MOBILE, Ala. –Isiah Gaiter and Julian Margrave combined for 46 points as the South Alabama men's basketball team defeated the SIUE Cougars 86-74 in the final game of the Jaguar Classic  Sunday afternoon in the Mitchell Center. With the win, the Jaguars improved to 3-3 on the season, while SIUE fell to 3-3 on the season.

South Alabama exploded offensively, earning season-highs in field goal percentage (61.7), and three-point percentage (61.1). They also held the Cougars to 47.3 percent from the floor and 44.8 percent from downtown. 

The Jags had four players score double-figures for the second straight game. Isiah Gaiter fueled the Jags offense for the second game in a row, racking up 24 points on 10-15 shooting from the field. Margrave improved his career-high in scoring for the third straight game and continued to terrorize the opposition from behind the arc, totaling 22 points, hitting six three-pointers. 

Maxwell Land and Tyrell Jones also had contributed solid numbers. Land compiled 15 points, shooting 5-6 from the field, while Jones went 10 of 13 from the free throw line, adding 15 points of his own.  

The Jags close the Jaguar Classic with a 2-1 overall record with wins over SIUE and Denver, and a loss to Nicholls. 

Game Facts (How it Happened)

• The game opened up with both teams trading layups to keep the game tied 4-4 right before the first media timeout at 15:54.

• That's when Margrave started to heat up, hitting three three-point shots in four possessions to help give the Jaguars an 18-13 lead with 11:06 left on the clock. 

• South Alabama started to increase the pace of play as Gaiter and Land hit fastbreak layups, and Jones and Howell connected from downtown to give the Jags their highest lead of the game, 34-17, with five minutes remaining in the half. 

• SIUE came up with an answer following a brief timeout and darted out to an 18-4 run to cut in the Jaguars deficit and make the score 38-35 at halftime. 

• Gaiter flipped the switch to start the second half, splashing a three-pointer in the first possession and getting to the rim for a bucket to extend the Jags lead back to 43-36 in the first two minutes of the second half. 

• After the Cougars tied things up 43-43 at the under 16-minute media timeout, the Jags found a response when Margrave splashed two more three-pointers and a reverse layup that allowed the Jags to retake a 53-46 lead at the 13:48 mark in the second half. 

• SIUE made several attempts to climb back into the game and pulled back within one point at 55-54 with 11:13 left in regulation, but the Jaguars were too dominant down the final stretch. 

• Gaiter and Margrave would combine for 15 points in the last 10 minutes to open things up. South pushed its lead out to double-digits with 1:06 to play and cruised to the finish line, clinching an 86-74 victory. 

 Notes

• After three games, Julian Margrave leads South Alabama with 11 total made three-pointers and a 61.1 percent three-point percentage this season.

• Isiah Gaiter scored the 16th 20-point game of his career and has now scored double-figures in five out of six USA contests. Gaiter now ranks second in the Sun Belt Conference in field goal percentage, shooting 62.1 percent from the floor.

•  Marcus Millender has amassed 32 assists this season, which ranks first in the Sun Belt Conference. 

• Gaiter and Margrave are the first two Jaguars to finish with 20 points in a contest since January 2022. 

• South Alabama recorded a season-high in field goal percentage (61.7) and three-point percentage (61.1). 

• The Jaguars had their second straight game with a positive assist-to-turnover ratio of 8.0. 

• South shot more than 60 percent from the floor for the first time since February 2022. 

• South Alabama won the rebounding battle for the fourth time this season, grabbing 25 boards compared to 19 from SIUE. 

Head Coach Richie Riley

On how much his team has grown this season already

" They've grown a lot in the past few days.We have amazing people in our program. To see the disappointment on their face when they lose hurts me, but when they win like this, and start to learn and grow it makes me feel that much better. I know how much they put into this game and how much they care about our school, and to see them grow up and start playing the way they are capable of is awesome." 

Forward Julian Margrave 

On his career-high performance

" It was a great day. Credit to all my teammates because they kept finding me and set me up for success. We are an unselfish basketball team, and I just happened to stay ready and hit my shots today." 

Up Next

After playing four games in six days, the Jaguars will have another short turnaround as they will face off against Lynn University on Tuesday, Nov. 21, at 7 p.m. CST in the Mitchell Center. 

FOLLOW THE JAGS

For complete coverage of South Alabama men's basketball, follow the Jags on social media @SouthAlabamaMBB (Twitter), /SouthAlabamaMBB (Facebook), @southalabamambb (Instagram), or visit the official home of South Alabama athletics at usajaguars.com.