MIAMI ? Domonic Tilford nearly recorded his first career double-double Saturday to help the University of South Alabama men’s basketball team bounce back from a three-point loss two days ago to defeat Florida International 62-57 at U.S. Century Bank Arena.
Tilford followed up a career-best 30-point effort Thursday against Western Kentucky by recording a game-high 23 points, and he was credited with nine rebounds ? matching his previous best total ? four assists and four steals as the Jaguars (7-5, 1-1 Sun Belt Conference) snapped a two-game losing streak. The latter total was also a career high.
He was the only USA player in double figures scoring, as the Jags used a defensive effort that held the Golden Panthers (4-8, 0-2 Sun Belt) to 36.2-percent shooting from the floor and forced a season-best 22 turnovers to limit FIU to the fewest points recorded by an opponent this season.
Michael Dominguez scored 17 points, making 5-of-9 from three-point range, while Freddy Asprilla collected a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double for FIU, which fell for fourth straight contest.
“The biggest statistic for me tonight was that we held FIU to 36 percent shooting,” USA head coach Ronnie Arrow said. “We didn't do some things well, but the bottom line was we got the win on the road. I thought that when we got out to the 16-point lead, we stopped executing and got away from our game plan of driving the ball and became jump shooters. At the end of the game, we did what we needed to do to win with the exception of some missed free throws.”
Brandon Davis drew a pair of charging calls on the Golden Panthers in the final five-plus minutes, and when Ronald Douglas tipped in a missed shot in between with 4:45 remaining the Jags were up 59-52. That would be USA’s final field goal, though, as the Jaguars held on with three free throws in the final 36 seconds.
FIU couldn’t capitalize on the drought, however, missing three shots and allowing offensive rebounds by Daniel Hayles and DeAndré Coleman after a Dominguez trey with 3:38 to go cut its deficit to four points. Two free throws from Cedric Essola with 42 seconds left drew the Golden Panthers to within two, 59-57, but Tilford sank both foul shots six seconds later to seal the win.
USA opened the second half with an 8-2 run to extend to a 37-28 advantage with 17:20 to go, with C.J. Garner recorded half the points with a two layups less than a minute apart.
Garner finished with a career-high eight points after not seeing action the last two outings, adding three rebounds and two assists.
The lead grew to a game-high 16 points six minutes into the period as the Jags would tack on nine points in a row following an Asprilla tip-in. Tilford closed out the spurt with a jumper and a trey, with the latter putting USA up 46-30.
The Golden Panthers answered by cutting the deficit in half with eight straight points, as Asprilla completed a three-point play and a jumper before Marlon Bright sank a three-point basket with better than 12 minutes remaining. LaShun Watson ? who scored seven of his nine points in the second half ? hit a jumper in the paint, but Nick Taylor and Dominguez connected on back-to-back threes to make the score 48-44 at the midway point of the half.
FIU made it a one-point contest twice, the second time when Harley Fuller sank a trey with just over eight minutes left to make the score 53-52, but Davis’ dunk started a 6-0 run that helped the Jaguars hold off the Golden Panthers.
USA gave up the first six points before Coleman made 1-of-2 free throws over four minutes into the game, and when Nikola Gacesa connected on a jumper with 15-and-a-half minutes to go FIU had its biggest lead, 8-1. The Jags responded by going on a 12-1 run in which Tilford accounted for eight points to build a 13-8 edge. While the Golden Panthers were able to tie the contest with six-and-a-half minutes remaining, Tilford made all four foul shots as part of a 7-0 spurt that left the Jaguars ahead 23-16 four-and-a-half minutes before the break.
Tilford ended the game 7-of-8 at the foul line, as both teams made 14 free throws although FIU visited the stripe four more times (24-20).
The Jags limited the Golden Panthers to just seven field goals and a 29.2 percent shooting percentage in the first half in taking a 29-26 lead at the intermission.
In addition to committing seven fewer turnovers than the Golden Panthers, the Jaguars made 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. USA also had a season-best 11 steals, with Coleman matching a career high with three and Watson chipping in with two ? the latter had only one theft in his first 11 contests this season entering play.
Coleman also contributed eight rebounds and two blocked shots.
The Golden Panthers converted on 52.9 percent from beyond the arc to overcome their overall shooting percentage, and they outrebounded the Jags 37-34.
The Jaguars, however, held a 30-12 scoring advantage in the paint as well as a 14-2 edge in fast-break points.
USA will have an eight-day break over the Christmas holidays before returning to action on Sunday, Dec. 28, with a home game against Spring Hill. Opening tip against the Badgers is slated for 2:05 p.m.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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