GAME NOTES: at Texas A&M
12/1/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 1, 2010
NACOGDOCHES, Texas -
Complete Release in PDF Format 
VITALS
Stephen F. Austin at Texas A&M
Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010 • 7:00 p.m. (CST)
Reed Arena (12,989) • College Station, Texas
Radio: Q107.7-FM • TV: FSN-SW/ESPN Full-Court • Online: ESPN3.com
Lumberjacks
Record: 4-1
Last 5/Streak: 4-1/W-2
Coach: Danny Kaspar
Career: 404-166
At SFA: 185-114
SID: Brian Ross
E-mail: rossbrian@sfasu.edu
Web: sfajacks.com
Aggies
Record: 5-1
Last 5/Streak: 4-1/W-2
Coach: Mark Turgeon
Career: 231-151
At TAMU: 78-32
SID: Matt Simon
E-mail: matts@athletics.tamu.edu
Web: aggieathletics.com
GAME INFORMATION
AGS UP NEXT: The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack basketball team will try for its first three-game win streak of the year on Thursday, when SFA travels to take on Texas A&M. The 'Jacks come into the contest with a 4-1 record having won two straight. SFA is 1-1 on the road. Texas A&M is 5-1 and has also won its last two games.
LAST GAME: SFA shot a season-best 55.7 percent and dominated the paint in an 86-47 win over Science and Arts of Oklahoma. Five Lumberjacks reached double figures in scoring led by 14 each from forwards Jordan Glynn and Brandon Cutler. Center Jereal Scott added 12 points as SFA outscored the Drovers, 52-14, in the paint. Cutler pulled down nine rebounds leading an effort that saw the 'Jacks post a 46-23 advantage in rebounding. SFA held USAO to 30 percent shooting and allowed only one Drover to reach double digits in scoring. The Lumberjack bench outscored the USAO reserves, 46-13.
THE AGGIES: Texas A&M opened the season with three straight wins before dropping a two-point decision against Boston College in the Old Spice Classic. The Aggies rebounded with consecutive wins over Manhattan and Temple, a Top 25 team at the time. Texas A&M received six votes in the most recent Associated Press poll. The Aggies average 74 points per game, and their plus-19 margin of victory ranks fourth in the Big XII.
vs. TEXAS A&M: SFA is 3-16, all-time, against the Aggies. SFA's last win in the series was an 89-82 road victory during the 1970-71 season. Since then, Texas A&M has won 12 straight, including a 55-48 verdict two years ago. Thursday's game will mark just the second meeting with the Aggies under head coach Danny Kaspar. Prior to 2008-09, the teams had not met since the 1999-00 campaign.
COVERAGE: The game will be broadcast regionally on FOX Sports Net-Southwest. Additionally, ESPN Full-Court will pick up the telecast, and it will be streamed live online at ESPN3.com. Lumberjack fans can listen in on Q107.7 FM for radio coverage. Rob Meyers has the play-by-play call.
UP NEXT: SFA will be back in Nacogdoches for three straight home games, starting on Dec. 10 and 11 with the Etch Lumberjack Classic. The 'Jacks will take on Grambling and Chicago State in the tournament then host Jarvis Christian on Dec. 18.
NEWS AND NOTES
POINTS IN THE PAINT: SFA outscored Science and Arts of Oklahoma, 52-14, in the paint. That's the most points down low the Lumberjacks have scored this season and marks just the fifth time in the last four seasons for SFA to break 50. The most post scoring SFA has put up during that stretch was 60 against East Central (Oklahoma) last season.
HIGH-PERCENTAGE: SFA's dominance in the post against USAO directly contributed to the Lumberjacks' best shooting percentage of the season. SFA hit 55.7 percent from the field, bettering the 50-percent effort the 'Jacks put up at ULM.
ALL GOOD FOR GLYNN: Junior forward Jordan Glynn went 6-for-6 from the field and 2-for-2 at the free throw line to lead SFA with 14 points against USAO. Including his 6-for-7 performance at ULM, Glynn has knocked down 12 of his last 13 attempts from the field. The two six-bucket games are tied for the second-most field goals Glynn has put up in a single game. His career best is seven. He has also connected on 14 consecutive free throws over the last four games.
