LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Louisville placed five players in double-digit scoring and shot over 50 percent from the floor as a team in a 97-70 victory over the University of South Alabama men’s basketball team Saturday afternoon at the KFC Yum! Center.

The Cardinals stay a perfect 6-0 on the season while the Jaguars fall to 2-5. Up next for the Jags is the start of three out of four games at home, starting Dec. 12 against Houston Baptist.

“That team is supposed to be a down year for Louisville but I don’t think there is such a thing,” said USA head coach Ronnie Arrow. “As far as I’m concerned that might turn out to be one of his better teams. They play so hard and very good together. They’re unselfish and they’re experienced in the positions that need to be experienced. They’re going to have a lot of fun with that team.”

South Alabama sophomore Martino Brock (Memphis, Tenn.) set a new career high with 24 points, and added seven rebounds and a team-best four assists. He scored 14 of the team’s 30 points before halftime and made all eight of his free throw attempts.

“I thought Martino played really good,” said Arrow. “I thought the guards did a good job of getting him the ball. He took the ball to the hole, took outside shots but didn’t just rely on his outside shots. He attacked the hole and made his free throws, and as athletic as he is, that’s what he has got to do for us.”

USA redshirt freshman Augustine Rubit (Houston, Texas) recorded his third double-double of the season with 15 points and a game-high-tying 14 rebounds. His rebounding total is one shy of a new personal-best and he blocked two shots.

Mike Marra scored 23 points for the Cardinals and Rakeem Buckles tallied a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds.

Marra hit five 3-pointers in the game and almost single-handedly jump-started an early 10-0 Louisville run with back-to-back trifectas to put the Cards up 27-13. Chris Smith started with two free throws, followed by a Marra triple. After a USA turnover, Marra hit another long-range bomb and Peyton Siva capped off the spurt with a tip-in.

Louisville maintained a comfortable advantage in the second half and stretched it to as high as 27 before a 13-4 South Alabama run trimmed the lead to 18. But the Cardinals outscored the Jags 15-6 to end the game.

UofL converted 18 of 35 from the floor in both halves for a 51.4 percentage. After going 5-for-12 from 3-point land before the break, the Cardinals made just 1 of 10 after halftime.

The Jaguars had similar results, making 3 of 4 in the opening 20 minutes but 2 of 12 in the final 20.

“I thought that our press really got after them and got us back in it, then we took some bad, quick shots like we have in the past. We’ve played a really hard schedule. Hopefully these games help us grow up.”

NOTES: Over the last two games, South Alabama opponents have shot an identical percentage in both halves: Louisville went 18-for-35 in the first and second halves, while Alabama shot 14-for-26 before and after halftime… Rubit has four double-digit rebounding games this year and is averaging 13.5 boards in his last two outings… No USA player had more than five double-figure rebounding games all of last year… Brock has led the team in assists in each of the last two games… USA’s 70 points are a season-high on the road… The Jags shot 86.2 percent from the free throw line, the first time the team has converted better than 75 percent at the stripe all year... Louisville dominated the paint, outscoring South Alabama 52-14 inside… UofL has won the last four meetings and leads the series 11-1.

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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