PENSACOLA, Fla. – Michael Flowers scored 34 points to set a new season high propelling the University of South Alabama men's basketball team over ULM 80-72, Friday night in the Pensacola Bay Center.

South Alabama's (17-10, 10-7) Flowers paced the game in scoring with 29 of his 34 points coming in the second 20 minutes. Sam Iorio provided early scoring for the Jags as he dropped 12 points, all in the first half. Tyreke Locure and Kayo Goncalves each put in 10 points to round out the double-digit scorers. John Pettway grabbed 10 rebounds to pace that category.

ULM (7-19, 5-13) was paced by Elijah Gonzales with 14 points. Russell Harrison recorded a double-double, 13 points with 13 rebounds, as the Warhawks were bounced from the tournament.

GAME FACTS
- It was tight early as no team led by more than five through the first 12 minutes. Each team pushed advantages up to five, but ULM was up 24-19 at the first-half under-eight media break (7:40). Iorio had 10 points off the bench to that point to lead all scorers.
- The Jags trailed at the half by two, 46-44, after Harrison connected on a buzzer-beater jump shot. Iorio led all scorers with 12 to that point. Jamal West and John Pettway each had five rebounds to pace the Jags.
- On the strength of a 6-0 run, the Warhawks stretched the advantage to seven, 62-55, the largest either team had compiled to that point. Harrison paced the game to that point with 13 points.
- USA stormed back in front, 68-65 with 6:51 remaining, after an 11-0 run, with Flowers dropping all 11 on a pair of threes, a jump shot and three free throws. The senior had 21 in the second half to that point.
- South held off the Warhawks and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the Sun Belt Tournament with a final score of 80-72. ULM was limited to five points in the final four minutes 37 seconds.
- The first half featured 13 lead changes, but upon taking the lead in the second half, South did not relinquish it.
- The Jaguars shot 22-for-46 with 11-for-25 behind the three-point line. USA added 25 free throws on 33 attempts
- South had 12 assists on 22 made baskets.

NOTES
- The win ties the all-time series with ULM at 14 wins a piece. This was the first win on a neutral court for the Jaguars.
- This was the second Sun Belt tournament win under Head Coach Richie Riley. The previous win will be against tomorrow's opponent, Louisiana (70-69 vs. Louisiana on 3/14/19).
- After 11 made three-pointers, this season's team has moved into fifth for made threes in a season with 246 on the year. 2017-18 sits at fourth on the list at 252.
- The Jaguars attempted (33) and made (25) season high amounts of free throws in Sun Belt Conference play and regulation games.
- Michael Flowers has passed Junie Lewis and Ed Rains in the single-season scoring category with 573 points on the year, putting him into ninth in program history. Flowers trails Augustine Rubit by nine points for the eighth spot and Rodrick Sikes and Terry Catledge by 24 for the combined sixth.
- Flowers also passed Lewis and Rains on the senior class leader board to sit in fourth all-time for Jaguar seniors.
- Locure tied Jeff Hodge for threes made by a sophomore with 53 on the season.
- Iorio's 12 first half points put him into double figures for the seventh time this season and fourth time in Sun Belt Conference play.
- Pettway tied his career high in rebounds with 10; the senior set his career-high mark 29 days ago against Coastal Carolina (2/6). It was his sixth time leading USA in rebounds this season, and the second time in his career grabbing 10 rebounds.

THEY SAID IT
Head Coach Richie Riley
Opening Statement: "I'm really proud of our group.  We got off to a slow start, we were really sluggish and I'm not sure exactly why — maybe it was just the nerves of playing in a conference tournament.  We were trying to feel our way in, we were dipping our toes in the pool instead of jumping in, it was about the 13-minute mark of the second half when we decided we were going to jump in.  We played a lot better defensively and with more grit, which was how we had won eight in a row and been able to win now 17 games playing basically 6-7 guys all season long.  We have to do that for 40 minutes to put ourselves in a position to win tomorrow. I'm proud of our group, I've been proud of them all year; we've had so much adversity, I would put it up against any team in the country.  And I will say if there was ever any doubt whether Michael Flowers should be Player of the Year in this league, it should go out the window tonight.  He's an incredible young man, he just put us on his back tonight the way he has done it all year."
On Flowers second-half performance: "Well, he's a really good shooter. He got a couple clean looks, and he saw it go in a couple times then got rolling. He's like that where he can miss a couple, but once he sees one go in he can make five or six of them, and he did. He is such a tough-shot maker, and he has a high level of confidence because he puts the work in. He works harder than any kid that I have coached. He lives in the gym, so he has a ton of confidence. He was 1-of-4 in the first half and finished the game 9-of-15 and 11-of-12 from the free-throw line. We put him in a position with the ball in his hands and let him get going. He also did a good job finding guys too. That's been him all year."
On coaching Flowers: "We had a conversation [at halftime] and I told him that he needed to be more aggressive. He is as talented of a scorer as there is in the country, but I was proud of how he got other guys involved. He had four assists, but could have had more if guys hit some open shots. He made a couple shots around the rim too. The challenge is for him to play aggressive, and when you have small numbers, it's hard to play like that.
On the team feeding off the crowd: "Hats off to our crowd, and I thanked them at the end. They were tremendous. We travelled really well, especially with COVID, just people from Mobile coming it meant a lot to me. I begged them to come on the radio and we have some loyal fans that have been around through the glory days of South Alabama and then the rough days. They have enjoyed as we start to build something.

Up next: South Alabama will face Louisiana in the quarterfinal-round match with tipoff scheduled for 5 p.m., in the Hartsell Arena at Pensacola State College.

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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