SECOND CHANCES: SFA averages 14.6 offensive rebounds per game, and the Lumberjacks are making the most of those second chances. SFA has been outscored in second-chance points only once this season and has posted 20-plus points off second shots in three of its first five games.
ON THE REBOUND: SFA was beaten in rebounding, 34-19, in its win at ULM. It marked the first time this season for the Lumberjacks to be outrebounded and is the largest margin in an opponent's favor since Syracuse beat SFA on the boards, 55-34, in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament. The Lumberjacks won just four times last season in games when they were outrebounded.
DOWN TO THE WIRE: SFA defeated ULM, 65-64, on a 3-pointer by Zac Downing with three seconds left. SFA was 3-4 last season in games decided by three points or fewer, and the 'Jacks are 12-9 in such games over the last four years.
STRAIGHT SHOOTING: SFA had its best shooting night of the year in the win at ULM. The 'Jacks shot 50 percent from the floor, 46 percent from 3-point range and 78.9 percent at the foul line. The last time an SFA team shot that well in all three categories was an 82-67 win at Jackson State in the 2007-08 season. In that game, the 'Jacks hit .630 from the floor, .474 from three and .789 at the stripe.
AGAINST THE BIG XII: SFA is 2-8 against teams from the Big XII in 10 years under head coach Danny Kaspar. The Lumberjacks knocked off Baylor, 79-57, in Waco during the 2003-04 season and defeated Oklahoma, 66-62, on the road in 2007-08. With games against Texas Tech and Texas A&M in 2010-11, this season will mark the third time in the last four years for SFA to play two Big XII opponents.
ON THE DOWN-LOW: SFA has outscored its opponents in the paint by an average of 12.4 points per game through five contests. Before playing Texas Tech, the Lumberjacks had a 24-point margin down low, but the Red Raiders outscored SFA, 46-24, in the paint. The most points in the paint the 'Jacks allowed last season was 38 against Texas State.
HOME NON-CONFERENCE: With a 3-0 start at home this season, SFA has now won 23 of its last 24 home, non-conference games, dating to the 2006-07 season. The only loss during that stretch is a two-point defeat against Texas Tech last season. The Lumberjacks are 53-4, overall, in home, non-conference games in 10-plus seasons under head coach Danny Kaspar.
PERFECT AT THE LINE: Freshman point guard Darius Gardner went 10-for-10 at the foul line in SFA's win over Longwood. That's the first time since the 2004-05 season a Lumberjack has hit at least 10 free throws in a single game without missing. Marcus Clark last accomplished that feat by going 11-for-11 at Sam Houston State in the 2004-05 season. That performance came right after a 15-for-15 showing by Clark at Louisiana-Monroe. In 10-plus seasons under head coach Danny Kaspar, SFA players have gone perfect in at least 10 attempts at the stripe only five times. Clark had three such games and Stevin Ozier did it once.
HIGH-SCORING: The 114 points SFA scored against Howard Payne marks the highest offensive output by a Lumberjack team in Danny Kaspar's 10-plus seasons as head coach. It's just the eighth time in Kaspar's tenure for the 'Jacks to break into triple-digits. The last time an SFA team scored more than 114 points was in the 1996-97 home opener when Derek Allister's squad beat Schreiner College, 138-69. Only that total and the 126 points SFA put up against Texas Wesleyan in the 1994-95 campaign top the Lumberjacks' output against Howard Payne in SFA's history at the Division I level.
MARGINAL: The 65-point margin of victory in SFA's 114-49 win over Howard Payne is the widest margin of Danny Kaspar's tenure and the biggest point spread for the 'Jacks since a 138-69 win over Schreiner College in 1994-95.
CENTER OF THE SCORING: Junior center Jereal Scott put up a career-high 27 points in the season opener against Howard Payne. That's the most points scored by a Lumberjack since Matt Kingsley -- Scott's predecessor at the five spot -- scored 29 in a win at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi during the 2007-08 season.
