MOBILE, Ala. --- After Troy hit a game-tying 3-pointer with 4.3 seconds left, University of South Alabama sophomore Allyn Cooks (Bryan, Texas) went the length of the floor for a lay-up at the buzzer to give the Jaguars a 69-67 victory Saturday night at the Mitchell Center.

The win for the Jags (12-7, 4-3 Sun Belt) gives head coach Ronnie Arrow is 172nd career win at the school, breaking the record previously held by Cliff Ellis.

“People get their money’s worth when we play,” said Arrow. “It was a really good game. We got down, we got up and we held the lead. I made up my mind I wasn’t going to call timeout – we had one timeout left – I was just going to let us bring it and get a quick shot, and Allyn did a good job of finishing down there.”

South Alabama got back in the game with a 10-0 run that started at the 4:47 mark. A dunk from Troy’s Antywan Jones gave the Trojans their biggest lead of the game, 62-55. Troy forced a turnover but a technical foul gave USA two free throws and possession. Senior Bryan Sherrer (Monticello, Ark.) went 2-for-2 at the stripe and freshman Javier Carter (Dallas, Texas) hit a short jumper to complete the four-point swing.

“We got four points and they were up seven, so needless to say that really helped,” said Arrow. “In close games, every little thing that goes on in the last two minutes is major. Everything is magnified in the last two minutes of a game. Those plays are big plays.”

Freshman Martino Brock (Memphis, Tenn.) tied the game at 62-62 on a 3-pointer then completed the 10-point spurt with an old-fashioned three-point play with 2:47 to go.

Troy’s Yamene Coleman scored the last of his game-high 20 points with a dunk on the next possession, and after the teams traded missed 3-pointers, Cooks extended the lead back up to three with a baseline bucket.

The Trojans (9-9, 4-3) had three chances to tie the game and Michael Vogler finally knotted up the score on an off-balance trey from the left corner. Cooks took the inbounds pass, went end-to-end and banked in the winning basket as time expired.

Coleman led all players with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Brandon Hazzard, who is the Sun Belt’s leading scorer at 18.6 points per game, was held to 12, including just two in the second half. Vogler dished out seven assists.

The Trojans outrebounded the Jaguars 44-31 and grabbed 17 offensive rebounds to USA’s seven, leading to 22 second-chance points.

The Jags had four players in double-figures. Brock had 17 (13 after halftime), junior Tim Williams (Pontiac, Mich.) had 16 points and nine boards and Sherrer added 15. Cooks finished with 11 points and four assists.

The Jaguars start a two-game road trip Thursday at North Texas. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 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: South Alabama snapped its season-long three-game losing streak overall and its three-game skid at home… The team’s last win in the Mitchell Center was Dec. 16 against UALR… The Jaguars shot 57.7% from the floor in the second half, improving the team’s record to 10-0 when hitting more than half of their shots after halftime… Junior Gary Redus II (Decatur, Ala.) missed his third straight game with a right leg injury – he is day-to-day and his return date is unknown… Four USA players recorded four assists each – Cooks, Williams and Brock, with Brock tying his career best… Troy had 11 offensive rebounds in the second half alone... USA’s last five games have been decided by six points or less.

—USA—