MOBILE, Ala. | South Alabama tied their largest margin of victory against a conference opponent in the
Richie Riley tenure, defeating Southern Miss, 85-54, Thursday night at the Mitchell Center.
The Jaguars (14-14, 7-8 Sun Belt) were led by
Isaiah Moore's 16 points and six assists.
Jamar Franklin contributed 15 points off the bench, and the Jaguar defense held the Golden Eagles (23-5, 12-3 SBC) to their lowest point total this season and ended a nine-game winning streak for the top-ranked team in the Sun Belt.
GAME FACTS (HOW IT HAPPENED)
- The Jags opened the game on a 9-2 run in the first three minutes.
- South Alabama maintained their lead, 13-10, as neither team scored for over two minutes.
- Judah Brown ended the drought with a 3-pointer at the 12:07 mark.
- At the under-12 media timeout, the Jaguars led 21-16 with 9:23 to go, with each team shooting 50% from the field.
- With 5:24 to go in the first half, Kevin Samuel led the Jags with eight points, and they held a 29-21 lead over the Golden Eagles.
- A 3-pointer from Franklin gave the Jaguars their first double-digit lead, 32-22, with 4:17 to go.
- A Samuel dunk off an assist from Franklin gave the Jags a 42-27 lead with only 43 seconds to go before halftime.
- South Alabama shot 55% in the first half and had eight assists to only two turnovers.
- A corner 3-pointer from Owen White gave the Jags a 19-point lead, 49-30, with 16:29 to go.
- South Alabama continued to lead by 20, 56-36, with 12:36 to go. Moore led the team with 14 points.
- The Jaguars extended their lead to 29, leading the Eagles 67-38 with 7:14 to go.
- Brown's corner-3 gave the Jags a 30-point lead with six minutes to go, followed by a Franklin 3-pointer in the same corner on the next possession.
NOTES
- South has not trailed in six of the past seven games.
- The 31-point victory ties the 77-46 win against Little Rock last season as the biggest margin of victory in a conference game over the past five seasons.
- This is the lowest point total for Southern Miss this season.
- The Jags have shot 50%+ in four straight halves, and five of the last six.
- South recorded their second-highest assist total of the season (19).
- The defense allowed the third-lowest field goal attempts in a game this season.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach
Richie Riley:
"It was a great win. They have a really good team. It's obvious with their record, what they've accomplished in the league so far and what they did in their non-conference. So, for us to be able to come in and play as well as we did tonight and win against a team like that, I think it says a lot about our growth as a team and how much we have improved. I think it shows a lot about our guys…As soon as the ball was tipped, our guys were ready to play at a high level. I'm really proud of them because it shows growth…We've won six out of seven games, but I still think there's a lot of things we can do better, and our guys feel the same way. They are hungry to get better. That was fun, though. That was a really good win for us and hopefully gives us some momentum as we move forward and play Saturday and into next week and then to Pensacola."
UP NEXT
South Alabama plays their final home game this season on Saturday, as they take on the ULM Warhawks. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m., with Senior Day celebrations taking place immediately beforehand.
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.
