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JONESBORO, Ark. – Arkansas State’s Rashad Allison scored 18 points and hit four 3-pointers to lead the Red Wolves to a 69-57 victory over the University of South Alabama men’s basketball team Thursday night at the Convocation Center.

The game was the Sun Belt Conference opener for both teams. The loss snaps USA’s four-game winning streak and evens the Jaguars’ record at 6-6. ASU moves to 6-8 on the year.

“I thought it was going to be a very physical game, and it was,” South Alabama head coach Ronnie Arrow said after the game. “They outrebounded us pretty good—I thought that was the difference in the game.”

South Alabama sophomore Martino Brock (Memphis, Tenn.) led all scorers with 21 points, getting 11 of those points at the free throw line. Redshirt freshman Augustine Rubit (Houston, Texas) recorded his third double-double in four games with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Allison was one of three ASU players in double-digit scoring. Donald Boone had 13 and Trey Finn had 10. Martavius Adams had only four points but grabbed a game-best 13 rebounds.

Arkansas State led by nine at the half thanks to poor South Alabama shooting. The Jags hit just 32.0 percent from the floor—the team’s lowest in the first half since Nov. 28—and went without a field goal in the final 4:36.

“The first half we did not get the ball inside,” Arrow said. “We visited on that at halftime, came back out and started to get the ball inside. They went to zone and we didn’t move the ball well enough against the zone.”

The Red Wolves converted 5 of 10 from long-range before halftime, led by Allison’s three triples. ASU came into the contest tied for 10th in the Sun Belt in 3-point percentage.

“They were shooting 31 or 32 percent coming in from the 3-point line,” said Arrow. “(Allison) was shooting 25 percent and at halftime he was three for three on 3-pointers.”

An Allison trifecta early in the second half gave the Red Wolves their largest lead of the contest, 12, but a 9-0 run—six from Rubit—to cut the margin to 43-40.

Finn hit a trey on ASU’s next possession and added a second one a minute and a half later to kick the lead back up to nine. Brock answered with a three but Arkansas State scored the next four points and South Alabama could only get to within eight, the last time coming with 6:48 to play in the game. ASU reeled off the next eight points over the next four minutes, including three straight field goals, to take a commanding 16-point lead.

“They hit a couple of threes and got the lead back up to nine,” said Arrow. “It seemed like every time we had a run going, something went the other way—they hit a three or there was a charge, or something didn’t go our way.”

Arkansas State dominated the rebounding battle, 41-30, and had 17 boards on the offensive end.

“They kicked our butts on the boards,” noted Arrow. “They had 17 offensive rebounds. That was the difference in the game. Augustine had 11 and the rest were null and void.”

The Jaguars host their first Sun Belt game at home Sunday against Middle Tennessee. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:05 p.m.

NOTES: USA senior Tim Williams (Pontiac, Mich.) was held to a career-low four points… Brock’s last regular-season visit to the state of Arkansas also resulted in a 21-point game (at Arkansas, Nov. 29, 2009)… USA, the Sun Belt’s leader in blocks per game, swatted five shots, including two each by sophomore Javier Carter (Dallas, Texas) and DeAndré Hersey (Carrollton, Ala.)… Junior Allyn Cooks (Bryan, Texas) nabbed a season-high three steals… All six USA losses have been by double-digits… Brock’s 17 free throw attempts are the most by a Jaguar since Brandon Davis made 20 trips to the line vs. New Orleans on March 9, 2008.

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).

—USA—