LAFAYETTE, La. – The University of South Alabama men’s golf team put together its best group score of the 26th Annual Louisiana Classics in the event’s final round Tuesday, using a 293 total to move up three places in the final overall standings.

That effort was keyed by the performance of freshman Lane Hulse, who fired a career-low 3-under-par 69 at the par-72, 6,898-yard Oakbourne Country Club.

Blake Kelley and McLain Leberte each carded a 74, and Jack Hiluta added a 76 as the Jaguars posted a 54-hole score of 890 to move from 14th to 11th place in the final 15-team standings.

“Today was the toughest round of the tournament.  The course set up had the pins jammed in corners, and the wind picked up from yesterday,” Jaguar head coach Ben Hannan said.  “I’m pleased that we moved past a few teams under those conditions.

“We have to get out of the gates better with everyone in the game.  We need to have some more consistency rather than the big swings we’ve seen as a group.”

Hulse began the day on No. 16, and was at 1-under par after a two on the par-three 17th.  He added a birdie on No. 3, and responded to a bogey on the sixth with back-to-back birdies to get to 3-under.  Hulse’s final birdie came on the 11th, as he recorded a four on three of the four par-five holes in the round to post the lowest score by a Jag in the tournament.

It’s the second straight event that Hulse has recorded his best round on the final day.  With the effort he tied for 30th place in the field of 84 with a 222 total after starting the day tied for 64th.

“Lane got off to a very good start with a birdie early in the round,” Hannan commented.  “He hit a lot of quality golf shots over the first 12 to 13 holes, leaving a lot of tap ins for birdies and pars, and held it together closing out on the harder holes by grinding it out.  With today’s set up, it was a great round of golf and a tribute to Lane’s talent.”

Kelley’s day featured a pair of birdies early in the round, as he was 2-under par after posting twos on both the 15th and 17th holes.  He ended the tournament with five consecutive pars as well, and with a three-round 223 score tied for 37th place.  Leberte was 3 over after his first nine holes, but birdied both No. 7 and No. 10 to finish with a 226 total over 54 holes and tie for 51st.

Hiluta had the best overall finish by a Jaguar, tying for 25th place with a 221 three-round score.  He had two birdies on his first five holes, adding a two at the par-three fourth hole.

Chris Piumelli shot a 79 for the second round in a row to tie for 74th place with a 234 total; that included back-to-back birdies on Nos. 10 and 11 on his back nine.

No. 6 Illinois recorded a 284 team total to finish at 10-under-par 854, defeating 10th-ranked Louisiana State by six strokes.  No other school finished under par over the three rounds.  John Hahn of Kent State earned medalist honors by four shots after a 70 over the last 18 holes left him with a 10-under-par 206 total.

USA will return to action over the weekend, with the first of three rounds at the Bulldog Classic scheduled to begin Sunday morning.  The tournament — which is being hosted by Louisiana Tech — will include 18 holes on Monday and Tuesday as well.

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—

26th Annual Louisiana Classics
Oakbourne Country Club, Lafayette, La.
Par 72, 6,898 yards

Team Scores: 1) Illinois 288-282-284—854 (-10); 2) Louisiana State 283-287-290—860; 3) Louisiana-Lafayette 290-287-293—870; 4) Kent State 295-278-298—871; 5) Southeastern Louisiana 291-292-296—879; 6) SMU 297-297-288—882; T7) Memphis 297-298-289—884; T7) Tulsa 294-294-296—884; 9) Texas State 294-284-308—886; 10) Southern Mississippi 298-294-295—887; 11) South Alabama 297-300-293—890; T12) Kansas 296-294-303—893; T12) Houston 300-291-302—893; 14) UAB 292-295-319—906; 15) UALR 306-300-303—909.

Individual Leaders: 1) John Hahn, KSU 70-66-70—206 (-10); T2) Luke Guthrie, UI 74-67-69—210; T2) Andrew Loupe, LSU 70-70-70—210; T4) Chris DeForest, UI 68-70-74—212; T4) Philipp Fendt, UL 73-69-70—212; 6) John Peterson, LSU 70-71-72—213; T7) Arie Fauzi, Tulsa 74-71-69—214; T7) Kelly Kraft, SMU 74-72-68—214; T9) Carlson Cox, UM 72-68-75—215; T9) Scott Langley, UI 74-72-69—215.

South Alabama Scores: T25) Jack Hiluta 74-71-76—221 (+5); T30) Lane Hulse 77-76-69—222; T37) Blake Kelley 75-74-74—223; T51) McLain Leberte 72-80-74—226; T74) Chris Piumelli 76-79-79—234.