MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama junior Trhae Mitchell set a new career high with 28 points and added eight rebounds as the Jaguars defeated city rival Mobile 86-47 Thursday night at the Mitchell Center.

USA took its first lead 20 seconds in and never trailed. The Jags went up 20 at halftime and ended the contest on an 18-2 run.

Mitchell shot 12 for 15 from the floor and added three blocks and assists apiece. Junior Josh Ajayi recorded his fourth double-double of the year with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

GAME FACTS
- South Alabama's first nine points came from behind the 3-point via 3s from graduate Kory Holden, sophomore R.J. Kelly and senior Rodrick Sikes, then after Mobile got within 9-7, USA reeled off the next nine points, getting four from Mitchell
- The Jaguars used a 17-7 run to open up a 35-16 advantage with 7:44 left in the first half
- Mobile scored seven straight points in a three-minute span but South Alabama countered with a 9-1 burst, led by Mitchell, who tallied the last seven on a dunk, layup and 3-pointer
- The first 11 ½ minutes of the second half was relatively even, with USA outscoring UM 22-19
- After a Mobile layup at the 8:27 mark, the Rams went just 1 for 8 from the floor and had four turnovers the rest of the way
- At the other end of the floor, the Jaguars converted 6 of its 10 attempts from the floor without a turnover, getting five points each from Mitchell and junior Jordan Andrews over than span
- Holden finished the game with 14 points on four treys, and sophomore John Pettway set a new career high with seven assists in 33 minutes off the bench
- Will Stanford led the Rams with 14 points

NOTES
- South Alabama outscored Mobile 50-28 in the paint and 20-2 off turnovers
- The Jags have forced a season-high 18 turnovers in each of their last two outings
- Pettway has set a new career high in assists the last two games; he has 13 assists and just two turnovers in that time
- Ajayi set a new personal best with four blocks
- Ajayi shot 7 for 8 from the floor and at one point had made 13 consecutive field goals spanning his last two games; he is shooting 88.9 percent in his last two games
- South Alabama's 19-6 assist/turnover ratio is its best since Feb. 25, 2017 at UT Arlington (16-5); the six miscues are the team's fewest since that game as well
- USA has posted a positive assist/turnover ratio in each of the last three games, the program's longest stretch since the first three games of January 2015
- The Jaguars are 6-0 this season when a player records a double-double
- Mitchell has tallied multiple blocks in each of his last six outings and has moved up to sixth in USA's career record books with 98
- South Alabama has shot 50 percent or better in its last five halves of basketball, and has converted 50 percent from the floor in three straight games for the first time since December 2008

THEY SAID IT
Head Coach Richie Riley
Opening statement: "It's always good to head into Christmas on a winning note. These games right before they leave for Christmas are tough because they're looking forward to seeing their families, who they haven't seen in a long time, so it's hard to keep their focus. On the board before the game I wrote 'focus on the mission.' Don't look ahead. They did a good job of that, so we can have a good Christmas. We had really good contributions. We were really shorthanded again. The toughest thing to do sometimes is play in these games when you build a lead early and you're a guy that plays high minutes all the time anyway. These games are meant when you build a lead to play some younger guys or guys who don't play as much. Those guys still had to play because we just didn't have the bodies. I'm proud of them, especially Trhae Mitchell and Josh Ajayi. Ajayi had another double-double, 16-11 and shot a high percentage. He had four blocks. It was just good focus from him; he stayed interested in the game. Mitchell is taking another huge step. I'm just proud of our guys for finishing the right way. I think we finished on an 18-2 run. It's not easy to do. You can become disinterested. I'm proud of that."

On Trhae Mitchell: "He's really taking another step and I think it's obvious to everybody every single night with his confidence. When I got the job, he was a guy I watched film on. I had known him since he was young, but I had very high expectations for him because I think he has a ton of ability. That's untapped. Now he's starting to figure things out and gain confidence through his work. He's stretched together about a month of really good practices. Every day he shows up and we know what to expect, and it wasn't like that early on. That's why he's playing well. That's why he has 28 points and eight rebounds and last night he almost had a triple-double. He's embracing his new role. He's embracing how we play and he's working his tail off to be the best player he can be. I'm excited for him and for where his game can go next."

On the defense: "We're starting to ratchet up a little bit. We're starting to understand some rotations better. That's what those days of practice did for us. Another thing is that John Pettway is playing more minutes and he's really good in the press. He makes deflections. We're getting better at it. That's a stat line we'd like to have. We want to force 18 turnovers. That was great, and then we only turned it over six times. It's huge in winning games. Ball security and how we played defensively to force that many turnovers—that's who we want to be."

On John Pettway: "He had seven assists and one turnover again. The last two nights he's had 13 assists and two turnovers. He's starting to play with more confidence."

UP NEXT
South Alabama returns to the court after Christmas, hosting Richmond Dec. 29 at 3 p.m.

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

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—USA—