LAS VEGAS – University of South Alabama senior Don MuepoKelly (Fontana, Calif.) recorded a double-double to lead the men's basketball team to a 76-68 season-opening win at UNLV Friday night at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The Jaguars improve to 1-0 for the 11th time in the last 12 seasons, while the Rebels fall to 0-1.

"I couldn't be more proud of a group of guys," USA head coach Matthew Graves said. "In my four years here, this is the best team win we've had. Guys were resilient and fought every possession. The odds were a little bit against them, especially when you look at the free throw disparity, but we kept fighting and hung tough.

"We got contributions from everybody that got in the game. The key to this team is staying together and believing in each other. When somebody's not having a good night, somebody else can pick them up. That's what we did tonight. I was really proud of their effort."

South Alabama never trailed after halftime despite UNLV getting as close as one point early in the second half, and two with 7:03 to play. The Jags answered the first time with five straight points from junior Shaq Calhoun (Rome, Ga.), and seven unanswered the second.

"I thought we showed tremendous resolve," Graves said. "We were able to get shots, rebound for most of the night, and when you look at our turnover numbers, I couldn't be more proud of our guards, especially Dederick Lee and Herb McGee. They handled the point most of the night and they had zero turnovers. They did a tremendous job of getting us into our offense. We attempted 16 more shots than they did; that's a big number."

MuepoKelly recorded his second career double-double, and set a new career high in scoring with 18 points, while tying his personal bests with 10 rebounds and four blocks. He contributed the last four points in the 7-0 run to take a 64-55 lead with 5:39 to play in the contest, then hit a pair of buckets in the final 3:04 to maintain the advantage.

"Don was a complete stat-sheet stuffer tonight," Graves noted. "If he plays with that much energy and aggressiveness going to the rim, he's going to have an outstanding senior year. He's put in a lot of work in the offseason, getting extra shots up, and he got his body in great shape. When he doesn't shy away from contact, he's able to finish around the rim and get us extra possessions. Eight offensive rebounds is absolutely phenomenal."

Senior Georgi Boyanov (Lovech, Bulgaria) waited until crunch time to make an impact, scoring all 13 of his points in the final 11:27 of the contest. He went 3 for 3 from behind the arc and added six rebounds and two steals. Each of his 3-pointers came in response to a UNLV basket.

"That's what seniors do," Graves said. "You need your seniors to step up in big moments. Georgi probably played one of the worst first halves I've ever seen him play, yet he and his teammates still had the confidence to find him and he made plays. Not only did he get a big assist, but he was able to make three 3s in pressure situations. He was really locked in in that second half for us."

After Boyanov and MuepoKelly teamed up for seven consecutive points to give the Jags their biggest lead of the night, the Rebels scored eight of the next 11, with six of those coming from the free-throw line, to cut the margin down to 67-63 with 3:16 to play. However, MuepoKelly recorded USA's next four points to stave off the rally, and Boyanov converted a turnover into a fast-break dunk with just under a minute left for the Jags' final bucket of the night.

The Rebels finished the game shooting 2 for 10 from the floor with three turnovers.

UNLV took control early in the game with a 14-4 run to go up 16-10, capped off with a three-point play from Kris Clyburn, but South Alabama wrested it right back, answering with a 13-2 burst to take the lead for good at the 8:19 mark.

Christian Jones led all players with 20 points and 13 rebounds, pacing a group of four Rebel starters in double-digit points. Jalen Poyser went 11 for 14 from the stripe for 17 points, Clyburn had 13 and Tyrell Green added 10.

Senior Nick Stover (Los Angeles, Calif.) came off the bench to record 12 points – all in the first half – and a career-best six assists. He helped the Jags' bench outscore UNLV's 29-3.

"Being able to bring Nick and Georgi off the bench is a luxury for a coach," Graves said. "We'll see how that plays out throughout the season, but I thought Nick gave us a tremendous boost off the bench. He knows he took a couple of quick shots, and we talked about it, but it's an adjustment for him coming off the bench. He gave us a great lift."

Senior Ken Williams (Houston, Texas) was the fifth member of USA's double-digit club, pouring in 14 with five assists.

The Jaguars open their home schedule Monday night against Blue Mountain (Miss.) at 7:05 p.m.

NOTES: Friday marked USA's first win in the series; UNLV had won the first two in the 1970s by an average of 29.5 points… The Jags entered the contest with a 10-38 record all time in the first road game of the year, and had lost 20 of the previous 22… The last time the Jaguars had opened the year on the road, they defeated No. 25/24 Florida State 76-71… South Alabama finished second in the league last season in 3-point defense (.319) and held UNLV to 2-for-15 shooting from distance… The team's plus-10 assist/turnover ratio (19/9) is the best in Graves' four-year tenure… USA's guards combined for 11 assists and zero turnovers... MuepoKelly's eight offensive rebounds are the most by a USA player since 2014-15… UNLV held a 34-9 advantage in free-throw attempts.

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).

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