Feb. 25, 2006

Box Score

NACOGDOCHES - Josh Alexander scored 20 points and Marcus Clark added 15 as Stephen F. Austin defeated Texas State 70-59 here Saturday.

Clark and Alexander combined to make seven of the Lumberjacks' nine three-pointers on the night. SFA shot 49 percent from the field and 47 percent from three-point range. Texas State was held to 39 percent shooting.

With the win, SFA improved 14-11 and evened its Southland Conference record to 7-7 heading into the final week of the regular season. Texas State fell to 3-22 and 1-13 on the year. The Bobcats play host to SLC leader Northwestern State Wednesday for Senior Night. Prior to the game, Texas State will honor seniors Lance Burroughs and Chris Langhorne.

Langhorne had scored in double figures the Bobcats' last four games but was held to just four points Saturday. He did not score his first basket until the 8:18 mark of the second half.

Texas State was led by Brandon Bush who scored a career high 18 points in the loss. Bush's previous high mark was a 17-point effort against SFA at home earlier in the year. Charles Dotson added 11 points for the Bobcats. Jushay Rockett had 10 rebounds to go with four points.

Matt Kingsley would add 13 points, making 9-of-12 free throws while Anthony Paez finished with 10 points.

Stephen F. Austin used an 18-2 run to build a comfortable lead in the first half. After a Dotson field goal made the score 21-17, the Bobcats missed eight straight shots while SFA stretched out a double-digit lead.

Gerald Fonzie drilled the first of three straight Lumberjack three-pointers. Clark would knock down consecutive treys the Jacks' next two times down the floor and SFA's lead was 30-17.

Beating the shot clock, Clark would add another three-pointer with 3:35 to play in the half before a Josh Alexander layin off a loose rebound extended the margin to 35-17.

The Lumberjacks' biggest lead of the half was 20 before the Bobcats finished the half by scoring four of the period's final six points.

Trevor Cook went over a pair of Lumberjack defenders for a slam with 25 seconds to play. After an Alexander jumper with seven seconds remaining, Antwoine Blanchard beat the game clock with a running jumper and was fouled on the play as the buzzer sounded. Blanchard would miss the ensuing free throw and the `Cats trailed 41-23 at the break.

Texas State would narrow the advantage to as few as 14 points midway through the second period before SFA used back-to-back three-pointers by Fonzie and Alexander to stop the threat.