SFA (10-5, 2-0) vs. New Mexico State (7-7, 0-2)
WHEN: 1/4 (WED) 6:30P.M.
WHERE: William R. Johnson Coliseum (Nacogdoches, TX)
WATCH: ESPN+
Things took a turn for the New Mexico State Aggies when guard Mike Peake was involved with the shooting death of a New Mexico student hours before the in-state rivals were to play an annual showdown. The subsequent events entangling other Aggie teammates, coaches and athletic directors has cast a pall over their current season while a state as well as an independent investigation are determining if university staff or students acted improperly. The team has continued to play most of their scheduled games and have played decently if not quite up to expectations.
The SFA Lumberjacks find themselves 2-0 in WAC play after their first week but now face a difficult five game stretch where every opponent has a higher NET rating than any team they have defeated this year. It starts with a home stand against NMSU and Grand Canyon. Last year they knocked off GCU in the mid-week to give up the Saturday game to NMSU. This year the goal is to protect their court.
The Aggies are a wounded dog of a team losing back to back games at home for the first time in over a decade. They are desperate and they know that starting conference play 0-3 is as close to an early season death knell as they come. The only team of note that this team has beaten in their train wreck of a non-conference was a good Duquesne.
They are led by guards Xavier Pinson (6' 2", Sr.) and Deshawndre Washington (6' 7", Jr.) who average over 25 points and 10 rebounds together. Issa Muhammed (6' 9", Jr.) and Marchelus Avery (6' 8", So.) tag team in the middle and do a good job at limiting close buckets. This team has about the most even stat sheet of any team in the nation. There's nothing they do exceptionally well but there's not anything they do poorly. The main thing is that they don't always play team ball as well as they each individually play ball.
The Jacks are finally riding a real winning streak. Day Day Hall is starting to find his rhythm down low and the stretched guard corps is starting to fill in each other's gaps. With 9 players to rotate through, the Lumberjacks are finally showing some energy and spark on both ends of the ball. Pushing their winning streak into January is of primary importance.
Winning rebounds against a solid interior group, hitting the perimeter shots while slowing theirs down, stepping on a lead when we have it are all goals for this game. The Aggies' confidence is shaking. If the Jacks can put them down then they will break them.
Axe 'em!
WHEN: 1/4 (WED) 6:30P.M.
WHERE: William R. Johnson Coliseum (Nacogdoches, TX)
WATCH: ESPN+
Things took a turn for the New Mexico State Aggies when guard Mike Peake was involved with the shooting death of a New Mexico student hours before the in-state rivals were to play an annual showdown. The subsequent events entangling other Aggie teammates, coaches and athletic directors has cast a pall over their current season while a state as well as an independent investigation are determining if university staff or students acted improperly. The team has continued to play most of their scheduled games and have played decently if not quite up to expectations.
The SFA Lumberjacks find themselves 2-0 in WAC play after their first week but now face a difficult five game stretch where every opponent has a higher NET rating than any team they have defeated this year. It starts with a home stand against NMSU and Grand Canyon. Last year they knocked off GCU in the mid-week to give up the Saturday game to NMSU. This year the goal is to protect their court.
The Aggies are a wounded dog of a team losing back to back games at home for the first time in over a decade. They are desperate and they know that starting conference play 0-3 is as close to an early season death knell as they come. The only team of note that this team has beaten in their train wreck of a non-conference was a good Duquesne.
They are led by guards Xavier Pinson (6' 2", Sr.) and Deshawndre Washington (6' 7", Jr.) who average over 25 points and 10 rebounds together. Issa Muhammed (6' 9", Jr.) and Marchelus Avery (6' 8", So.) tag team in the middle and do a good job at limiting close buckets. This team has about the most even stat sheet of any team in the nation. There's nothing they do exceptionally well but there's not anything they do poorly. The main thing is that they don't always play team ball as well as they each individually play ball.
The Jacks are finally riding a real winning streak. Day Day Hall is starting to find his rhythm down low and the stretched guard corps is starting to fill in each other's gaps. With 9 players to rotate through, the Lumberjacks are finally showing some energy and spark on both ends of the ball. Pushing their winning streak into January is of primary importance.
Winning rebounds against a solid interior group, hitting the perimeter shots while slowing theirs down, stepping on a lead when we have it are all goals for this game. The Aggies' confidence is shaking. If the Jacks can put them down then they will break them.
Axe 'em!
