Box Score (html)
Box Score (pdf)
Photo Gallery

MOBILE, Ala. – A 14-2 run by the University of South Alabama men’s basketball team midway through the second half broke open a close contest and the Jaguars held off Western Kentucky in the final moments to win 65-57 Saturday night at the Mitchell Center.

USA gets back-to-back wins for the first time since Dec. 22 and improves to 10-8 overall and 7-3 in the Sun Belt Conference. WKU drops to 11-10 and 5-5.

“Obviously just a really hard fought game,” USA interim head coach Jeff Price said. “I thought our guys were tremendous. At a stretch at the 12-minute mark in the second half where we just turned it on and got that thing up to 10 points, mostly based out of the intensity of our defense. We keep stressing creating an offense out of our defense and getting stops and we’re going to have nights where we aren’t shooting the ball well and continue to defend and be intense and help each other. We were great helping each other.”

USA junior Augustine Rubit (Houston, Texas) recorded his 10th double-double of the season with 19 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. He also added four blocks, and two steals and assists apiece.

“Aug’s huge,” Price said. “I’m so pleased with his effort. (He had) 19 (points), 11 (rebounds) with another double-double. Not that as much as just his will to win has been so good. And want the ball and finish plays and make things happen. He’s just been so good at that. His effort has just been tremendous and he’s willing this team to win right now. He’s been great. His motor has been great. He’s been playing heavy minutes. We try to give him rest as much as we can in practice. He comes to games ready to play. He’s running the floor great and he’s demanding the ball. He gets pushed off his spot a lot but comes back and gets it. He takes a beating and he keeps on ticking. He just has been tremendous.”

Neither team led by more than three points in the first eight minutes of the second half before South Alabama began its big run. Two free throws from Rubit and a 3-pointer from junior Antoine Allen (Baltimore, Md.) on consecutive possessions kicked the lead up to five.

WKU’s Aleksejs Rostov answered with a layup to pull within three, but Allen responded with another triple, the first three of nine straight USA points to give the Jags their biggest lead of the contest, 51-39 with 8:36 left in the game.

“Again, right around that 12-, 13-minute mark we had a timeout and said, ‘Let’s just get this done guys and finish strong.’ As soon as I said that, it’s like they looked at each other and finished strong," Price said. "We just finished the game very strong.”

After Allen’s trey, sophomore Mychal Ammons (Vicksburg, Miss) hit a jumper and tipped-in an Allen miss after a WKU turnover. The Jaguars forced another miss and Allen finished off the unanswered spurt with two free throws.

South Alabama’s struggles at the free throw line allowed Western Kentucky to get back in the game late. The Hilltoppers’ Brandon Harris nailed a 3-pointer to pull within 60-54 with 53.7 seconds left and the Jags could only hit two of their next four attempts at the stripe for an eight-point advantage.

Three Harris free throws with 38.0 seconds left got WKU to 62-57—its closest deficit since the 10:09 mark of the second period—but Allen went 2-for-2 at the stripe shortly thereafter and the USA defense forced two misses the rest of the way.

Ammons finished the contest with 10 points and seven rebounds.

Harris paced the Hilltoppers with 14 points and seven boards while T.J. Price added 13 points on four 3-pointers.

South Alabama closes out its three-game homestand Sunday against Florida International at 4:05 p.m.

NOTES: South Alabama is 10-0 this season when either leading or tied at halftime… Senior Javier Carter (Dallas, Texas) blocked two shots to extend his streak to 12 games with at least one rejection and pulled within one block of Reginald Poole for 16th place on the Sun Belt’s career list with 168… Senior Freddie Goldstein (Milwaukee, Wis.) left the game in the first half with an injury and did not return… Rubit and Allen had 11 points each in the second half… Allen set new career highs with eight free throws and 10 attempts… He last had three 3-pointers in a game Dec. 1 at Florida International… Rubit’s double-double was his first since Jan. 5—a span of three games—tying his longest drought of the year… He ranks second in the Sun Belt in double-doubles… Rubit’s four blocks are one shy of his career high of five last set on Nov. 20… Rubit moved into a tie for fifth place with Jeff Hodge at South Alabama in career free throws (324)… USA shot 32 free throws compared to 12 for WKU… The Jaguars are 3-1 this season in games after a break of a week or more… South Alabama is 7-0 overall and 5-0 in the conference when outshooting its opponent (40.4% to 36.8% tonight)... USA won for the first time this season when scoring less than 70 points (1-5).

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—