Box Score

ARLINGTON, Texas – A 15-0 scoring burst early in the second half broke open a tight contest to give UT Arlington a 91-67 defeat of the University of South Alabama men's basketball team Saturday afternoon at College Park Center.

The Mavericks (11-6, 2-2 Sun Belt) had five players in double-digit points, led by Kaelon Wilson's 19 on four 3-pointers. Johnny Hamilton had 18 points on 8-for-11 shooting.

A 3-pointer from Trhae Mitchell made it a 43-38 score with 17:17 left, but the Mavs reeled off 15 unanswered points, getting six from Wilson and four from Kevin Hervey. The Jaguars missed all six of their shots during that span, each from 3-point territory.

The Jags (8-8, 2-2) managed to cut the deficit to 12 at the midway point of the second half, but seven unanswered points from the Mavs put the game away.

GAME FACTS
- UT Arlington jumped out to an 11-3 lead, but South Alabama used an 11-0 run – on three straight 3-pointers from senior Dederick Lee and sophomore Herb McGee – to go up 20-17 at the 11:00 mark
- UTA responded with 10 unanswered to retake the lead and went into intermission up 40-32
- The Mavericks' 15 consecutive points came in a span of 3:05 – they shot 6 for 9 from the floor and 3 for 4 from 3-point territory, with two of those triples coming after a Jaguar turnover
- Junior Rodrick Sikes had five points in a 9-2 USA run for a 64-52 game with 10:32 remaining, but Erick Neal hit a '3' on UTA's next trip down the floor to start an 11-2 burst, and the Mavs led by no fewer than 19 the rest of the way
- Sikes paced the Jaguars with 16 points, and McGee hit three treys for 14 points
- Hamilton and Hervey each recorded double-doubles, with Hamilton adding 12 rebounds to his 18 points, and Hervey totaled 16 points and 10 boards

NOTES
- South Alabama has lost 14 straight games in the state of Texas
- Sikes has a 15-game double-digit scoring streak, and has tallied at least 16 points in each of his last five outings
- UTA outscored USA 44-18 in the paint, 31-20 off turnovers, and 23-4 on second-chance points; the Mavericks' totals in all three categories are the most by a USA opponent this season
- South Alabama didn't attempt a free throw in the first half, and didn't make its first shot at the stripe until the 11:17 mark of the second half
- The Mavericks' 91 points are the most allowed by the Jaguars this season; USA entered the game as the Sun Belt's third-ranked team in scoring defense
- South Alabama fell to 0-7 in true road games and 0-8 when allowing 70 points or more
- Sophomore Josh Ajayi set a new career high with three blocks
- USA has reached double-digits in 3s four times in the last six games; the team's 38 attempts today are a new season high
- The Jaguars minus-18 rebounding margin is a new season low

THEY SAID IT
Head Coach Matthew Graves
Opening statement: "I thought offensively we were very stagnant tonight. We weren't sharp moving the basketball or in our cutting, and it really carried over defensively with our physicality. We need to play a lot more physical. The second game on a road trip is sometimes a little bit tougher, but we've got to be a more mature basketball team and come out with a greater sense of urgency. That's what was so disappointing today."

On taking so many 3-pointers: "We got a little gun-shy about driving the ball after they blocked a few shots. We've got to understand that we have to keep attacking the paint area. We need to show better poise in that moment. It went back to our inability to make strong cuts, screen and be active offensively. We were very easy to guard because the ball wasn't moving. We were dribbling way more than we were passing tonight. We have to go back and reiterate those teaching points and get back to work."

On UTA's big run in the second half: "I think we got really down on ourselves. Right at the end of the first half, it was a four-point game, and they scored four straight right before halftime. We came out to start the second half and got a few stops but didn't score. When you're down 11 and you get those stops and get back into it, that really helps. If you don't keep hammering away defensively, it can be a long night, and that's what happened. UT Arlington is an extremely talented offensive team and they're going to go on runs. If you don't score and keep the game closer while you can, it's going to be a long night."

UP NEXT
South Alabama opens a four-game homestand Tuesday night against Trinity Baptist at 7:05 p.m.

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).

Join the Jaguar Athletic Fund (JAF) Priority Fund, the unrestricted giving option of the University of South Alabama Athletics. Contributions to the Priority Fund directly support all 17 sports in addition to various support programming. For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/give

—USA—