February 6, 2008

Stephen F. Austin’s Matt Kingsley scored a season-high 29 points to lead the Lumberjacks to a 71-62 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to remain atop the Southland Conference West Division.

Kingsley was one of three Lumberjacks to score in double-figures, hitting 11-of-12 free throws, as well as 9-of-15 from the field. “We did not do a good job on him,” A&M-Corpus Christi head coach Perry Clark said. “You have to take your hat off to him. He made everything he shot.”

The Islanders (6-14, 3-4) led by four midway through the first half after Justin Reynolds hit a 20-footer with 12:43 to go to give them a 10-6 advantage before Josh Alexander would give the Lumberjacks the lead for good with 11:10 to go in the first on a three-point basket.

Alexander finished with 15 points, all from behind the three-point line, hitting 4-of-8 from long range. A&M-Corpus Christi fell behind by as many as 12 in the first half after a 5-0 run with 4:30 to go capped off with another three-pointer by Alexander, giving SFA a 24-12 lead.

The Islanders would cut the lead to nine at the half, with the Lumberjacks taking a 32-23 lead into the locker room despite failing to convert a field goal in the last 1:43 of the period.

In the second half, the Islanders were able to hold the Lumberjacks to just 43.5 percent shooting from the field after hitting 60 percent in the first half. A&M-Corpus Christi’s offense, led by Kevin Perkins and Demond Watt’s 12 points hit 50 percent in the second.

Stephen F. Austin hit just three field goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half, allowing the Islanders to tie the game at 43 with 10:59 to go after a Watt layup and converted free throw.

SFA’s Scott Weaver hit a 15-footer from the baseline with 5:20 to go to give it a nine point advantage which the Islanders were unable to recover. “I thought in the second half we were able to control the tempo a little better than we did in the first. Instead of waiting for them to do what they normally do, we just reacted like basketball players,” Clark said.

The Islanders matched Stephen F. Austin in the second with 39 points, despite going to the free throw line nine fewer times.

A&M-Corpus Christi will hit the road Saturday when they take on Sam Houston State at 7 p.m. in Huntsville.

-Craig Merriman