MOBILE, Ala. | South Alabama men's basketball pulled away late against Jacksonville State, going 9-of-9 from the free throw line in the second half, to earn the 71-66 victory Wednesday afternoon at the Mitchell Center.
 
The Jaguars improved to 6-6 on the season, and the Gamecocks fell to 6-6.
 
The Jags were led by Tyrell Jones, who recorded a career-high 18 points on eight shots. He went 6-of-6 from the free throw line, while also tallying seven rebounds.
 
Kevin Samuel recorded 11 points and nine rebounds, and Elijah Ormiston scored 10 points off the bench. Isaiah Moore was the fourth Jaguar in double-figures, as he had 12 points in addition to four assists.
 
GAME FACTS (HOW IT HAPPENED)

• Each team started slow, as the Jags fell to an 8-5 deficit after the first six minutes of play.
• Elijah Ormiston hit a 3-pointer to give the Jags their first lead of the game, 12-10, with 11:30 to go in the first half.
• Judah Brown provided a spark off the bench with two quick 3-pointers to put the Jags up 30-25 with three minutes to go in the first half.
• Kevin Samuel was the first Jag to reach double-digit points (11) with two minutes to go in the first half.
• Jacksonville State scored a layup as the clock expired to give the Gamecocks a 33-32 lead going into half.
• Jones hit a shot clock buzzer-beater to tie the game at 35-35 with 18 minutes to go in the second half.
• South Alabama took their biggest lead of the afternoon after a Judah Brown three-pointer, giving them a 50-42 lead with 14 minutes left to play.
•  A three-point play by Elijah Ormiston gives the Jags a 10-point lead, 53-43 with 13 minutes left to play.
• Jacksonville State had a 9-0 run to give themselves a 63-59 lead with 3:30 left to play.
• Moore tied the game at 63 with a layup over a defender with two minutes to play.
• Jones made a pull-up jumper in the paint to give the Jags a 67-66 lead with 45 seconds to play.
• Kevin Samuel blocked a 3-point attempt by Demarre King that would have given the Gamecocks the lead with 30 seconds to play.
• Tyrell Jones' two free throws with 10 seconds left secured the victory for the Jags.
• Jags win 71-66.

 
NOTES

• Jones' 18 points beats his previous career high of 17, which he set last season against SE Louisiana.
• Moore continued his streak of double-digit point totals in every game this season.
• Judah Brown logged his first minutes since the FAU game, going 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.
• Ormiston recorded season-highs in points and rebounds.
• This was the third straight game that South has had 4+ players score in double-figures.
• This was the first win of the season for the Jags when trailing at halftime.
• The Jags went on a 6-0 run in the final :50 of the game.
• The Jags are 5-1 when shooting better than 50% in the second half.
• This is South's first win decided by five or fewer points.

QUOTABLE
Head Coach Richie Riley
On the team's performance:
"I'm really proud of our group. That's a good team that we beat today. They went to the NCAA Tournament last year and returned a lot of key pieces. I'm proud of how we finished down the stretch. We had some moments where we didn't play very well, and it almost cost us the game. But, I'm proud of how we finished."
 
On Jones' performance in the second half:
"The way that Turbo Jones finished that game was incredible. I just gave him a big bear hug and told him how proud of him I am. That's what he's capable of. He's capable of playing at that level. He made some big plays, the floater that he made was huge, he had a vertical contest where he made a guy miss and then he made his free throws down the stretch."

UP NEXT
South Alabama begins Sun Belt play with a road matchup against Georgia Southern on Thursday, December 29. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
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