MOBILE, Ala. | South Alabama men's basketball opened the 2022-23 season with a win against the Mobile Rams, 97-59, Wednesday night at the Mitchell Center.
 
The Jags were led by Kevin Samuel, who had a double-double in the first half with 12 points and 10 rebounds to go along with three blocks and two steals. He finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Freshman Jamar Franklin led all scorers with 18 in his first collegiate action. Mobile's leading scorer was Ezra McKenna with 13.
 
GAME FACTS

• The Jags took an early lead, thanks to a 10-3 run to start the game.
• Kevin Samuel had six rebounds at the under-12 timeout.
• Jamar Franklin hit the Jag's first three of the game at the 10:38 mark.
• South used an 11-1 run to take a 30-15 lead at the 8:00 mark of the first half.
• Samuel led the Jags with 12 points and 10 rebounds in the first half.
• The Jags opened the second half with an alley-oop from Owen White to Kevin Samuel.
• The Jaguars extended their lead in the second half, going up 80-50 at the 7:45 mark in the second half.
• The biggest lead of the night came at the 2:01 point in the second half, when the Jags extended their lead to 41.

NOTES

• The Jags never trailed in the game.
• Five different Jaguars finished with double-digit scoring.
• South scored 58 points in the paint while holding Mobile to only 28.
• In his first game in a Jaguar uniform, Samuel recorded his 36^th career double-double.
• The Jags' bench outscored the Rams reserves, 39-23.  
• Owen White had the biggest +/- margin at 33.
• The Jaguars had a 17-7 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Judah Brown led the team in blocks with four.
• No Jaguar played more than 26 minutes, and 10 players played more than 10 minutes.

QUOTABLE
Head Coach Richie Riley
On getting on the court for the first time this season:
"There's always a little bit of nerves on opening night. That's how it goes. Even veteran guys have a little bit of nerves. I was proud of how our guys responded. The biggest stat that sticks out to me is 17 assists to only seven turnovers. In games like this it's easy to get sloppy and turn the ball over. Our guys didn't do that."
 
On playing New Mexico:
"The Pit is one of the toughest environments in the country to play in. It's loud, it's nasty, it's tough. They are a really good team, I think they were picked top five in the mountain west. They have experienced guard play and they brought in some transfers. It's a tall task, but we are excited about it. That's why we did this schedule the way we did it. We like those types of challenges and it's a great way to gauge where you are."

Guard Greg Parham II
On how it felt to get back on the court:
"It felt good. Especially for me to get out there for the first time in a while. Great team win, everybody played their part, and I think it's a great building point for this team."
 
On the importance of getting the first win:
"It builds momentum and confidence in all our players. Everybody got in tonight, so it gives the freshmen and younger guys some more experience. It's good for our team moving forward."
 
Center Kevin Samuel
On playing the first game of the season:
"It felt great to get out there and play in the Mitchell Center. We had a great turnout of fans, so I want to thank them for coming out. It was great to get out there and get the win and just have fun."
 
On everybody getting playing time:
"It was good to know how deep we are. Every day in practice is a grind. Today, everybody on the court was successful. I was happy to see it transfer from practice into the game."
 
UP NEXT
The Jaguars travel to Albuquerque to take on the University of New Mexico on Friday, Nov. 11. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. at The Pit.
 
FOLLOW THE JAGS
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