Lumberjack Basketball Releases 2011-12 Schedule

Sept. 2, 2011

2011-12 Schedule^[1]

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Stephen F. Austin head men's basketball coach Danny Kaspar^[2] announced Friday the Lumberjacks' slate for the upcoming 2011-12 season, a schedule that includes 15 home contests and a pair of non-conference tournaments.

The 29-game schedule is highlighted by the third annual Lumberjack E-Tech Classic (Dec. 10-11) and a trip to Eugene, Ore., where the `Jacks will take part in the Global Sports Hoops Showcase (Dec. 20-22) hosted by the University of Oregon. SFA will also take on a trio of difficult road tests that it faced last year in traveling to Texas Tech (Nov. 20), UTEP (Nov. 26) and Texas A&M (Dec. 3).

"I feel like we have bulked up our schedule this season with the addition of Oregon along with our three other teams from last year (Texas Tech, Texas A&M, UTEP)," Kaspar said.

SFA will open up the 2011-12 campaign at William R. Johnson Coliseum on Nov. 11 against Centenary, but will not return to its home floor again until nearly three weeks later when it takes on Wiley College on Nov. 30.

After kicking off December at Texas A&M, SFA will then play host to Texas Wesleyan, Alabama State and Florida International in the Lumberjack E-Tech Classic. The `Jacks will face off with defending SWAC Tournament champion Alabama State on Friday before battling Isiah Thomas' FIU Golden Panthers in the tournament finale on Saturday.

"This is easily our best field in the three years in which we have had the Classic," Kaspar said. "Adding a team who qualified for the NCAA Tournament (Alabama State) and a Sun Belt team in Florida International gives us two quality opponents coming into William R.



Johnson Coliseum and should provide a great opportunity for fans to come out and see quality basketball right here in Nacogdoches."

SFA then will sandwich home contests on Dec. 17 versus Texas College and on Dec. 30 against UT-Tyler around it's trip to Oregon where it will square off with Prairie View A&M, North Carolina Central and finally the host Ducks at the sparkling new Matthew Knight Arena on the UO campus. The Lumberjacks are a combined 7-2 against the tournament field, including 0-1 against the Ducks, having not played Oregon since the 1997 season.

The `Jacks will then open up the new year and conference play on Jan. 4, in San Marcos, with the first of two meetings against Texas State who is in its final year of Southland Conference play. SFA will alternate home and away league contests throughout the month of January with the highlight of the month likely coming on Jan. 25 when Piney Woods rival Sam Houston State visits William R. Johnson Coliseum.

In February SFA will be at home for five of its nine games, including hosting Texas State (Feb. 1), Nicholls (Feb. 8) and UT-Arlington (Feb. 15) midweek games. SFA will also travel to UTSA (Feb. 11) and Lamar (Feb. 22), while keeping room on the schedule on Feb. 18 for a non-conference home game as part of ESPN's Bracket Busters against an opponent to be determined.

SFA will close out its season series with Sam Houston in Huntsville on Feb. 29 before closing out SLC play at home in the regular-season finale on March 3 against Northwestern State. The Southland Conference Tournament is set to begin the following week at the Leonard E. Merrell Center in Katy, Texas, with the top eight teams throughout the league earning a bid to the event.

-SFA-

References

1. ^{^} 2011-12 Schedule (sfajacks.cstv.com)
2. ^{^} Danny Kaspar (sfajacks.cstv.com)