‘Jacks Close Out California Swing in Malibu

Friday, November 21

Malibu, Calif.

8:00 PM

Stephen F. Austin

Pepperdine

Photo by: Erika Cruz

‘Jacks Close Out California Swing in Malibu

11/20/2025 12:32:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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SFA meets Pepperdine on Friday night

NACOGDOCHES, Texas –Stephen F. Austin wraps up its west coast swing on Friday night in Malibu as the 'Jacks take on Pepperdine. Tip-off from inside Firestone Fieldhouse is set for 8 p.m. CT. The action will be streamed live on ESPN+ and additional live coverage links are available at www.SFAjacks.com.

LAST TIME OUT

An off-balanced attempt, which would have tied the game, at the second half horn by Stephen F. Austin's Lateef Patrick rimmed out as Fresno State's late stretch comeback was completed in the host's 80-78 win over the Lumberjacks on Tuesday night inside Save Mart Center. The loss is the first in five games this season for SFA, while Fresno State moves to 4-2.
Back-and-forth action dictated much of the contest as it featured 11 tied scores and 13 lead changes. FSU's largest lead was only five and came within the first five minutes of action, while the 'Jacks led by seven with just under four minutes to play in the game.
The Bulldogs, playing on their home court for the sixth time to start the season, utilized a 7-0 run over the final 2:03 of play, while SFA, in search of its second road win in as many tries, went scoreless over the final 3:08 of action.
Patrick was effective getting to the rim finishing with a game-high 27 points on 11-of-21 shooting, but 7-of-9 from inside-the-arc.

THE 'JACKS HAVE

Produced top 35 DI marks in three-point percentage (40.1%) and three-pointers per game (11.0) through five games
Connected on no fewer than nine shots from range in each game this season including double-digit three-pointers made in every win, behind a season-high 13 against ACU
Three players (Chotikavanic, Burton, Patrick) shooting 41% or better in 25+ attempts from three-point range, while Thompson is triggering in at 37.5% in 16 shots
Allowed no more than six made attempts from beyond-the-arc by their opponents in five games this season
Delivered a dozen assists or more in each of their first five games
Attempted 70+ shots in three games this season and have not shot less than 45% from the floor in any contest

IN THE SEASON'S EARLY GOING…

Jerald Colonel ranks second nationally in blocks (19) and third in blocks per game (4.80)
Colonel paces the Southland with 41 total rebounds, ranks second in the SLC with 8.2 rebounds per game and 3.40 offensive rebounds and ranks third with 4.80 defensive boards per game
Chotikavanic ranks inside the country's top 35 in three-pointers per game (3.40) and is 25^th nationally in total three pointers made (17)
Thompson's 38 made field goals are the 16^th most in Division I hoops
Thompson holds a top 60 national scoring average of 20.2 ppg which rates third in the SLC
Lateef Patrick holds a top 5 scoring average among SLC shooters at 18.2 ppg

KEN POM

Through five games and as of November 19, the 'Jacks are rated 140^th in the Pomeroy Ratings: just a single spot back after the Fresno State loss
SFA is the second-highest ranked SLC team behind McNeese which rates at 98^h
Among the metrics, the 'Jacks are 140^th in adjusted defensive efficiency
Pepperdine enters the first meeting with SFA at 213th, four spots back of SLC-member Lamar

PEPPERDINE RUNDOWN

Pepperdine is 3-2 on the season which includes an 11-point loss at No. 12 UCLA, an overtime defeat to Northern Colorado and most recently a win over SLC member New Orleans
The Waves are led by Ed Schilling who is in his second year leading the program after serving as the head coach at Wright State for six seasons
Pepperdine leads the WCC in offensive rebounds and ranks eighth nationally at 17.2 per game
The Waves average 87.0 ppg on 46.9% shooting and are allowing 79.4 ppg at 45.2%
Four players average double figures in scoring led by Javon Cooley's 14.8 ppg and Danilo Dozic's 14.4 ppg
Styles Phipps paces the WCC with 34 assists which lands at tenth nationally, while his 6.8 helpers per game rate 18^th in the country

SERIES HISTORY VS. PEPPERDINE

First meeting all-time with the Waves

LET IT FLY

In SFA's hard-fought home win over ACU, sophomore Narit Chotikavanic shot 80% from beyond-the-arc becoming the first 'Jack since 2017, the second since 2000 and just the fifth all-time, to hit eight three-pointers in a game
Chotikavanic hit 5-of-7 from range in the first half and netted all three of his attempts in the final twenty minutes
His eight made threes are currently tied for the most by a player in the Southland Conference this season

MAKING NOISE

For the second-consecutive week, the Lumberjacks are receiving votes in the CollegeInsider.Com Men's Mid Major Top 25
SFA accounts for the seventh-most points (51) among teams not in the top 25 putting the 'Jacks at No. 32 nationally if the poll extended out
That's the third-highest ranking of any Southland Conference team behind No. 22 McNeese and No. 25 New Orleans

DOUBLE-DOUBLE TRACKER
Keon Thompson vs. Abilene Christian (11/14/25) – 15 pts, 12 reb

BUCKET GETTER

Senior guard Keon Thompson was honored by the Southland Conference as the league's first men's basketball player of the week following the first week of action this season; 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

LIGHTING UP THE SCOREBOARD

The 'Jacks 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 eclipsed 80+ points in each of the first three games of the season for the first time since 2020-21

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
Upon returning to the Lone Star State, the 'Jacks prepare for a battle in Arlington with former WAC and SLC foe Texas-Arlington on Saturday, November 29. Tip-off from inside College Park Center is set for 2 p.m. SFA and UTA meet for the 66^th time in a series that has the Mavericks currently holding a 34-31 advantage with a 22-10 mark at home. SFA has lost two straight against UTA including the WAC Tournament quarterfinals in 2024. Live coverage links are available at www.SFAjacks.com.

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 13 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