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MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama senior Tim Williams (Pontiac, Mich.) scored a career-high 33 points and the Jaguars held off a pesky Central Michigan men’s basketball team in an 82-76 overtime win Saturday evening at the Mitchell Center.

USA improves to 2-1 while CMU drops to 1-3.

“I thought the guys played really hard,” said acting head coach Michael Floyd. “We lost a little bit of our intensity going into the second half and that’s when Central Michigan made their run, but our guys showed some fight the last five minutes of the second half and, obviously, showed some fight in overtime. I applaud them for paying attention to detail in what we wanted to do.”

Floyd took head coach Ronnie Arrow’s place while Arrow sat out with a suspension. Arrow will be back on the bench Tuesday at UAB.

The Jags dominated the early-going in the extra frame, scoring the first nine points, with the first seven from senior Raymond Sims (Philadelphia, Pa.). Sims hit a 3-pointer on South Alabama’s first possession, then stripped CMU’s Trey Zeigler and converted for a lay-up. He added two free throws at the 3:13 mark before sophomore Martino Brock (Memphis, Tenn.) pulled down a rebound and went coast-to-coast for another lay-up, capping off the 9-0 rally.

“I just told them we were going to win this game,” said Floyd of his talk to the team at the start of overtime. “I didn’t know how it was going to happen, but I told them that we were going to win this game. If we didn’t, we were going to be practicing early tomorrow morning.”

Central Michigan made four straight shots to cut the margin to 79-76 with 13 seconds left. Williams went to the line for two, but missed both. Redshirt freshman Augustine Rubit (Houston, Texas) got the rebound and Williams made 1-of-2 at the stripe to make it a two-possession game. Brock iced the contest with a steal and Williams tipped in a shot at the buzzer.

“Raymond Sims was just huge,” said Floyd. “Those shots he made to start the overtime were huge. Even though Tim Williams missed a free throw here and there he came through and made that big one to ice it.”

Williams’s 33 points are a new career high, and the most by a USA player since Demetric Bennett scored 39 against Mississippi State on Dec. 15, 2007.

“He was our horse tonight,” said Floyd of Williams. “I wish he would’ve done a better job at the free throw line, but he was big time from the field and rebounding the ball. For him to have so many touches and only have three turnovers in 42 minutes, I think that’s huge and I think that’s why he’ll end up being a First Team All-Sun Belt player when it’s all said and done.”

Williams made just eight of his 16 free throw attempts, part of a 23-for-39 (53.8%) effort as a team. USA also committed 20 turnovers, which led to 30 CMU points.

“I thought some of them were just kind of thrown to the other team,” said Floyd. “We were running some plays, trying to get the ball to certain kids and guys were just forcing it when it wasn’t open. A couple of times we did a good job, got a defensive stop and a defensive rebound, and gave the ball right back to them. On top of that we gave up lay-ups and ‘and-ones’. That was a little frustrating as a coach, but they cut down on the turnovers as the game came to an end in the second half and, obviously, did a great job in overtime.”

South Alabama led by eight at the half but allowed a 12-1 Central Michigan run midway through the second period to give the Chippewas a five-point advantage. Zeigler contributed seven points during the run, part of his 21-point effort for the evening.

CMU did not give up the lead until the 1:01 mark when Williams broke a 62-62 tie with a free throw. Jalin Thomas made two from the stripe at the other end before Williams tied it for the final time by making 1-of-2 free throws with 11 seconds left.

Rubit notched his second double-double in three career games with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Senior Gary Redus (Decatur, Ala.) was the only other Jaguar in double-digit scoring with 10.

Zeigler recorded a double-double of his own with 21 points and 10 boards. Derek Jackson came off the bench for the Chippewas to record 19 points and a game-high six assists.

South Alabama goes on the road Tuesday, traveling to UAB for a 7 p.m. tip.

NOTES: South Alabama used a different starting lineup for the first time this year, with sophomore Rico Sanders (College Park, Ga.) earning his first career start… Sophomore Javier Carter (Dallas, Texas) got the starting nod for the first time this season… Williams scored 20 points in the first half alone, the most in a half by a USA player since Bennett tallied 21 in the first half on March 10, 2008… It was also the program’s first 30-point game since Brandon Davis had 30 at Louisiana at Monroe on Jan. 8, 2009… Brock had four steals, tying his career high set earlier this season… USA made four of its five shots from the floor in overtime… Redus came off the bench for the first time since Jan. 30 at Troy, a span of 11 games… His 11 game start streak was the second-longest on the team (Williams, 35).

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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