‘Jacks Welcome in Arkansas State for Early Season Test

Friday, November 7

Nacogdoches, Texas

6:00 P.M.

Stephen F. Austin

Arkansas State

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‘Jacks Welcome in Arkansas State for Early Season Test

11/6/2025 4:19:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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SFA plays host to the Red Wolves as former ‘Jack Matt Hayman returns to Nacogdoches

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – An early season test awaits Stephen F. Austin men's basketball on Friday night inside William R. Johnson Coliseum as the Lumberjacks play host to the Sun Belt Conference's Arkansas State. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. and live coverage links are available at www.SFAjacks.com.

FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS

Two BIG TIME matchups at the Sawmill! 'Jack Nation, we need YOU!????

???: https://t.co/VMQmTEDyKx #AxeEm x #WinTogether pic.twitter.com/SEGxhjViOI
— SFA Men's Basketball (@SFA_MBB) November 4, 2025

Friday's action is the second of 16 scheduled regular season home games for the Lumberjacks this season and it marks the first of two-consecutive Fridays that the 'Jacks will be in action inside WRJ Coliseum

RED WOLVES RUNDOWN

Arkansas State engineered a second-half comeback to win their season opener at Ohio
Chandler Jackson and Joey Chammaa each scored 21 points with 17 of Chammaa's coming in the second half
As a team, A-State shot 48.2% from the floor and 37% from three and outrebounded Ohio 41-25 with 13 rebounds on the offensive end of the floor
The victory was the first for first-year head coach Ryan Pannone
Former Lumberjack Matt Hayman (2022-25) returns to Nacogdoches. Hayman scored seven points and dished out four assists in his A-State debut against Ohio
Jackson was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team
Arkansas State was picked to a second-place finish in the wide-open 14-team league
The Red Wolves received three first-place votes, the second-most of any SBC team, after eight teams accounted for the 14 first-place votes

SERIES HISTORY VS. A-STATE

It will be the fourth meeting all-time between the Lumberjacks and Red Wolves
SFA leads the series 2-1 and will look to avenge a 59-49 loss to ASU last season in Jonesboro

BRAEUER GETS HIS FIRST

First-year head coach Matt Braeuer earned his first career win against Millsaps

LAST TIME OUT

A 57-point first half sent SFA on its way in game one of season 100 as the Lumberjacks placed four players in double-figure scoring led by a game-high 20 points from Keon Thompson to dispatch Millsaps 103-76
The 'Jacks shot 48.1% from the floor and utilized a near 40% success rate from beyond-the-arc, highlighted by a 6-for-9 effort from deep by Lateef Patrick, to ease past the Majors in the first ever meeting between the two programs
Nineteen first-half points off turnovers (+11) and 18 second chance points (+14) in the opening twenty minutes staked the 'Jacks to an early advantage as SFA never trailed in the contest. The Lumberjacks manufactured a 23-4 lead down near the 13-minute mark of the first half as six different 'Jacks got in on the scoring act to open the 19-point lead

ABOUT THE MILLSAPS WIN

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 the Majors, pushes 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 hits the road next week for a Tuesday night matchup against Rice. Tip-off for the in-state tilt from inside Tudor Fieldhouse is set for 6 p.m. and the action will stream on ESPN+. The 'Jacks and the Owls meet for the 20^th time and for the first time since 2017. The home team has won the last eight matchups, a streak that dates to 1953. The first matchup took place in Nacogdoches in 1933 with SFA winning 36-24. The Lumberjacks lead the all-time series 12-7.

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 15 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