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University of South Alabama Athletics

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#OURCITY
Randy Brady
90
Winner South Alabama USA 14-6,5-3 Sun Belt
83
James Madison JMU 9-11,2-6 Sun Belt
Winner
South Alabama USA
14-6,5-3 Sun Belt
90
Final
83
James Madison JMU
9-11,2-6 Sun Belt
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
South Alabama USA 36 54 90
James Madison JMU 40 43 83

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Jags Pull Away in Second Half to Take Down James Madison, 90–83

HARRISONBURG, Va. – South Alabama men's basketball used a dominant second half to pull away from James Madison, securing a 90-83 road victory Thursday night inside Atlantic Union Bank Center. The Jags improved to 14-6 on the year and 5-3 in Sun Belt play, while the Dukes dropped to 9-11 on the season and 2-6 in conference play.

Key Stats

  • Adam Olsen led all Jags with 26 points, shooting 8-of-16 from the field and knocking down four three-pointers.

  • JJ Wheat added 17 points off the bench, while Jayden Cooper finished with 14 points. 

  • Chaze Harris chipped in 15 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and four steals in an all-around effort.

  • South Alabama outscored James Madison 54–43 in the second half.

  • The Jaguars forced 17 turnovers and converted them into 23 points.

  • South Alabama held a 34–16 advantage in points in the paint.

  • The Jags also outscored the Dukes 27–12 in fast-break points and 21–12 in second-chance points.
  • South Alabama finished with 23 bench points, led by JJ Wheat's 17.

Key Moments

  • James Madison led 40–36 at halftime after shooting 50 percent in the opening half.

  • South Alabama opened the second half on an 11–4 run to take its first lead since the opening minutes.

  • Adam Olsen scored nine points in the first five minutes of the second half to swing momentum.

  • Back-to-back deflections by JJ Wheat led directly to transition baskets as the Jaguars pushed the lead to seven.

  • A Jayden Cooper three-pointer at the 17:15 mark of the second half capped a second-chance possession and gave South Alabama a two-possession cushion.

  • The Jaguars stretched the lead to double digits for the first time with 12:59 remaining following a second-chance three by Olsen.

  • South Alabama extended its lead to as many as 16 points with 5:23 remaining.

  • James Madison cut the deficit to single digits late, but the Jaguars answered with stops on three straight possessions.

  • South Alabama went 16-of-20 at the free-throw line over the final 10 minutes to close out the win.

  • The Jaguars sealed the victory by scoring on four of their final five possessions.

Quotable

Head Coach Richie Riley 

"Great win. It's hard to win here — they were 6–1 at home coming into the night. They don't lose many games in this building, so for us to be able to do that was big. We made it a little more interesting than it needed to be, and we don't win many games when the score gets that high, but we were able to tonight. I thought our second-half defense was unbelievable for most of it, and we showed a lot of toughness. JJ Wheat played incredibly and really carried us with his effort. His stats were good, but what he did was dictate the game in the second half. When they tried to get into the paint, he was getting deflection after deflection and making winning play after winning play. That's what changed the game and allowed us to get out and get easy baskets, which is what we need."

Up Next

South Alabama returns to action at Marshall on Saturday, Jan.24, at 11 a.m. CT. Live coverage can be found on ESPN+ and on the Jags Radio Network.

FOLLOW THE JAGS

For complete coverage of South Alabama Men's Basketball, follow the Jags on social media @SouthAlabamaMBB (X), /SouthAlabamaJaguars (Facebook), @southalabamambb (Instagram), or visit the official home of South Alabama Athletics at usajaguars.com.

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