PARTY OF FIVE: SFA has put five players in double figures on two separate occasions this season. Against Howard Payne, Jereal Scott, Jordan Glynn, Eddie Williams, Amos Olatayo and Zac Downing all reached double digits. Glynn, Scott, Olatayo, Brandon Cutler and Dion Prewster all reached double figures against Science and Arts of Oklahoma. That feat has been achieved 17 times in Danny Kaspar's tenure as head coach. The 'Jacks put five in double figures only three times last season.
DOUBLING UP: Both Jordan Glynn and Jereal Scott had double-doubles against Howard Payne (Glynn 15p, 14r; Scott 27p, 10r). Two players recorded double-doubles in the same contest on three occasions last season. Glynn and Scott shared two double-double games, while Eddie Williams and Glynn shared one.
FRESH PERSPECTIVE: Freshman Amos Olatayo came off the bench for 10 points in SFA's win over Howard Payne. That marks the first time since the 2005-06 season for a Lumberjack freshman to reach double figures in the season opener. Josh Alexander was the last SFA rookie to achieve the feat, scoring 10 points in a road win over Tulsa.
BELOW FIFTY: SFA has held two opponents below 50 points so far this season. In 10-plus seasons under Danny Kaspar the Lumberjacks have held an opponent to 50 points or fewer on 44 occasions.
SEASON OPENERS: SFA is now 7-4 in season-opening games under head coach Danny Kaspar. The Lumberjacks have compiled a 12-13 record in season openers as a Division I program (since 1986-87 season). Under Kaspar, the Lumberjacks are 6-0 when opening the season at home and 11-6 in home season openers overall as a Division I program. SFA is 1-4 under Kaspar when opening on the road and is just 1-7, in all, as a Division I program when playing the season opener on the road. The Lumberjacks' only season-opening road win in the last 23 seasons was an 82-72 verdict at Tulsa to start the 2005-06 campaign.
HOME OPENER: SFA knocked off Howard Payne, 114-49, in the 2010-11 home opener. Head coach Danny Kaspar's teams are a perfect 11-0 in home openers at SFA. The last time an SFA team failed to win its home opener was a 67-55 loss to Texas A&M in 1998.
SAFE AT HOME: In nine-plus seasons under head coach Danny Kaspar, the Lumberjacks have compiled a 117-29 (.801) record in the William R. Johnson Coliseum. SFA is 313-120 (.723) all-time in the Coliseum. SFA finished with a 13-2 record in home games last season, marking the fifth straight campaign and the seventh time in eight years for the Lumberjacks to post double-digit wins at home.
EXPERIENCE: SFA has five returning players -- including four starters -- from last season. But with three of the five being junior college transfers in their second year with the Lumberjacks, SFA has only eight years of Division I basketball experience on the 2010-11 roster. That figure is tied for the 10th-fewest years of D-I experience in the nation. Eastern Washington has the fewest combined years of collegiate experience in the nation at four.
FRESH FACES: SFA has eight newcomers -- including transfer Mark Walton, who is redshirting -- on the roster for the 2010-11 season. That figure is tied for the fifth-highest number of first-year players during Danny Kaspar's tenure as head coach.
TOP GUNS: SFA's leading scorers last season were Eddie Williams (13.3 ppg) and Jereal Scott (12.8 ppg). When both players broke double figures in scoring, the Lumberjacks went 15-4. SFA's only losses when both Williams and Scott scored more than 10 points came against Texas Tech, Sam Houston State, Southeastern Louisiana and UTSA.
STEADY EDDIE: A back injury forced guard Eddie Williams to miss SFA's game against Texas College last season. That marked the first time in his career for Williams to miss action. He had played in all 76 games -- including 32 in each of his first two seasons -- coming into the contest against the Steers. He has now played in 100 total games with 59 starting appearances as a Lumberjack.
SITTIN' ON 20: With its victory against A&M-Corpus last year, SFA broke the 20-win barrier for the third consecutive season and the fifth time in Danny Kaspar's 10 years as head coach. Prior to Kaspar's tenure, the only 20-win season in the program's history at the Division I level was the 22-8 record put up by the 'Jacks in the 1986-87 campaign, the program's first as a D-I team.
FAST START: SFA entered Southland Conference play with double figures in the win column last season for just the second time in the program's Division I tenure. The Lumberjacks' only other 10-win pre-conference slate came in 2007-08, when they went 12-2 before opening league play.
-- SFA --
