miss out on all the exciting action inside William R. Johnson Coliseum this season!

THE 'JACKS HAVE GONE MOBILE
SFA Athletics' newest mobile phone application is designed to bring Lumberjack fans closer to the action than ever before. Available now on both the App Store and Google Play, the new SFA Athletics app delivers schedules, scores, rosters, news, ticket access, and exclusive content right to your phone. Fans can also receive push notifications, so they never miss a moment of the action. Download now: Official SFA Athletics App.

FOLLOW THE LUMBERJACKS
For all the latest information on SFA men's basketball, visit SFAjacks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Lumberjacks on X, Instagram and Facebook.

#AxeEm x #WinTogether