Stephen F. Austin Basketball: How Lumberjacks stunned Duke in Cameron

Stephen F. Austin Basketball: How Lumberjacks stunned Duke in Cameron Indoor

DALLAS, TX - MARCH 15: Kevon Harris #1 of the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks celebrates against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the first half in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at American Airlines Center on March 15, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

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DALLAS, TX – MARCH 15: Head coach Kyle Keller of the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks reacts against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the first half in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at American Airlines Center on March 15, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

Stephen F. Austin Basketball shocked the world on Tuesday night with its incredible 85-83 victory over the #1 ranked Duke Blue Devils inside Cameron Indoor Stadium.

On a night that seemed to have better, more intriguing matchups in non-conference tournaments such as the Maui Invitational and the Legends Classic, nobody thought that the game of the night, or better yet, the best game of the NCAA basketball season so far, would be that between Duke and Stephen F. Austin Basketball.

From whistle to whistle, the game had it all. SFA came out and instantly showed they would be competitive. They were moving the ball well, playing decent defense and not showing any sign of fear. Then, after about 10 minutes of play, Duke seemed like they were starting to do what most contenders do in games like this: they used their talent to surge ahead to a 15 point lead.

It’s typically at this point when most lovers of mid-major basketball turn the channel, assuming the hope of watching a tiny school pull off a miraculous upset inside a contender’s gym has faded away. I was one of these people. I turned the channel but continued to glance at the score whenever looking to see what was going on in the other NCAA basketball games.

To my shock, but better yet, my excitement, I noticed that Stephen F. Austin began to climb back in it. Led by highly talented Senior guard, Kevon Harris‘s 20 first-half points, SFA headed into the locker room down 45-40.

When the second half began, I made sure to watch. It was a war like none other. Stephen F. Austin continued to not be intimidated. They went toe-to-toe with the #1 team in the country, despite Duke being more talented.

The truth is, Duke had the size advantage. The bigger, more talented Duke freshman, seemed to have plenty of mismatches, but aggressiveness and a feisty demeanor allowed SFA to remain at Duke’s hip pocket. The game was certain to have an incredible ending.