Stephen F. Austin

Sept. 11, 2012

Complete Schedule

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Stephen F. Austin head men's basketball coach Danny Kaspar announced Tuesday the Lumberjacks' slate for the upcoming 2012-13 season, a schedule that includes 15 home contests.

The 29-game schedule is highlighted by SFA's return to Norman, Okla., since 2007 (Dec. 18) and another participation in the ESPN Bracket Buster (Feb. 23). The game in Norman, Okla., marks the first time the two teams have met since SFA knocked off Oklahoma 66-62 December 8, 2007, on its way to the Southland Conference title.

The `Jacks will also once again take place in the Bracket Buster, this year scheduled to participate as a road team after hosting High Point in the 2011-12 season. SFA is 1-1 in the Bracket Buster, after falling to UL-Lafayette in 2006, the `Jacks beat High Point 69-62 last season.

SFA will be tested early on with a trio of road contests when the team travels to Miami (Nov. 17) to take on Florida International, Tulsa (Nov. 24) and Texas A&M (Dec. 3).

"We feel like we have developed a good balanced and competitive schedule for the upcoming season," Kaspar said. "With Big 12, SEC and Conference USA schools on the schedule we feel like we've developed a challenging schedule to prepare us for the conference race."

SFA will open up the 2012-13 campaign at William R. Johnson Coliseum on Nov. 9 against Howard Payne before hosting on Jarvis Christian (Nov. 20) and San Diego (Dec.1). After kicking off December at home, SFA will travel to College Station to play Texas A&M. The road contest marks the first time SFA has taken on the Aggies as a member of the SEC, and second opponent from that conference in the Danny Kasper era.

The 'Jacks will then return home for a pair of home contests, one between LSU-Shreveport (Dec. 8) and Lubbock Christian (Dec. 15). After the visit to Norman, SFA will have one more home game in December against Grambling (Dec. 20) before opening Southland conference play on the road against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on December 29 to round out the year.

SFA will then open up the new year with the conference home opener on Jan. 3, with the first of two meetings against Southland Conference Tournament defending champion Lamar who is in its second year under Pat Knight. SFA will alternate weeks of home and away league contests throughout the month of January with the highlight of the month likely coming on Jan. 12 when SFA travels to Tulsa, Okla. to take on new Southland opponent Oral Roberts. The contest will be the first time either team has met as members of the same conference.

"The conference schedule this season will feature an added challenge with games typically scheduled on Thursdays and Saturdays," Kaspar said. "That is going to make staying injury free even more of a priority this season."

In February, SFA will be at home for just two of its seven games, including hosting Central Arkansas (Feb. 2) and Oral Roberts (Feb. 9) midweek games. SFA will also travel to Lamar (Feb. 2), Nicholls (Feb. 14) and Southeastern Louisiana (Feb. 16) before taking on Piney Woods rival Sam Houston in Huntsville February 19. The `Jacks will round out the month playing in the ESPN Bracket Buster on the road against an opponent to be determined.

Following a bye week to round out February, SFA will close out its season series with a trio of home games against Northwestern (Mar. 2), Sam Houston (Mar.7) before closing out SLC play at home in the regular-season finale on March 9 against TAMUCC. The Southland Conference Tournament is set to begin the following week at the Leonard E. Merrell Center in Katy, Texas, with the top eight teams throughout the league earning a bid to the event.

-SFA-