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SAN ANTONIO — Sophomore Jeromie Hill led three Roadrunners in double figures with 13 points, but Antonio Bostic poured in a game-high 19 to help Stephen F. Austin hold off UTSA, 59-51, on Saturday at the Convocation Center.
The Lumberjacks improved to 14-10 overall (8-3 SLC) with the key Southland Conference West Division matchup, while the Roadrunners fell to 15-10 (7-4 SLC).
Bostic drained three 3-pointers, while Darius Gardner added three of his own en route to 10 points to help SFA make eight from long range on the day after entering the contest with five or more threes in a game only twice this season.
Hill was 6-for-10 from the field and added six rebounds and a pair of blocks in leading UTSA in scoring for the eighth time this year. Junior Kannon Burrage added a dozen on a 5-for-8 shooting performance, while senior Stephen Franklin scored 10 and grabbed a half dozen boards.
“We had too many turnovers," UTSA head coach Brooks Thompson said after the loss. "When you play a team as good as Stephen F. Austin and you spot them a 15-point lead in the first half, it’s going to be hard to come back and win. They are a good basketball team and there’s a reason they are 8-3 in the league and we're 7-4.”
The Lumberjacks used the 3-pointer to build a double-digit lead throughout most of the first half.
Bostic had all three of his treys and 13 points before intermission to help hand Stephen F. Austin go into the locker room with a 34-19 advantage.
The Roadrunners opened the second half with seven unanswered points, the last three on a long trey from the left wing by junior Michael Hale III at the 17:25 mark.
However, SFA pushed the lead back to double digits at 44-33 after a Taylor Smith layup.
UTSA then responded with a 7-0 stretch capped by a Franklin trey to pull to within four with 9:22 remaining.
The Lumberjacks steadily added back to their lead over the next five minutes and Gardner knocked down a three from the left wing to give SFA a 51-43 edge with 2:47 left to play.
However, UTSA made one more run.
Franklin was hacked and converted a pair at the line and Hale III came up with a steal and went coast-to-coast for a layup to make it a four-point game with two minutes on the clock.
Jonathan King was fouled on a shot attempt under the basket on the other end and he made both to push the advantage to six at 53-47.
Franklin then was fouled and he made both, but Gardner connected from long distance again with just under one minute left to make it 56-49.
Following a defensive stop, Gardner was fouled but missed both freebies and Franklin hit a running jumper with 33.6 ticks left to pull UTSA to within five, but that was as close as the Roadrunners got the rest of the way as Stephen F. Austin made 3-of-4 at the line to split the season series.
The Roadrunners will begin a three-game road swing at McNeese State (12-10, 8-2 SLC) on Wednesday, Feb. 15. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Burton Coliseum and the game will be televised by the Southland TV Network (KCWX in San Antonio/ESPN3).