ATLANTA – Sam Iorio, Michael Flowers and Tyreke Locure scored 18, 17 and 16 respectively as the University of South Alabama men's basketball team beat Georgia State, 70-67, Tuesday afternoon in the GSU Sports Arena.

Iorio was the game's leading scorer with his aforementioned 18 points made on 6-of-12 from the floor with 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Flowers added 17 with a pair of steals, an assist and a blocked shot. Locure dropped 16 points including a three to put South in the lead with under a minute left in the game. Iorio, Locure and Jamal West paced the Jaguars with six rebounds each.

Eliel Nsoseme paced the Panthers with 18 points on eight field goals and a pair of free throws and nine rebounds. Justin Roberts and Corey Allen rounded out GSU's other double-digit scorers with 15 and 12 points.

GAME FACTS
- The Jaguars struggled early as the home team scored the first eight points of the contest, but USA bounced back quickly with a 10-2 run to tie the game at 10 a piece with the game halted for the first media break at 14:05 remaining in the first. Flowers had six of the 10 Jaguar points on two three-pointers.
- Flowers picked up two fouls on back-to-back possessions, and the Panthers took advantage and built a five-point lead going into the under-eight media break, 23-18, with six minutes 59 seconds left in the first.
- The Jaguars had a four-point deficit heading into the locker room, 37-33. Flowers led all scorers with 11 and Iorio notched eight points off the bench on 2-of-3 shooting from the field and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.
- South's defense clamped down on the Panthers building a 12-point lead, 65-53 with 5:25 left, after a 7-0 run. Iorio sank a three with Flowers making a jumper prior and a pair of free throws following.
- GSU responded with a 6-0 run to cut the Jags' advantage to four, 65-61 at the game's final media break. Allen had scored four of Georgia State's points during the 117 second span.
- The Panthers tied the game at 65 on the strength of a 12-0 run with 1:41 remaining, but Tyreke Locure sank a three with 45 seconds left to put the Jags back on top. John Pettway dunked to put the Jags up by three with seven seconds left, 70-67 and the final shot from GSU fell short as South claimed the win in Atlanta.
- USA turned over Georgia State 15 times pushing that into 17 points off turnovers. The Jags surrendered 10 turnovers, but allowed six points from those.

NOTES
- South Alabama won at Georgia State for the first time since a 75-50 win on Jan. 29, 1982 in the Omni Coliseum.
- Prior to today, the most recent win in Atlanta was when USA defeated Alabama in the Omni Colisuem in the 1989 NCAA with the shot that rolled the tide.
- The win snaps a five-game losing streak against the Panthers going back to an 86-64 win on Dec. 29, 2017.
- This was also Richie Riley's first victory over Georgia State as head coach of the Jaguars.
- USA has extended its win streak to four.
- Despite following one-point shy of a season high, Iorio was leading scorer for the game and team for the first time this year.
- Flowers scored 17 despite playing his third fewest minutes all season (26).
- Locure has scored in double figures for the past eight games, and is averaging 19.5 point-per-game during the Jags win streak.
- It was the second time three Jaguars tied to lead in the rebounding category; Goncalves, Locure and Flowers each grabbed four rebounds at Auburn on Dec. 4.
- Each team led the game for 18:20.

THEY SAID IT
Head Coach Richie Riley
Opening Statement: "It was the first time we have won here since I have been a head coach, and the first time in a long, long time, I don't know what the exact day it is. I am just proud of our guys; we didn't play really well especially during moments of the game. We had segments where we played really well on both ends at a high level, and then we had moments of really bad, there was not much in between. The grit and toughness of our crew that they are developing is what was the separator today. That's why we won the game, just so much toughness, taking charges, loose balls, and battling those two big kids. They have a talented team and to come in here and get a win on the road is huge."
On other Sam Iorio stepping up with Flowers in foul trouble: "I told Sam [Iorio] that is by far his best game as a Jag, he was tremendous. Not only because he had 18 points and six rebounds, but he had some really gritty plays. And that's what we've been waiting on. I think he is going to play his best basketball down the stretch, he was a little beat up early [in the season] and he's getting much more comfortable. It's huge for his confidence to come here and play like that.

Up next: South Alabama will return home with for the first game in rivalry week against Troy. The game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. Thursday night.

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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