MOBILE, Ala. — Myles Corey and JJ Wheat led the way with 12 points apiece as every active player logged three points or more for the South Alabama men's Basketball team in a gritty 76-74 win over Jacksonville State that came down to the wire Sunday evening in the Mitchell Center. The Jags improved to 6-3 overall with the win, while Jacksonville State fell to 5-4.
After the Jaguars led by as many as 16 points in the second half, Jacksonville State stormed back and grabbed a five-point lead, 67-62, with under five minutes remaining. South Alabama snatched the advantage back with a 7-0 run and never looked back, securing the victory.
Corey powered the Jags offense for the seventh game this season, distributing six assists, corralling four rebounds, and swiping two steals. Wheat was perfect from the field, shooting 3-for-3 from the floor and 6-of-8 from the free throw line with two steals and two assists.
Barry Dunning Jr. finished with 11 points and seven team-leading rebounds, while Jayden Cooper added 10 points, 4-for-7 from the floor and 2-for-4 from behind the arc.
"That was a dogfight," Head Coach Richie Riley said. It was such a hard-fought game, and I want to credit Jacksonville State because they have a very good program. Finding a way to win in this game was huge. Our guys got better. I want this team to keep getting better every single day. We got contributions from everyone, making it so much fun as a head coach. I want all my guys to do well, but we can only play five guys at a time, and there are only 40 minutes in a ball game. I'm so happy for all our guys. We keep taking big steps. I'm happy with the direction we are going."
Both teams shot out of the gate in this one, with the Jaguars taking a 27-23 advantage at the 5:36 mark in the first off four triples in five possessions, including two in a row from Jayden Cooper.
South Alabama kept its foot on the gas and closed the half on a 12-4 spurt to take a 39-30 lead into halftime.
The Jags opened the second half on a 7-0 run highlighted by a backdoor dunk by John Broom and a Randy Brady three-ball to take a commanding 46-30 with 17:38 left in the game.
Jax State found life and fought back on a 24-4 run to snatch a 60-55 lead with 9:18 remaining in the game.
South took back control and outscored Jax State 21-14 in the final three minutes, commanded by a clutch Broom three-pointer and a tough Cantia Rahming finish at the rim to clinch a 76-74 win.
Game Notes
- South made 12 three-pointers for the fourth game this season.
- Despite Jax State being one of the nation's premier rebounding teams, the Jaguars outrebounded the Gamecocks on the offensive glass, finishing with a 13-11 ratio.
- South Alabama totaled 11 steals and 15 assists while committing six turnovers. Jacksonville State turned the ball over 18 times, with 13 of those coming in the first half.
- Additionally, the Jaguars scored 25 points off turnovers compared to Jax State's three.
- The Jags are now 4-3 when Myles Corey dishes out six assists or more.
Up Next
South Alabama will hit the road for the first time in a month, traveling to Commerce, Texas, to take on East Texas A&M on Sunday, Dec.15 at 11 a.m. CT. The Jags will have a short turnaround from there as they battle TCU in Fort Worth on Monday, Dec.16 at 7 p.m. CT.
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