November 22, 1997
Shanne Jones scored a career-high 27 points, including 20 in the second half, to lead Texas A&M to an 86-73 season-opening victory against previously undefeated Stephen F. Austin (2-1) Saturday afternoon at G. Rollie White Coliseum.
The Aggies (1-0) owned a narrow 59-57 lead with 12:21 left to play, but went on a 23-10 run in the next nine minutes to take control of the game with a 82-67 lead. The teams were tied at halftime, 42-42, after A&M squandered a 12-point lead in the final five minutes of the half.
Jones scored only seven points in the first half on 3-of-11 shooting but made 8-of-10 from the field in the second half . Jones also tied a career-high in rebounds with eight. His previous highs were 23 points and eight rebounds last year against Colorado.
Sophomore point guard Steve Houston handed out a career-high 10 assists and added six points and three steals. Junior forward Calvin Davis scored 13 points with eight rebounds while sophomore guard Jerald Brown contributed 13 points, including a trio of three-poin baskets, and eight rebounds.
Freshman guard Michael Schmidt opened his career in grand fashion, scoring 13 points with seven rebounds, five assists and an A&M freshman-record eight steals. Schmidt's steals total eclipsed the former freshman record of seven set by Brooks Thompson against Stephen F. Austin in 1989 and was just one off the overall school mark of nine steals shared by David Edwards (against Prairie View A&M in 1991) and Darryl McDonald (against Lehigh in 1986 and against SMU in 1988).
As a team, A&M shot just 39.7 percent from the field but the Aggies pressure defense limited the Lumberjacks to 41.3 percent shooting and forced 25 turnovers. The Aggies came away with 19 steals, tying for the fifth most in school history.
David Henry led Stephen F. Austin with 17 points, Keith Tate scored 16, Aaron Radl added 12 and Wayne Allen contributed 11 points and 13 rebounds.
The Aggies are back in action Monday when they play host to Missouri-Kansas City at 7 p.m. at G. Rollie White Coliseum. UMKC (0-2) was edged by Texas-San Antonio, 82-81, on Saturday in San Antonio.