Stephen F. Austin hosts Texas Lutheran on Friday in a matchup that counts as a regular-season game for SFA but an exhibition for the Division III Bulldogs. The Lumberjacks opened their season with a 120–61 win over Lyon College, setting program and Southland Conference records with 26 three-pointers. The game tips off at 6:30 p.m. CT at William R. Johnson Coliseum in Nacogdoches.

By the Numbers
  • SFA made 26 of 56 three-point attempts against Lyon, with eight players connecting from beyond the arc.
  • The Lumberjacks outrebounded Lyon 62–27 and scored 37 second-chance points.
  • SFA leads the all-time series 3–0; the teams last met in 1984.
Yes, But

Friday’s result will count in SFA’s regular-season record, but not Texas Lutheran’s, which opens its season Nov. 10. The Bulldogs finished 10–15 last season, while senior forward Teddy Tapken returns after averaging 15.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

State of Play
  • SFA is the defending Southland regular-season champion and was picked second in the conference preseason poll.
  • Texas Lutheran coach Austin Falke previously played for SFA and served as a Lumberjacks graduate assistant.
What’s Next

SFA continues its season-opening homestand Friday. Its Southland title defense begins Dec. 5 against East Texas A&M.

Bottom Line

SFA arrives with a record-setting opening win, but Friday offers a different kind of test: a nonconference opponent led by a coach with deep ties to the Lumberjacks.