Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks vs SE Louisiana Lions Prediction, 1/3/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks vs SE Louisiana Lions

Date: Saturday, January 3, 2026

Location: University Center in Hammond, LA

TV: ESPN+

University Center is the location where the SE Louisiana Lions (4-9) will try to beat the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (11-2) on Saturday.

The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks faced Northwestern State and went home with a win by a final score of 74-64 in their last contest. Stephen F. Austin wrapped up the contest with a 46.6% field goal percentage (27 of 58) and made 6 of their 23 three-point shots. From the charity stripe, the Lumberjacks made 14 of their 20 shots for a rate of 70.0%. Concerning pulling down rebounds, they collected 38 with 11 of them being on the offensive end. They also recorded 13 assists in this game as well as forcing the other team into 6 turnovers and earning 4 steals. Regarding the defense, Stephen F. Austin allowed the other team to shoot 41.5% from the field on 22 out of 53 shooting. Northwestern State earned 8 assists and had 4 steals for this game. On top of that, Northwestern State grabbed 25 boards (5 offensive, 20 defensive), but wrapped up the game with no rejections. Northwestern State ended up shooting 64.0% at the free throw line by knocking down 16 of their 25 tries. They made 4 of their 17 shots from 3-point land. When discussing personal fouls, the Lumberjacks left the arena with 19 and Northwestern State accounted for 16 personal fouls.

Keon Thompson is one guy who was a contributor in the matchup. He finished the contest at 53.8% from the floor and also recorded 5 assists. He saw the court for 32 minutes and also collected 2 boards. He racked up 21 points on 7 of 13 shooting.

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Stephen F. Austin will enter this matchup with a win-loss mark of 11-2 so far this season. They are losing possession via turnover 9.4 times per contest and as a team are committing 18.1 fouls per game. As a unit, Stephen F. Austin is collecting 40.2 rebounds per contest and is sitting with 201 assists so far this year, which is 176th in the country in terms of passing the ball. The Lumberjacks are shooting 37.2% on three-point shots (127 of 341) and 62.7% from the charity stripe. They are averaging 80.2 pts per game (126th in the nation) while going 45.9% from the floor.

On defense, the Lumberjacks have forced 11.8 turnovers on a nightly basis while drawing 14.7 personal fouls. They concede 28.3% on shots from distance and they are 26th in college in PPG allowed (65.0). The Lumberjacks are giving up and opponent field goal percentage of 40.1% (293 of 730) and they concede 33.9 rebounds per contest as a team. They are currently ranked 12th in the country in giving up assists with 124 conceded this year.

In their last game, the SE Louisiana Lions took a loss by a score of 79-70 when they faced Incarnate Word. The Lions corralled 27 defensive boards and 14 offensive boards for a total of 41 in this matchup. They also turned the ball over 12 times, while recording 10 steals in the matchup. Incarnate Word committed 18 personal fouls in this contest which got the Lions to the free throw line for a total of 20 shots. They were able to knock down 16 of the free throw tries for a percentage of 80.0%. In regard to three-point attempts, SE Louisiana converted 4 out of their 20 tries (20.0%). In all, the Lions ended up going 25 out of 65 from the floor which gave them a percentage of 38.5%. The Lions allowed Incarnate Word to convert 26 out of 63 attempts from the field which gave them a rate of 41.3% in this game. They shot 51.7% from beyond the perimeter by going 15 of 29 and walked away from this one shooting 12 of 16 at the free throw line (75.0%). When talking about how they cleaned up the glass, SE Louisiana permitted Incarnate Word to collect 36 in all (10 offensive).

Isaiah Gaines ended up being a factor for the Lions in this game. He made 6 of 10 in this contest for a rate of 60.0%, and had 5 rebounds. He accumulated 15 points in his 22 mins on the hardwood and had 1 assist for the contest.

SE Louisiana has a mark of 4-9 on the year. The Lions have committed 18.5 fouls per contest and they connect on 71.8% from the free throw line. They are dishing out assists 12.0 times per contest (325th in college hoops) and they are turning it over 12.5 times per contest. SE Louisiana has scored 857 points so far this season (65.9 per game) and they collect 32.6 rebounds per game. When it comes to offense, the Lions are shooting 40.5% from the field, which ranks them 345th in college hoops.

The Lions on the defensive side of the court are 109th in D-1 in points given up per game with 70.2. They have forced 14.2 turnovers on a nightly basis and have allowed teams to shoot 45.7% from the field (291st in the nation). The SE Louisiana defense gives up 35.6% on shots from beyond the arc (93 of 261) and their opposition knocks down 73.5% of their free throw shots. They concede 13.1 assists and 34.8 rebounds per contest, which is ranked 168th and 200th in college hoops.

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take SE Louisiana

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