LUBBOCK, TEXAS -- First-year head coach Don Friday and the Saint Francis University men’s basketball team opened the 2008-09 season on Friday evening, dropping an 81-47 decision at Texas Tech University.
Junior Devin Sweetney (Washington, D.C. / Riverdale Baptist) and senior Marquis Ford (St. Petersburg, Fla. / St. Petersburg) each scored 11 points and junior Mislav Jukic (Zagreb, Croatia / Life Center Academy) added 10 for the Red Flash, who faced off with the Red Raiders for the first time in school history. Sweetney just missed a double-double, grabbing nine rebounds. Ford added two assists and two steals to go along with his 11 points.
Junior Nick Okorie was one of three Texas Tech players in double figures, netting 16 points, including 13 in the first half. John Roberson (13) and Trevor Cook (10) also scored in double figures for the Red Raiders.
Their length and physicality hurt us,” said Friday, who made his debut as the 20th head coach in Saint Francis men’s basketball history against Texas Tech. “They did a great job of disrupting the things we were trying to do.”
Saint Francis led 13-12 with 12:19 remaining in the first half on a three-pointer by Grant Suprenant (Palatine, Ill. / Palatine). Texas Tech would reel off seven unanswered points, however, and close the first half on a 31-11 run to build a 43-24 lead at the intermission. Okorie scored 11 of his team’s 31 points in the game-turning rally, including three three-pointers.
The Red Raiders took advantage of 15 SFU turnovers in the first half, netting 16 points off the Red Flash give-aways before the break. Ford scored nine of his 11 points after the intermission, but the Flash struggled from the field after the break, shooting just 18.8 percent (six of 32) from the field in the game’s final 20 minutes.
Friday complimented the work of the Texas Tech offense and defense.
“On defense, their trapping created problems for us,” he said. “They also ran a good motion offense – we can learn from what they did.”
Friday’s debut coincided with Texas Tech coach Pat Knight’s debut of sorts – Knight enters his first full season as head coach of the Red Raiders after taking over for his legendary father, college basketball’s all-time wins leader, Bobby Knight. The younger Knight took over for the elder at the helm of the West Texas school’s men’s basketball program in February.
SFU returns to action Monday, Nov. 17, traveling to Washington, D.C., to take on American University at 7:30 p.m.