NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Stephen F. Austin held decisive advantages in points off turnovers (32-8) and points in the paint (48-26) as the Lumberjacks defeated the University of the Incarnate Word, 83-63, in men's basketball action Saturday afternoon from Johnson Coliseum.

HOW IT HAPPENED

UIW (5-10 overall, 0-5 SLC) started out on fire, as Jorden Kite nailed a pair of three-pointers sandwiched a Cody Graham steal and Charles Brown III layup, as the Cardinals led 8-0 early over SFA (15-3, 4-1). The Cardinals led by four (16-12) when the Lumberjacks used a 14-4 run to take a 28-20 lead with seven minutes left in the first half.

Leading by eight (35-27), SFA closed the half outscoring UIW, 7-4, to take an 11-point lead (42-31) at the break.

The Cardinals cut the deficit to seven in the early goings of the second half, but SFA scored nine unanswered to lead by 16 (53-37) with 13:15 left in regulation.

Trailing by as many as 19, UIW battled back, outscoring the Lumberjacks, 12-4, to cut the deficit to 11 and force the hosts to call a timeout. The breather worked in SFA's favor, as it closed the final 5:45 outscoring the Cardinals, 15-6.

LEADERS

Shawn Johnson led three Cardinals in double figures, dropping 11 points with eight rebounds, a pair of assists, and a steal. Cody Graham and Brown III each scored 10 points, as Graham dished out a team-best four assists. Simi Socks, Keaton Hervey, and Konstantin Kulikov came off the bench to score a combined 20 points.

Leading scorer, Kevon Harris, registered a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead SFA.

UP NEXT

UIW returns home to face the other Cardinals, Lamar, on Wednesday, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m.

STAY TUNED

The Cardinals head back on the road at New Orleans next Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN3.

For the most up-to-date information on Incarnate Word Athletics visit uiwcardinals.com. Be sure to follow Incarnate Word Athletics on Twitter @UIWAthletics and like Incarnate Word Athletics on Facebook at UIW Athletics.