NACOGDOCHES, Texas -  Despite Jalin Hart's career-high 34 points, the UIW men's basketball team gave up 60 second-half points and 21 second-half points to Ty Charles as Stephen F. Austin split the season series with an 87-79 win over the Cardinals Thursday night from Johnson Coliseum.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Both teams were slow in getting it going, as the teams were tied 4-4 entering the first media timeout at the 15:38-mark.

The teams battled back and forth with neither team leading by more than three until Isaiah Traylor's jumper gave SFA a 27-23 lead with 1:20 remaining in the first half. Tyler Singleton answered with a triple to cut the deficit to one.  On the ensuing Lumberjack possession, Jorden Kite grabbed the rebound and his triple in the corner with seven seconds left gave UIW a 29-27 lead at the break. The Cardinals held SFA leading scorer, Ivan Canete, scoreless in the first half.

A forced steal by Jalin Hart to a transition layup by Tyler Singleton gave UIW its largest lead of the game, 33-27, early in the second half. Following an SFA timeout, the Lumberjacks scored nine unanswered to take a 38-35 lead five minutes into the second half. Singleton's second trey of the night halted the 'Jack run.

But Charles could not be stopped, as he finished with 21 points, all in the second half, as SFA led by as many as 15. The last time UIW led at the half and lost was against Louisiana-Lafayette in the CBI Tournament on March 17, 2015.

LEADERS

Hart scored a career-high 34 points to lead UIW (10-13 overall, 5-7 SLC) on 12-of-16 shooting, 5-of-7 from beyond the arc, and 5-for-10 from the free throw line. The 34 points were nine shy of the school record and were the most by a Cardinal in a single game since Denzel Livingston scored 37 at Northwestern State on Jan. 10, 2015. Along with the points and field goals made, Hart also set a new personal best with eight rebounds. Simi Socks finished with 18 points and Singleton wound up with 12. As a team, the Cardinals shot 53 percent from the floor and made 12 three-pointers.

SFA (13-11 overall, 8-4 SLC) was paced by Charles with 21 points on 10-of-15 shooting and 1-for-1 from beyond the arc. TJ Holyfield registered a double-double of 13 points and 14 rebounds. As a team, the Lumberjacks shot 50 percent from the floor.

UP NEXT

UIW plays at Sam Houston State on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 6:15 p.m. on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app.

STAY TUNED

The Cardinals play the final three home games of the season beginning with Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m. against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

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