MOBILE, Ala. --- The University of South Alabama men’s basketball team shot 58.6% in the second half to overcome a slow start and cruised to an 83-67 win over Alcorn State Wednesday night in day one of the Second Annual USA Thanksgiving Tournament at the Mitchell Center.

The Jaguars, who improve to 4-2 on the season, move on to face Georgia State Thursday at 4 p.m. in the championship round. The Braves drop to 0-7 and will take on Utah Valley Thursday at 2 p.m.

The win gives USA head coach Ronnie Arrow his 600th overall win as a head coach at both the junior college and Division I levels. Arrow was not in attendance, having sat out the game due to suspension for being ejected Saturday at Tulsa.

“I thought the guys came back and did a great job in the second half of the game”, said South Alabama associate head coach Chuck Taylor, the acting head coach for the evening. “The first half, for whatever reason, we didn’t come out to play defensively. That’s the one thing I thought we’ve been consistently good at so far this season. Tonight for the first 20 minutes, we reached, gambled and did things that are uncharacteristic of us defensively. I told the team at halftime we needed to get back to playing our style of basketball, which is locking up and playing good, solid defense and I thought they responded in the second half.”

Alcorn State controlled play in the opening stanza, leading for most of the period and converting four of their nine 3-point attempts. The Braves, who had not led in a game so far this season, took a 24-18 advantage on a trey by Shaunvanta Ingram and brought a 41-39 edge into halftime.

The second half was a different story as the Jags scored the first seven points and did not allow an ASU bucket until the 16:41 mark.

South Alabama pulled away with an 18-2 run midway through the second frame, stretching a three-point lead into a commanding 74-55 advantage.

After shooting 47.1% in the first half, Alcorn State hit just 33.3% of its shots in the second period, including 12.5% from long distance. The Braves scored only 26 points after the break, compared to 44 for the Jaguars.

“Tonight, the halftime adjustment that was made was we didn’t gamble,” said Taylor. “We covered each other. In the first half, if a guy gambled and got burned, the other guys weren’t doing the things we teach them defensively. The second half, guys stayed solid on their man.”

Junior Tim Williams (Pontiac, Mich.) tallied a career-high 25 points and had seven rebounds and five assists. Sixteen of those points came in the first half and his assist total was also a personal best.

“Tim, who is one of our leaders, put the team on his back,” said Taylor. “He had 25 points and seven rebounds, and you can’t ask any more of him. He told the team at halftime we would not play the second half like the first, and he did that.”

Freshman Martino Brock (Memphis, Tenn.) accumulated 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals. Senior LaShun Watson (Greenville, Ga.) came off the bench and nearly recorded a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds. Junior Gary Redus II (Decatur, Ala.) had 12 points and set a career high with five assists.

Alcorn State had four players in double-figure scoring, led by Jonathan Boyd’s 13 points. Jamar Ragland tallied 11 and Keith Searcy and Ian Francis had 10 points each.

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).

NOTES: Arrow compiled a 302-43 record as head coach at San Jacinto Junior College and has a 298-206 combined mark at South Alabama and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi… The Jaguars used their fifth different starting lineup in six games… Freshman Javier Carter (Dallas, Texas) earned his first career start… After not losing the rebounding battle for the first four games, the Jags were outrebounded (40-39) for the second straight time… Redus scored 10 or more points for the fourth consecutive outing, all from off the bench… USA has shot 50% or better from the floor in each of its four wins… Senior Bryan Sherrer (Monticello, Ark.) made all four of his free throws and is now 22-for-23 (95.7%) at the line this season.

—USA—