'Jacks, Cowboys Clash in Lake Charles

Monday, January 5

Lake Charles, LA

6:30 P.M.

Stephen F. Austin

McNeese State

Buy Tickets

Kam Burton vs. Southeastern Louisiana (1-3-26)

Photo by: Sarah Williams

'Jacks, Cowboys Clash in Lake Charles

1/4/2026 10:30:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Midseason test awaits two of league's best

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The final stop of a four-game Southland Conference road swing awaits Stephen F. Austin men's basketball on Monday night in Lake Charles as the Lumberjacks, unbeaten in five SLC games and winners of their past seven games, meet defending league champion McNeese in a mid-season test for two top 30 mid major programs. Tip-off from inside Townsley Law Arena is set for 6:30 p.m. All the action will be streamed live on ESPN+ and additional live coverage links, including live stats and Chase Merrell's radio call, are available at www.SFAjacks.com.

LAST TIME OUT
W, 73-63 at Southeastern Louisiana
Seventeen-point scoring efforts from Lateef Patrick and Keon Thompson and eight rebounds and three blocks from Jerald Colonel were enough to push Stephen F. Austin past a late-surging Southeastern Louisiana squad, 73-63, on Saturday afternoon inside University Center. The 'Jacks used six free throws in the final three minutes, despite a 6:41 field goal scoring drought through the end of the contest, to hold off the Lions and improve to 12-2 overall behind the squad's seventh-straight win, while remaining unbeaten in Southland Conference play at 5-0.

SLU pulled within a bucket of the SFA lead three times before the under-16 media timeout was triggered at the 13:09 mark of the second half. Moments prior to the stoppage, Patrick hammered a three and then the 'Jacks used four Ahamed Mohammed free throws before a step-back from range by Patrick concluded a 7-0 run as SFA moved back out front 55-42.

Following the under-8 media timeout, former Lion Kam Burton collected a steal which led to an eventual turnaround jumper from Patrick and less than a minute later, Thompson maneuvered downhill to the cup for a second-chance bucket and an 18-point lead with 6:41 left to play. The Lions responded with a 13-1 run to pull within six points as the clock dipped below three minutes, but the 'Jacks iced the league affair at the stripe with successful two-shot trips from Thompson, Patrick and Narit Chotikavanic.

STREAKIN'

SFA's seven-game win streak is the squad's longest since the 2022-23 season and it's the first four-game road win streak since the same season
The 'Jacks have won five-straight to open SLC play for first time since 2020-21
SFA is off to their best 14-game start to season since 2019-20

ACTION 'JACKS

SFA leads the SLC in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.57; a mark that ranks inside the DI top 50
- The 'Jacks have recorded double-digit assists in 12 of 14 games and have committed 10 or fewer turnovers ten times
- The 'Jacks protect possessions as good as any team in the country with an SLC-best 9.6 turnovers per game: the 18^th fewest per night in Division I basketball
No team in the Southland has been as successful on the glass as the 'Jacks who lead the SLC in rebounds per game (40.43), offensive rebounds per game (13.57), defensive rebounds per game (26.86) and rebound margin (+6.8)
- The 'Jacks have grabbed 40+ rebounds in a game eight times and are on a four-game streak corralling 40+
The 'Jacks employ the league's best scoring defense at 65.0 ppg (21st DI) with the second-highest scoring margin at +14.8
The Lumberjacks are active along the perimeter on both ends of the floor leading the league in made three-pointers per game at 9.6, while boasting the league's top three-point percentage defense at 28.9%

NEON KEON

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
Thompson has since earned a second SLC Player of the Week honor in addition to being named to the Lou Henson National Mid-Major Player of the Year Midseason Watch List
Thompson has bucketed the second-most points in the SLC at 247, holds the league's third-highest scoring average at 17.6 points per game and is shooting at a team-best 48.6% clip from the floor which rates as the sixth-highest percentage league-wide
Thompson leads the league in shots made with 90
He rates inside the league's top 10 in defensive rebound average (4.29)
Thompson has scored in double figures in 13 of 14 games with six 20-point efforts
He has recorded 5+ assists in nine games and he owns an SLC top five assist-to-turnover ratio (2.13) behind the league's third-most assists (64)

