Jacks Survive UIW in Regular Season Finale, Win SLC Outright

Monday, March 2

San Antonio, Texas

6:30 P.M.

Stephen F. Austin

27-4,20-2Southland

Incarnate Word

12-19,7-15Southland

SFA

UIW

Photo by: Sarah Williams

Jacks Survive UIW in Regular Season Finale, Win SLC Outright

3/2/2026 9:36:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

SFA rallies behind Patrick’s 28 points, 23 in the second half, to cap 20-win league slate

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Junior guard Lateef Patrick delivered 28 points with 23 coming in the final twenty minutes of play and Stephen F. Austin used a handful of key makes from beyond-the-arc down the stretch, while also locking down Incarnate Word from the final media stoppage on to close out the regular season with a 76-68 victory on Monday night in the Alamo City. The victory is the 27^th for the Jacks and caps SFA's league record at 20-2. The Jacks claim the Southland Conference regular season outright and will enjoy a double bye into the tournament semifinals on March 10.

SFA led 28-26 after twenty minutes of play which grew to a five-point lead after Patrick hit the first of five second-half threes twelve seconds past the intermission. A turnaround jumper from Patrick pushed the Jacks out front 39-30, but the Cardinals responded with an 11-0 run to grab a 41-39 lead at the 13:35 mark.

For those who doubted us, keep it up ??#AxeEm x #WinTogether pic.twitter.com/nJ1nb7cUfF
— SFA Men's Basketball (@SFA_MBB) March 3, 2026

UIW led by six after multiple possessions following the under-12 media which included advantages of 49-43 (11:19), 51-45 (10:20), 56-50 (8:30), 61-55 (6:46) and at 63-57 (6:07). Patrick connected from deep and pulled the Jacks to within a possession at 63-60 as the clock dipped under six minutes and two SFA possessions later, Narit Chotikavanic drilled a game-tying triple try with 4:17 to play.

Keon Thompson then answered to tie the contest at 65 and a pullup bucket by Patrick pushed the Jacks in front 67-66 for their first lead in over 11 minutes. SFA took control 80 seconds later as Chotikavanic stepped to his left along the nearside wing to let a UIW defender fly by before knocking down a trifecta for a four-point advantage. The Jacks clamped down defensively as UIW managed just three points over the final 3:30 of play.

POSTGAME NOTES

SFA wins the SLC title outright: the first regular season SLC title for the Jacks since a 19-1 finish in the 2019-20 season
The Jacks win for the 27^th time this season; tied for the eighth-most wins in a single season in program history
The victory gives the Jacks the regular season sweep of the Cardinals after SFA beat UIW 56-46 in Nacogdoches on January 12
It is SFA's 14th win over UIW all-time and a seventh against the Cardinals on the road
The Jacks win for the 20^th time in league play this season, the most conference wins in a single season in program history
It is the 12th win on the road this season; the most since winning a dozen in 2019-20
It marked the fifth game at 50% shooting from three-point range and the third at 50% or better with a dozen or more makes
SFA sank no fewer than 12 three-point shots for the eighth time this season
Patrick's season-high 28 was courtesy of six makes from range and a perfect 6-for-6 from the stripe and he added five rebounds, two steals and an assist
Thompson followed with a dozen points as he moved into second place on the single-season scoring list and he added five assists, three rebounds and a block
Chotikavanic and Kam Burton each scored 11 as both hit a trio of threes
Chrishawn Christmas scored six points with a team-high nine rebounds, three assists, one block and a steal
Jerald Colonel scored four points with six rebounds, two assists and two blocks

UP NEXT
The Jacks open postseason play on Tuesday, March 10 as the top seed in the Southland Conference Tournament from Lake Charles' Townsley Law Arena. SFA receives a double bye into the tournament semifinals and will match up against the winner of the tournament's No. 4 seed and the Game 1 winner (No. 5 vs. No. 8). More information on the 2026 SLC Tournament as well as live coverage links to follow SFA's postseason march are available at www.SFAjacks.com.

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