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    Great Start Garners SFA National Attention
    SFA will put its 11-game win streak on the line on Saturday at Northwestern State.
    SFA is ranked No. 10 in the latest Mid Major Top 25.
    SFA is ranked No. 10 in the latest Mid Major Top 25.

    Jan. 22, 2013

    NACOGDOCHES, Texas – With a 16-1 overall record and an 11-game win streak on its hands, the Stephen F. Austin men’s basketball team is quickly starting to turn heads across the country as it zeros in on a huge Southland Conference showdown this Saturday at Northwestern State.

    The Lumberjacks are currently one of just six one-loss teams remaining in the nation with each of the other five teams in that group being ranked no lower than No. 6 in the latest AP Top 25. SFA has yet to receive any votes in the poll, but did receive a pair of votes in this week’s USA Today Coaches Poll.

    The 11-game win streak for the ‘jacks is currently the fourth longest active streak in the country and includes a road win at Oklahoma, a team which is 4-1 in the Big XII with its only loss coming on the road at nationally-ranked Kansas State. They lead the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 49.4 points per game and will be part of one of the more intriguing matchups in the country on Saturday in Natchitoches when they square off with the Demons who sport the top scoring offense in the nation at 85.0 points per game.

    A win over a talented Demon squad on the road could vault SFA even further into the discussion as a dark horse team for March, especially with the annual Ramada Inn Bracket Busters pairings to be announced in the near future. SFA currently sits with an RPI of 69 and is guaranteed to go on the road for its Bracket Buster matchup this year after hosting High Point last year in Nacogdoches.

    The ‘Jacks also jumped into the CollegeInsider.com Mid Major Top 25 just before the Christmas break. SFA cracked the poll at No.25 but has taken less than a month to climb into the top 10, leaping five spots to No. 10 in the latest poll released on Monday. The No. 10 ranking is the highest SFA has ever climbed in the poll, eclipsing its peak of No. 11 during the 2009-09 season.

    In addition, the ‘Jacks are also No. 1 in the country in the UPS Team Performance Index, which measures efficiency and teamwork to highlight teams that are well balanced across America. That rating was also released on Monday with SFA coming in ahead of teams such as Indiana, Florida, Michigan and Syracuse.

    Mid Major Top 25
    UPS Team Performance Index
    NCAA Statistical Rankings
    NCAA RPI Rankings

    -SFA-