Official Game Statistics
South Alabama vs. Florida Atlantic Game Notes
BOCA RATON, Fla. ? Domonic Tilford scored 14 points during a 17-5 run that helped South Alabama stretch a 42-41 lead into double digits as the Jaguars won their seventh straight game, 66-55, at Florida Atlantic Wednesday night. Tilford finished with a game-high 20 points, including 16 during the final 7:56 of the contest.
Three other Jaguars reached double figures ? Demetric Bennett (16), Daon Merritt (11) and DeAndre Coleman (10). Carlos Monroe led the Owls (4-10, 0-3) with a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds.
South Alabama (11-3, 3-0) led by a single point, 42-41, with 7:56 remaining when Tilford took control. Stepping to the line with just two first-half points, he knocked down a pair of free throws, then hit a three-pointer at the 7:14 mark later to push the lead to 47-41. Less than 90 seconds later, he hit the first of three straight treys that put the Jags up 59-46 with 2:46 to play.
Tilford was also perfect on all four free throws in the final 1:11 to preserve the win.
“Toward the end, we started limiting them to one shot. I thought that was key,” Head Coach Ronnie Arrow said. “Domonic hit some big shots and we did a good job of getting him the ball. Daon held the team together late and got us into our offense. That, in turn, led to good shots, which we converted. This was a challenge tonight, coming on the road for the first time in a month. When it counted, we got it done.”
Both teams held four-point leads during the first half. With the score tied at four, Coleman and Merritt tallied baskets to give the Jags their big margin. Florida Atlantic was up 24-20 and 27-23 near the four-minute mark, but Bennett hit a three-pointer and made a three-point play to cut the margin to one each time. B.J. Ford canned a three-pointer with 17 seconds left in the half to send the Jaguars to the locker room with a 32-29 lead, one it would never relinquish.
Bennett scored 11 points in the first half with the Jaguars hitting 48.1 percent from the field. However, nine turnovers kept the Owls in the game.
South Alabama looked to pull away early in the second period, using a 8-2 run out of the locker room to lead 40-31, but the Owls scored seven straight to pull back to within a pair. They further closed to within one before Tilford heated up.
The Jaguars once again relied on their defense, holding Florida Atlantic to just 35.9 percent overall. It marked the seventh time in 14 games that the opponent has hit less than 40 percent from the field.
South Alabama returns to action at home Saturday night when it hosts preseason Sun Belt Conference favorite Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers, 62-51 winners over Middle Tennessee on Wednesday, stand 10-4 overall and 2-0 in league play.
