MIAMI, Fla. --- The University of South Alabama men’s basketball team closed the first half on a 13-0 run and cruised to a 71-59 win over Florida International Thursday afternoon at the U.S. Century Bank Arena.

South Alabama moves to 2-0 in the Sun Belt Conference and 10-4 overall. FIU drops to 4-12 on the season and 1-2 in league play.

“It’s great to win the final game of the old year and go into the new year on a good note,” said USA head coach Ronnie Arrow. “Our defense played well – we held them to 35 percent and they hit some big shots at the end or it would have been even lower. We got some key steals at the end of the first half that ignited our offense. I think our guys are finally understanding what it’s all about defensively.”

The Panthers recorded just 16 points in the first half on 5-for-20 (25.0%) shooting and converted 35.7% for the game. The Jags forced 19 turnovers and blocked a season-high seven shots, six from junior Gary Redus II (Decatur, Ala.).

Jaguar junior Tim Williams (Pontiac, Mich.) led a group of three players in double figures with 18 points. Freshman Martino Brock (Memphis, Tenn.) posted 15 points and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds while senior Bryan Sherrer (Monticello, Ark.) tallied 10.

Both squads struggled offensively to start the contest. It took almost two minutes before FIU recorded the first points of the game and at the 14-minute mark the score was 7-3 South Alabama.

The Jags finally turned it on right before intermission. Williams hit the first two of six straight points with 5:10 to go and with seconds to play Brock tipped-in a missed shot. Williams contributed nine of the team’s 13 points to end the half and the Panthers went without a point for the final 6:23.

South Alabama was able to stretch its lead to 18 with 14:05 to go in the contest on two free throws from senior LaShun Watson (Greenville, Ga.).

An FIU 8-0 rally – all courtesy Marvin Roberts – made things interesting but the Panthers were unable to crack the double-digit barrier and a 6-1 run put the game out of reach.

Roberts – who at one point scored 12 straight in the second half for FIU – led all players with 29 points and hit five of his seven 3-point attempts.

South Alabama takes a day off before returning to action Saturday night at Florida Atlantic for a 7 p.m. start.

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: Roberts’s 29 points are the most by a USA opponent this season… Redus’s block total of six is tied for the seventh-most in school history… From the start of the second half at Florida until halftime Thursday, South Alabama held the opposition to 11-for-46 (23.9%) shooting… Williams also posted team-high totals of three assists and three steals… Arrow is now one shy of Cliff Ellis’s school record of 171 career victories… Brock’s 15 points are his most since putting up 21 at Arkansas (Nov. 29)… He scored USA’s first seven points of the game… South Alabama has now won six straight games in the state of Florida… The Jags have won two straight games when failing to shoot 50% or better in the second half after starting the season 0-4.

—USA—