NACOGDOCHES – Despite making 11 three-pointers on Monday night at William R. Johnson Coliseum, the East Texas A&M University men's basketball team suffered a 79-72 loss to the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks.
 
Monday was the 122^nd meeting between the Lions and the Jacks, but first since 1985. The Lions fall to 2-19 on the season and 0-10 in Southland Conference play, while SFA improves to 9-12 on the season and 2-8 in SLC action. In the 122 meetings between the two teams, the Lumberjacks now lead the series, 67-55.
 
Though the Lumberjacks scored the first two points of the game, the Lions scored the next six and led 10-6 with 15:53 to play in the first. SFA put together a 15-0 run to lead by 11, as the Lions went without a point for just under seven minutes. The lead did not change hands the rest of the game.
 
The Lions shot 48.1 percent from the field and 6 for 15 from outside, but trailed 44-34 at the half, as SFA shot 15 for 30 from the field, 5 for 10 from deep, and 9 for 12 at the line.
 
Despite starting the second half, shooting 57.1 percent from the field and 2 for 3 from the outside, the Lions were outscored 22-16, through the first 10 minutes of the second half, as SFA built its biggest lead of the game, 17 points.
 
Right after the Lions fell behind by 17, East Texas A&M put together a 9-0 run to push the margin back down to single digits. SFA halted the scoring run with a three-pointer. The Lions scored five of the last seven points of the game.
 
Khaliq Abdul-Mateen (Cy-Fair) came off the bench and went 6 for 8 from deep for 18 points, while Scooter Williams Jr. (Chattanooga, Tenn.) added 14 and Tay Mosher (The Colony) scored 10.
 
The Lions finished the game shooting 49.1 percent from the field and went 11 for 25 from outside the three-point arc, and 5 for 7 at the line. SFA shot 48.3 percent, going 12 for 22 from deep, and 9 for 12 at the line.
 
Matt Hayman scored 21 to lead the Lumberjacks. Keon Thompson had a double-double with 17 points and 10 assists.
 

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The Lions return home to host Northwestern State on Saturday at 2:15 p.m. and A&M-Corpus Christi next Monday at 6:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at LionAthletics.com/Tickets.