Sawmill Success Inevitable for Jacks, Ladyjacks
1/20/2026 3:07:00 PM | General, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball
SFA carries a combined 2025-26 home record of 17-1 into back third of regular season slate
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Historians believe the earliest known sawmill dates to the third century, while a more widespread global existence began nearly a thousand years later. In East Texas, sawmills, which are generally defined by Webster's as a mill or machine for sawing logs, began to appear in what most appropriately describe as the Piney Woods two decades into the 19th century. Since then, a vital industry spurred a fitting identity and an important role in defining the region.
Speaking of identities, and well sawmills for that matter, an important piece in the development in what the Stephen F. Austin men's and women's basketball teams have become is where the historically successful programs call home: William R. Johnson Coliseum also known as The Sawmill.
Named after the University's fourth president of the same name, the Coliseum has been the hardwood home of the Lumberjacks and Ladyjacks since its first season of action in 1974. Now while no logs have ever actually been cut (to our knowledge) inside of SFA's Sawmill, plenty of opponents have been chopped down. Over the half century hooping inside the arena located at the corner of University and East College, the two programs have combined to leave the floor victorious more than 1,100 times.
The past 15 seasons at home, prior to the 2025-26 campaign, have been some of the most successful collectively. The two programs have combined to win 379 games at home averaging 25 wins across both teams each season. However, this season could prove to be the most dominant as the two programs are a collective 17-1 overall inside The Sawmill with a combined 14 regular season games remaining in Nacogdoches. Since the 2010-11 season, the two squads have combined to reach exactly 30 wins at home three times and the '25-26 slate could end equally as fruitful.
The Lumberjacks have been perfect at home under first-year head coach Matt Braeuer. Following an upcoming weekend contest in Beaumont, the league-leading Jacks will embark on a five-game homestand beginning first with a nationally televised tilt against longtime rival Northwestern State. SFA's 16 wins are the second-most by a first-year head coach in program history and over half have come inside The Sawmill where the Jacks have felt right at home.
One of two unbeaten Southland Conference teams at home this season, the Lumberjacks are dispatching opponents by an average of 20 points inside the Coliseum. The 2025-26 Jacks, built by a ruthless defense and a relentless effort on the glass, are holding opponents to just 63 points in Nacogdoches and are +8.0 in rebounding. The Jacks employ the league's best scoring defense (64.6) with the best field goal percentage defense (40.3%) and three-point percentage defense (28.2), while the breakdown at home has the Jacks allowing 1.2 less points, 1.5% less success from the floor and a 6.6% less success rate from three-point range.
With seven home games remaining on the regular season docket, the Jacks have surpassed their home win total from a season ago (8) as well as their overall season win total (14). It is the best 19-game start to a season since 2019-20. Since the 2010-11 season, the Jacks have won 16 home games twice in a single season finishing with a single loss in both the 2017-18 and 2019-20 campaigns and have finished unbeaten three times: 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16.
The SFA women enter Thursday night's matchup against Northwestern State with an 8-1 record at home this season. The Ladyjacks, under the guidance of third-year head coach Leonard Bishop, are 33-6 (.846) inside The Sawmill since the start of the 2023-24 season. Of those 33 home victories, twenty have come against conference opponents as the Ladyjacks have won nearly 84% of their home conference contests under Bishop.
This season, the Ladyjacks have defeated opponents at home by an average of 15.0 ppg, are shooting nearly 44% from the floor and hold plus margins in rebounding, turnovers, assists, steals and blocks. SFA has won three-straight games inside the Coliseum and will play five of their next six games at home in Nacogdoches.
Since the 2010-11 season, the SFA women have posted a home record with no more than one defeat seven times with a pair of unbeaten seasons. Additionally, the Ladyjacks are averaging 12.5 wins at home in that span and have won no fewer than a dozen games at home in each of the past nine seasons.
As of January 20, the SFA men lead the Southland, while the SFA women are tied for second. The two squads are in action a combined 14 times at home inside the Coliseum over the next month and a half.
