Jan. 30, 2008

Box Score

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Four different Lumberjacks reached double figures in scoring Wednesday as Stephen F. Austin held Texas State to its lowest point total of the season in collecting an 81-63 win at the William R. Johnson Coliseum.

The victory improves SFA to 16-3 overall and 4-2 in Southland Conference play. The Lumberjacks are now a perfect 10-0 at home, the first time SFA has opened a season with 10 straight home wins since the 2003-04 season, when the Lumberjacks went undefeated in Nacogdoches. Texas State, which came into the contest averaging an SLC-best 84.6 points per game and had not been held to fewer than 70 all season, falls to 10-10 on the year with a 3-4 mark in league play.

Texas State opened the game strong and took a 10-4 advantage with 16:16 to play in the first half. But SFA went on a 7-4 run to tie it at 11 less than three minutes later. The Bobcats went ahead by two on a jumper by Brent Benson, but Lumberjack junior Nick Shaw answered by driving the baseline for a two-handed dunk to tie the score. He then drew a charge at the other end, and SFA took the lead for good on the ensuing possession, when junior Josh Alexander stuck a 3-pointer.

The trey sparked an 11-1 run that put SFA in the driver's seat with a 24-14 lead at the 7:24 mark. Freshman guard Eddie Williams hit a pair of free throws and laid in the rebound off his own missed shot to pace the run, and the Lumberjacks took a 38-30 lead to the locker room at halftime.

SFA opened its lead to 12 (48-36) at the 14:08 mark on Shaw's third 3-pointer of the game - a new career-high - and the Lumberjacks never looked back, as Texas State could trim the lead to fewer than 10 points only once down the stretch.

Shaw was a perfect 3-for-3 on long-range shots to finish with 15 points, two off his career-high. Alexander led all players with 18 points and narrowly missed a double-double with nine rebounds. He did most of his damage at the free throw line, where he knocked down eight of his career-high 14 attempts.

As a team, the Lumberjacks set new season-highs with 31 free throws and 45 attempts. Junior center Matt Kingsley connected on 7-of-9 foul shots to finish with 11 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Kingsley's backup, junior Benson Akpan, was perfect from the floor and the stripe, going 4-for-4 in both places to tie his career-high with 12 points. Akpan and Kingsley also added three blocked shots apiece.

Sophomore point guard Eric Bell and Williams scored nine points each and finished with seven and four assists, respectively. Williams also pulled down a career-high six rebounds.

Ryan White scored 13 points to lead Texas State.

The Lumberjacks will return to action Saturday when they travel to meet Texas-Arlington. The game is set for a 4 p.m. start from Texas Hall. The Mavericks are 14-5 overall and 4-3 after being knocked out of the SLC West lead with a 73-57 loss at Sam Houston State Wednesday.

-- SFA --