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MOBILE, Ala. – Florida International’s men’s basketball team scored the last five points of the contest and shot 54.3 percent from the floor in a 65-62 win over the University of South Alabama Thursday night at the Mitchell Center.

The Panthers also shot 63.6 percent from 3-point land improve to 5-13 overall and 2-4 in the Sun Belt Conference. The Jaguars lose their third straight at home to fall to 10-7 and 2-4.

“That line there, 54 percent from the floor, says it all, (also) 63 percent from the threes,” USA head coach Ronnie Arrow said. “You’re not going to beat many teams (like that). There were some wide open shots that we just (didn’t guard). Phil Taylor, Jeremy Allen and DeJuan Wright, we worked on them not getting shots. They’re just very good players. As good a job as we did the last game on guarding the three-point line and just guarding, we didn’t do it tonight.”

FIU hit on 60.0 percent of its shots after halftime, the most by any USA opponent in a half this season, including all three 3-point attempts. The Panthers’ 54.3 overall percentage is also a season high by an opposing team. Taylor scored 14 of his game-high 24 points after the break.

“That team has got as much talent as anybody,” said Arrow. “That’s just no bad team. You can’t go by their record, and that’s what I tried to get our guys to understand.”

Wright, in his return after missing seven games due to a leg injury, added 18 points, including 11 in the second half.

“The x-factor for us was having DeJuan back,” said FIU head coach Isiah Thomas. “He makes the plays that you just can’t teach. He’s been out for a month and we haven’t had his playmaking ability and we end up winning by two points tonight as opposed to losing by two or three.”

USA sophomore Augustine Rubit (Houston, Texas) recorded his league-leading seventh double-double of the year with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Mychal Ammons (Vicksburg, Miss.) poured in a team-best 15 points, but only three in the second-half.

In a game that featured 13 lead changes and eight ties, South Alabama found itself down 55-49 with 8:09 remaining. The Jags reeled off nine straight points over the next three minutes, getting contributions from four different players, and forced the Panthers to shoot 0-for-3 from the field with three turnovers.

USA missed an opportunity to make it 11 unanswered and Wright made the Jaguars pay with a 3-pointer at the 4:05 mark to tie the score at 58-58.

Wright hit a layup with just under two minutes left to give the Panthers the lead, but Rubit answered with back-to-back lay-ins, the second at the 1:07 mark, for a 62-60 lead.

Not to be outdone, Wright converted an old-fashioned three-point play on FIU’s next possession—his eighth straight point—to take the lead for the final time. The Jags turned it over on their final trip down the floor and Wright came through again, getting the offensive rebound on a Taylor miss with eight seconds left in the contest. Taylor went 2-for-2 at the free throw line to ice the game.

South Alabama completes the weekend homestand Saturday night against Sun Belt leader Middle Tennessee. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

“We’ve got the number one team coming in here,” said Arrow. “It’s an opportunity for us to beat a very good team coming in here. We’ve got one day’s prep and come Saturday we need to show up. We need to play good at home. It’s great we’re playing well on the road, but this is crazy that we get off to slow starts at home. We need to do better at home and execute and win.”

NOTES: The Jaguars missed on a chance to give Arrow his 200th win at South Alabama… Both teams scored 14 points off turnovers, 13 second-chance points and nine fast-break points… The Jags failed to outrebound an opponent for the first time in 14 games (28-28)… USA started the season 7-0 when a player had a double-double but is just 1-3 since then… Junior Javier Carter (Dallas, Texas) blocked a shot for the 14th consecutive game and is one block behind Brandon Davis in second place on USA’s career blocks list… Ammons’ 15 points are two shy of his career high… Both teams shot 50.0 percent from the floor and from 3-point land in the first half… USA shot just 56.3 percent from the free throw line—37.5 percent in the first half—and failed to reach the 60-percent mark for the second straight game and fourth time in the last six… South Alabama scored the first two points of the contest but allowed FIU to score the next 10… The Jaguars lost for the first time when leading at the five-minute mark (9-1).

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

—USA—