Through the many successes and over multiple decades of hardwood action inside the Coliseum, the common denominator has been the fans and the Sawmill isn't the same without them.
FOLLOW THE LUMBERJACKS
For all the latest information on SFA basketball, visit SFAjacks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Jacks on X, Instagram and Facebook.
Speaking of identities, and well sawmills for that matter, an important piece in the development in what the Stephen F. Austin men's and women's basketball teams have become is where the historically successful programs call home: William R. Johnson Coliseum also known as The Sawmill.
Named after the University's fourth president of the same name, the Coliseum has been the hardwood home of the Lumberjacks and Ladyjacks since its first season of action in 1974. Now while no logs have ever actually been cut (to our knowledge) inside of SFA's Sawmill, plenty of opponents have been chopped down. Over the half century hooping inside the arena located at the corner of University and East College, the two programs have combined to leave the floor victorious more than 1,100 times.
The past 15 seasons at home, prior to the 2025-26 campaign, have been some of the most successful collectively. The two programs have combined to win 379 games at home averaging 25 wins across both teams each season. However, this season could prove to be the most dominant as the two programs are a collective 17-1 overall inside The Sawmill with a combined 14 regular season games remaining in Nacogdoches. Since the 2010-11 season, the two squads have combined to reach exactly 30 wins at home three times and the '25-26 slate could end equally as fruitful.
The Lumberjacks have been perfect at home under first-year head coach Matt Braeuer. Following an upcoming weekend contest in Beaumont, the league-leading Jacks will embark on a five-game homestand beginning first with a nationally televised tilt against longtime rival Northwestern State. SFA's 16 wins are the second-most by a first-year head coach in program history and over half have come inside The Sawmill where the Jacks have felt right at home.
One of two unbeaten Southland Conference teams at home this season, the Lumberjacks are dispatching opponents by an average of 20 points inside the Coliseum. The 2025-26 Jacks, built by a ruthless defense and a relentless effort on the glass, are holding opponents to just 63 points in Nacogdoches and are +8.0 in rebounding. The Jacks employ the league's best scoring defense (64.6) with the best field goal percentage defense (40.3%) and three-point percentage defense (28.2), while the breakdown at home has the Jacks allowing 1.2 less points, 1.5% less success from the floor and a 6.6% less success rate from three-point range.
With seven home games remaining on the regular season docket, the Jacks have surpassed their home win total from a season ago (8) as well as their overall season win total (14). It is the best 19-game start to a season since 2019-20. Since the 2010-11 season, the Jacks have won 16 home games twice in a single season finishing with a single loss in both the 2017-18 and 2019-20 campaigns and have finished unbeaten three times: 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16.
The SFA women enter Thursday night's matchup against Northwestern State with an 8-1 record at home this season. The Ladyjacks, under the guidance of third-year head coach Leonard Bishop, are 33-6 (.846) inside The Sawmill since the start of the 2023-24 season. Of those 33 home victories, twenty have come against conference opponents as the Ladyjacks have won nearly 84% of their home conference contests under Bishop.
This season, the Ladyjacks have defeated opponents at home by an average of 15.0 ppg, are shooting nearly 44% from the floor and hold plus margins in rebounding, turnovers, assists, steals and blocks. SFA has won three-straight games inside the Coliseum and will play five of their next six games at home in Nacogdoches.
Since the 2010-11 season, the SFA women have posted a home record with no more than one defeat seven times with a pair of unbeaten seasons. Additionally, the Ladyjacks are averaging 12.5 wins at home in that span and have won no fewer than a dozen games at home in each of the past nine seasons.
As of January 20, the SFA men lead the Southland, while the SFA women are tied for second. The two squads are in action a combined 14 times at home inside the Coliseum over the next month and a half.
Through the many successes and over multiple decades of hardwood action inside the Coliseum, the common denominator has been the fans and the Sawmill isn't the same without them.
FOLLOW THE LUMBERJACKS
For all the latest information on SFA basketball, visit SFAjacks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Jacks on X, Instagram and Facebook.
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