BLOCKS & BOARDS

Jerald Colonel leads the country in blocks per game (3.29) and ranks second nationally in total blocks (46)
He has recorded three or more blocks in a game ten times this season with a season-best six coming against both Arkansas State and UTRGV
Colonel ranks second in the Southland with 114 total rebounds at 8.1 rebounds per game (2nd) and 4.86 defensive rebounds per game (3rd), while his and 3.29 offensive rebounds per game leads the league
On the glass, Colonel has registered seven or more rebounds 13 times

SHOWTIME-IKANVANIC

Narit Chotikavanic shoots the three at the nation's 16th-highest clip at 46.3%, while his 3.14 three-pointers per game ranks second in the SLC and 32nd nationally
His 44 total three-pointers made are inside the top 45 in DI and he has made multiple three-pointers in seven of his last eight games
Chotikavanic hit a go-ahead three with less than a second remaining to complete SFA's comeback in the win over Pepperdine
In SFA's hard-fought home victory over ACU, he 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
- He hit 5-of-7 from range in the first half against the Wildcats and netted all three of his attempts in the final twenty minutes
- His eight made threes are currently tied for the third-most by a player in the Southland Conference this season
Chotikavanic has scored in double figures in eight games, including 20-point efforts against ACU and Pepperdine

KEN POM + NET RANK

Through 14 games and as of January 3, the 'Jacks are rated 115th in the Pomeroy Ratings
SFA is the second-highest ranked SLC team behind McNeese which rates 71st
Among the metrics, the 'Jacks are 85th in adjusted defensive efficiency
The NCAA's NET Rankings, as of January 3, has the 'Jacks at 100th behind top 50 McNeese at 49th overall

McNEESE RUNDOWN

McNeese is 11-3 overall, 4-1 in SLC play and 6-0 at home inside Townsley Law Arena
The Cowboys are 39-1 in Lake Charles since the start of the 2023-24 season
SFA lost both matchups against the Cowboys a season ago but had won four-straight against McNeese prior to the '24-25 campaign
McNeese's lone SLC loss came at Incarnate Word to open league play, while the Cowboys' other two defeats were at Santa Clara and at #2/#1 Michigan
McNeese paces the league with a top 30 scoring margin in Division I at +17.1 and a top 50 scoring offense at 86.4 ppg with over 40 points, the nation's fifth-most, coming off the bench
- Larry Johnson paces the scoring effort at 16.6 ppg and two other Cowboys follow with double-figure scoring averages
McNeese scores the sixth-most fastbreak points per night at 19.21 in addition to carrying the league's best shooting clip (49.3) and top defensive effort defending shots (39.7); both marks rank inside the top 45 nationally
- Johnson shoots at the league's second-highest clip of 55.9%
The Cowboys are the league's top free throw shooting team pacing the Southland in attempts per game (23.9), makes per game (18.4) and free throw percentage (77.0)
The Cowboys lead the country in turnover margin (7.5) and rank fourth in turnovers forced per game (17.57); both SLC-best marks
That effort comes behind the nation's fifth-highest steals per game average of 10.8
- Garwey Dual leads the SLC in total steals (29) and ranks second in steals per game (2.07). Two other Cowboys are inside the top eight in both categories

NATIONAL CONVERSATION

For the sixth-consecutive week, the Lumberjacks are receiving votes in the CollegeInsider.Com Men's Mid Major Top 25
SFA accounts for the fifth-most points (39) among teams not in the top 25 putting the 'Jacks at No. 30 nationally if the poll extended out
That's the second-highest ranking of any Southland Conference team behind No. 17 McNeese

DOUBLE-DOUBLE TRACKER
Chrishawn Christmas vs. UTRGV (12/3/25) – 11 pts, 10 reb
Keon Thompson vs. Abilene Christian (11/14/25) – 15 pts, 12 reb

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
SFA has crossed over the century mark in scoring twice this season (103 vs. Millsaps, Dallas) marking the first season with multiple 100+ scoring outputs since the 2020-21 campaign

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

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 nine 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