NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS – The Southeastern Louisiana University men's basketball team fell 85-58 Saturday evening against Stephen F. Austin in the William R. Johnson Coliseum.
Southeastern (6-16, 3-10 SLC) suffered a tough loss against SFA (19-3, 12-1 SLC) to open the week on the road. SLU battled to produce 36 points in the second half alone, but the Lumberjacks' efficient shooting from the three-point line held them in control the entire contest.
Jalen Forrest led the way for the Lions versus Stephen F. Austin with 15 points and four rebounds, shooting 4-7 from the field, 1-3 from the three-point line and 6-6 from the free throw line to provide a spark off the bench. Sophomore Jeremy Elyzee followed up with 13 points and six rebounds to lead SLU on the boards, finishing 6-11 from the field.
Jaiden Lawrence chipped in nine points off the bench alongside two steals, shooting 3-4 from behind the arc. Southeastern closed out the night shooting 42.6 percent from the field, 31.3 percent from the three-point line and 76.5 percent from the charity stripe while claiming 14 points off turnovers.
Stephen F. Austin opened the contest with early energy, racing out to a quick advantage 9-0 behind transition scoring and prolific shooting from beyond the arc. Southeastern struggled to find rhythm offensively in the opening minutes as SFA capitalized on second-chance opportunities and forced nine early turnovers to build separation. The Lumberjacks extended their lead with a 9-0 scoring run midway through the half and continued to apply pressure on both ends of the floor, 24-9.
Forrest sparked the Lions late in the half, knocking down a pair of baskets to briefly slow the momentum, but SFA answered each response to maintain control. The Lumberjacks closed the first half on a 12-3 surge to carry a 48-23 advantage into the halftime break. Southeastern shot 31.8 percent from the field in the first half, while SFA connected at a 59.3 percent clip and drained nine three-pointers before the break led by Keon Thompson (15 points).
Southeastern regrouped coming out of the locker room and showcased an improved offensive efficiency, claiming 35 points in the final half. The Lions opened the frame with better ball movement while aggressively driving to the rim, shooting 52.0 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from the three-point line in the second half. Key reserves stepped up for SLU late in the game to claim 36 bench points as Ubong-Abasi Etim (six points), finished 3-4 from the field down the stretch.
Despite the improved second-half effort, Stephen F. Austin maintained its advantage, answering each Southeastern run with timely perimeter shooting and defensive stops. The Lumberjacks extended their lead to as many as 36 points midway through the second half, 70-34. SFA remained hot from behind the arc, connecting on seven-three pointers in the second half alone. Kam Burton (14 points) and Marcus Scurry (12 points) proved to be problems from the three-point line down the stretch to keep the hosts' momentum.
SFA closed out the matchup shooting 55.4 percent from the field, 57.1 percent from behind the arc and 63.6 percent from the charity stripe to control the tempo and secure the win.
Southeastern will move forward, traveling to Beaumont, Texas to face Lamar Monday at 6 p.m. Monday's matchup against the Cardinals will be streamed on ESPN+.
HARDWOOD CLUB/S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the basketball program are encouraged to join the Hardwood Club. Lion alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letterwinners. All membership fees and donations to Hardwood Club are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern basketball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Basketball, follow @LionUpMBB and @DavidKieferSLU on Twitter, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.
TICKETS
For ticket information, please contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit www.LionSports.net/tickets. Southeastern is implementing mobile ticketing as the primary source for securing tickets. All tickets will be available via e-mail in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.
