MOBILE, Ala. ? University of South Alabama seniors DeAndré Coleman (Stone Mountain, Ga.) and Brandon Davis (Birmingham, Ala.) each recorded a double-double to lead the men’s basketball team to a 67-60 win over the University of Louisiana at Monroe Saturday night at the Mitchell Center.

The victory is the Jaguars’ fourth in a row and the sixth in their last seven outings. They improve to 17-11 overall and 10-7 in the Sun Belt Conference. The Warhawks fall to 9-18 and 5-11.

Coleman led all scorers with 21 points and had 10 rebounds. Davis added 16 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. The duo also teamed up for a double-double each in the first meeting with ULM on Jan. 8.

Senior Domonic Tilford (Louisville, Ky.) also reached double-figures with 11 points.

The Jaguars held ULM to 35.1% shooting for the game and blocked seven shots, four by senior Ronald Douglas (Baton Rouge, La.) and three by Coleman.

“It’s defense,” said USA head coach Ronnie Arrow regarding the key to the team’s recent success. “Our guards have bought into better guarding their man. Before, all of their guys were getting to the hole, and our guys were shot-blocking. Now, they’re doing a better job of containing, knowing that if they get by our post is there to shot-block. What Ronald Douglas does for this team, he alters so many shots. It’s good to know when they do get by our guards, we have the shot-blockers back there to guard the hole.”

All told the Jags recorded 42 points in the paint and outrebounded the Warhawks 41-34.

South Alabama threatened to run away with the game in the first half, opening up a 13-point lead with 7:47 to play. Tilford capped off a 9-0 run with a jumper, but ULM battled back and got as close as three in the final minute before Coleman tipped in a missed shot just seconds prior to the buzzer to give the Jaguars a 35-30 lead at halftime.

A 6-0 run early in the second half gave USA an 11-point lead that eventually ballooned to 15 (58-43) with just under eight minutes remaining. ULM pulled to within seven at the 3:48 mark but would get no closer.

Lawrence Gilbert paced the Warhawks with 14 points and eight rebounds. Malcolm Thomas and Kenneth Averette had 11 points each.

The Jaguars travel to Troy next Saturday to wrap up the regular season. Tip-off will be at 7:30 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).

NOTES: Douglas extended his streak of consecutive games with a block to 12... USA is now 14-1 when leading at halftime and 9-0 against league competition... The Jaguars’ four-game win streak ties the longest of the season... Tilford moved into a tie for eighth in South Alabama’s single-season history in 3-pointers with 69... Davis is now seventh all-time at USA in rebounds with 549... Coleman’s double-double was his 10th of the season and Davis posted his sixth.

?USA?