PENSACOLA, Fla. | South Alabama (17-15) advanced to the third round of the Sun Belt Men's Basketball Championship by defeating the Appalachian State Mountaineers (16-16), 68-61, Thursday afternoon at the Pensacola Bay Center.
 
Isaiah Moore led all scorers with 20 points and seven assists. Conference Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Samuel tied his season-high with six blocks in addition to 12 points and season-high 15 rebounds.
 
Up three with less than 30 seconds left, Owen White made his third 3-pointer of the game to extend the lead to six and clinch the game for the Jags.
 
GAME FACTS (HOW IT HAPPENED)

• The Jaguars opened a 12-5 lead at the 15:00 mark of the first half, making three of their first four 3-point attempts by three different players.
• Both teams went cold over the ensuing three minutes, as the Jags led 14-9 with 11:50 to play in the first half.
• The Mountaineers took their first lead of the game, 16-14, at the 10:05 mark on a fast-break layup from Huntley.
• At the under-8 media timeout, the Jaguars held a slight lead, 23-21, with three different players leading the way with six points each.
• App State used an 8-0 run to build a 29-25 lead with just under four minutes before the half.
• The Jaguars scored five points in the final minute to cut the deficit to three, 37-34.
• South Alabama took their first lead of the second half, 44-42, on a Samuel put-back at the 14:20 mark.
• Samuel recorded his 11^th double-double of the season at the 12:21 mark with a put-back layup.
• At the 7:37 mark, the Jaguars defense had held the Mountaineers scoreless for 2:12, leading to a six-point lead, 58-52.
• With three minutes to play, the Jags held a five-point lead, 62-57. Moore led the team with 18 points.
• White sealed the victory with a 3-pointer with 26 seconds left off an assist from Moore.

 
NOTES

• Samuel recorded three blocks in the first half, giving him 78 on the season and tying Kelly Blaine (84-85) for second-most in a single season in program history. He broke the tie on the first defensive possession of the second half.
• All five starters scored in double-figures.
• Samuel tied his season-high with six blocks.
• Moore scored 20+ points for the 14^th time this season.

 
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Richie Riley:
"I'm incredibly proud of our guys. I say that a lot because I love these guys. It's been a really fun year coaching this team, and to be able to find a way to survive and advance past this first game meant a lot. I don't want to stop coaching them. They are a special group of men. We had a bad taste in our mouth from last season…Our guys responded. We were down three at half, didn't play very well, and they responded. A lot of it was from them talking to each other. That's the leadership on this team. They challenge each other in the locker room. They challenge each other in the huddles, and they stepped up."
 
Owen White:
On shooting the 3-pointer at the end:
"I was open, so I had to shoot it. I think we ran the play at 11, [Moore] had a good read, and they gave me some space, and if I don't shoot that I think we're in a lot of trouble, so that's pretty much it."

UP NEXT
The Jaguars continue their run through the Sun Belt Championship on Saturday, as they take on the top-seed Southern Miss Golden Eagles. Tip-off is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
 
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