HAMMOND – After facing the NCAA Division I scoring leader on Thursday, the Southeastern Louisiana University men's basketball team will face the nation's top scoring defensive team when the Lions host Southland Conference leader Stephen F. Austin on Saturday in the University Center.
Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. The game, which will follow the Southeastern-SFA women's game, can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9) and on the internet at www.LionSports.net.
Southeastern (9-13, 7-5 SLC) rebounded from a 19-point second half deficit against Northwestern State – the nation's top scoring team – before falling, 79-76, on Thursday. The Lions, who are currently in fourth place in the Southland Conference standings, will look to rebound against SFA (21-2, 12-1 SLC), which allows a meager 49.7 points per game on the season and has won its last five games.
Brandon Fortenberry, who scored a game-high 20 points against Northwestern State, leads Southeastern in scoring at 14.4 points per game and is second on the team in rebounds with 4.7.
Roosevelt Johnson is next in scoring for the Lions at 11.3 points while grabbing a team-high 8.2 rebounds.
Dre Evans (9.3 ppg.),
Jeffery Ricard (8.6) and
Antonnio Benton (5.4) are next in scoring for Southeastern, which averages 63.0 points per game overall and 66.9 points in Southland Conference play.
SFA opened its weekend trip to south Louisiana with a 63-51 victory at Nicholls State on Thursday behind 17 points from Taylor Smith. The Lumberjacks built a 39-27 lead at halftime against the Colonels and led by as much as 20 in the second half in improving to 9-2 on the road this season.
Desmond Haymon added 15 points for SFA, which shot 14-for-21 (66.7 percent) in the first half, with Antonio Bostic chipping in with 12.
Smith leads SFA in scoring (16.0), rebounds (8.8) and blocked shots (3.1) while leading the nation in field goal percentage making 158-of-223 attempts (70.9 percent).
SFA claimed the previous meeting between the schools, 52-40, on Jan. 17 in Nacogdoches. The Lions built a seven-point lead in the first half and led 25-23 at halftime, but went 4-for-24 (16.7 percent) from the floor in the second half to finish 13-for-50 (26.0 percent) for the game.
