MOBILE, Ala. – Michael Flowers led six University of South Alabama men's basketball players in double figures Tuesday as the Jaguars picked up an 86-47 non-conference victory over Emmanuel (Ga.) at the Mitchell Center.

Flowers recorded a game-high 17 points, making 6-of-10 from the floor, to go along with five assists as South improved to 3-1 on the year.  Three Jags approached a double-double with Kayo Goncalves recording 14 points and eight rebounds, Jamal West supplying 12 points and nine boards, and Tyreke Locure ending the contest with 12 points and eight rebounds.  David Walker and KK Curry contributed 14 and 10 points, respectively, as well.

Tyonn Stuckey was the only Lion in double-digits in the scoring column after posting 14 while hitting 4-of-9 attempts from beyond the arc.  Kyler Ingram and Jayvion Rucker pulled down six rebounds each to lead EC on the glass.

GAME FACTS
-USA allowed just one field goal in the first five-and-a-half minutes while jumping out to a 17-3 advantage.
-The lead was still 11, 25-14, midway through the opening half, with Flowers contributing a team-best eight points during the opening stretch of the contest.
-South was up 42-21 at the intermission after limiting the Lions to just 25.9 percent shooting from the floor over the first 20 minutes.
-The Jags scored 25 points off 21 EC turnovers with four individuals — Curry, Flowers, John Pettway and West — recording multiple steals.
-South limited the Lions to a 26.4 percent mark from the field for the game.

NOTES
-This was the first-ever match-up between the two programs.
-It marked the first occasion since Chattanooga shot 29.8 percent from the field on Nov. 16, 2018, that the Jaguars have held the opposition below 30 percent.
-The last time prior to this victory that USA had six individuals score 10 or more points was on Nov. 11, 2018, in a 106-76 defeat of Huntingdon.
-Flowers has now scored in double figures in each of his first four games as a Jaguar.
-West matched a career high in rebounds while posting 10-plus points for the first time this season.
-In addition to equaling his previous high on the boards, Goncalves led all players with a career-high four blocks.
-It was the first time in his first year with the program that Walker has reached double figures in the scoring column.
-Curry's most recent outing with 10 or more points before tonight came in a Feb. 1 victory at Georgia Southern last season.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Richie Riley
Opening statement: "First of all, that was the most fun I have had coaching.  I have been a part of top-10 upsets in the ACC and my first game ever as a head coach I was at Nicholls State we upset Boston College.  It's unexplainable for me to sit here and talk about the range of emotions that our team has been through.  I can't explain it if you aren't there every single day, but I told our team 'this is not what we drew up, but it's where we are' and it's the same thing in the country.  No one thought we would be doing this today, but you have to adjust and our team has fought every day to adjust.  What hurt Sunday was our energy level, our energy level was terrible.  We got caught up in strategically planning to win the game and I forgot the most important part, the energy we play with.  We brought energy from shoot around to now, our energy was tremendous and it changed who we are."
On Tyreke Locure's rebounding: "Tyreke is kind of like the honey badger [Tyrann Mathieu], he is naturally like that because he gets his hands on deflections, steals and back tips.  It makes a lot of sense for him to go rebound offensively and defensively, I challenged him to get above six a game.  We don't have a lot of numbers and we have to be cautious who we send to the glass because of our transition balance defensively.  It's easier for him to transition because he is so fast, and he can beat the ball back down the court because he is quicker than our big guys."
On the Auburn game Friday: "Obviously, this is a huge one for our fan base and our program to go to Auburn and play.  Bruce Pearl is not only one of the best college basketball coaches right now, but he goes down as one of the best program builders of all time; what he has done at every stop that he has been at is things you couldn't believe.  As coaches, we talk about that.  Whatever your wildest dream is for South Alabama, I want to take it a step further than that, and he's done that.  So it is a big-time deal for us to go there and play.  We are going there to compete with energy and juice and to learn more about our team.  I hope they don't change the restrictions with the fans, because last time I was in the jungle down there it was ridiculous; probably the best environment I have ever been in, it was so loud."

Up next: South goes on the road for the first time this year when it takes on Auburn on Friday, with the game slated to tip off at 8 p.m. (CST) on the SEC Network.

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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