Stephen F. Austin defeated Nicholls State 81-78 on Friday, February 21, 2026, in a closely contested game that saw seven lead changes and five tied scores, according to ESPN.
The game featured a back-and-forth battle, with both teams demonstrating resilience. Nicholls State managed to secure 20 second chance points, while Stephen F. Austin capitalized with 16 points off turnovers. Both teams recorded 10 fast break points. Points in the paint were relatively even, with Stephen F. Austin edging Nicholls State 30-26.
Stephen F. Austin’s Keon Thompson led all scorers with 26 points, while Lateef Patrick contributed 22. For Nicholls State, Rob Lee Jr. Scored 19 points, and Andrew Holifield added 15.
Fouls played a role in the game’s dynamic, with Stephen F. Austin committing 18 fouls compared to Nicholls State’s 14. Yet, neither team incurred any technical or flagrant fouls.
Recent matchups between the two teams have also been competitive. On January 17, 2026, Stephen F. Austin played against the University of New Orleans, with no technical fouls recorded and 14 second chance points for the opposing team. Another game on January 31, 2026, against Lamar University saw Stephen F. Austin win 88-81, with no technical fouls and 7 second chance points. In that game, Kam Burton scored 12 points.
Stephen F. Austin finished the game with a field goal percentage of 52.6%, converting 30 of 57 attempts, and a three-point percentage of 48.1%, making 13 of 27 shots. Their free throw percentage was 71.4%, with 15 successful attempts out of 21. Lamar University, in comparison, shot 47.5% from the field, 38.5% from three-point range, and 86.7% from the free throw line.
The SFA bench contributed 21 points to the team’s total, while Lamar’s bench added 17.
