HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana opens Southland Conference play Monday at the University Center, hosting three-time defending conference champ Stephen F. Austin at 7 p.m. in the second game of a women's-men's doubleheader.
For the second-straight season Southeastern (2-11, 0-0 Southland) begins its title quest against the defending champs. SFA (8-5, 1-0 Southland) opened up defense of its 2015 title with an 86-57 win Saturday over McNeese State.
The Southeastern Sports Radio Network broadcast, with Lance Pittman on the call, can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU 90.9 FM, online at www.LionSports.net or via the TuneIn Radio app. Fans can also watch the game live on LionVision, Southeastern's subscription-based video stream, or follow live statistics. Links for audio, video, stats and tickets are available on both the front page and basketball schedule page at www.LionSports.net.
Students and campus organizations can also earn points toward their new Lion Up Loyalty account at the game just by checking-in on the mobile app while in attendance.
Last time out, Jackson State used a pair of big runs to pick up an 89-66 non-conference win over the Lions on Dec. 30 at the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center in Jackson, Mississippi.
Zay Jackson, a senior from Hammond, Louisiana, led all players with 23 points and grabbed a team-high six rebounds.
Mike Hawkins (12) and
Joshua Filmore (10), a junior from Orlando, Florida, also reached double-figure scoring totals.
Dominic Nelson, a junior from the Bronx, New York, scored a career-high eight points and also hauled in six boards.
One of the top shooting teams in the Southland, Southeastern shot 52.3 percent (23-of-44) from the floor against the Tigers. including. The Lions hit on 47.1 percent (8-of-17) of their shots from 3-point range, were 12-of-25 (48 percent) from the free throw line and got out-rebounded, 39-26.
Jackson leads Southeastern in scoring this season with an average of 12.3 points per game and is fourth in the Southland Conference with 4.7 assists per game.
Joshua Filmore (9.5 ppg) and Mo Greenwood (6.6 ppg), a freshman from Sharon, Mississippi, round out the Lions' top healthy scorers.
This season Southeastern is shooting 43.7 percent (286-of-655) from the floor which ranks fourth in the Southland. The Lions have hit 31.8 percent (74-of-233) from 3-point range, are 161-of-261 (61.7 percent) from the free throw line and have been out-rebounded by opponents, on average, 36.4-to-33.5 per game.
Reigning conference player of the year Thomas Walkup (15.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg) leads the Lumberjacks both in scoring and on the boards. Demetrious Floyd (12.4 ppg) and Clide Geffrard (11.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg) offer support.
This season SFA is shooting 43.8 percent (357-of-816) from the floor, including 32.6 percent (101-of-310) from 3-point range. The Lumberjacks are 179-of-254 (70.5 percent) from the free throw line and have out-rebounded opponents, on average, 35.2-to-35.1 per game.
The Lumberjacks have lost just three conference games during their 3-year run as conference champs with one of those losses suffered at the hands of Southeastern. The Lions knocked off SFA, 54-50, on Feb. 16, 2013.
Last season SFA defeated the Lions, 81-66, in Nacogdoches, Texas. Jackson led Southeastern with 18 points and four assists. Walkup (22 points, 12 rebounds) and Jacob Parker (15 points, 12 rebounds) both recorded double doubles for the Lumberjacks.
Over the last seven seasons, SFA has won 9-of-12 against the Lions on the court.
Advanced tickets for home basketball games can be purchased online at www.LionSports.net/Tickets or through the Southeastern Athletic Ticket Office, located in Room 107 of the Dugas Center for Southeastern Athletics.
Courtside Top Cat seats are $35 for doubleheaders. General admission tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for children (age 3-12). Southeastern students will be admitted free to home games with a valid university ID card.
Closed for the holidays, the ticket office will reopen for normal business hours on Jan. 4. For more information, contact the ticket office at (985) 549-5466 or 1-866-LION-TIX. Ticket office hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Fridays.
