MOBILE, Ala. – South Alabama men's basketball erased a nine-point halftime deficit and leaned on a stifling defensive effort in the second half to secure a 53–48 victory over Coastal Carolina on Thursday night at the Mitchell Center. The Jaguars  were held to just 15 points in the opening half before responding with a 38-point second half, shooting 56.0 percent from the field after the break to improve to 15–6 overall and 6–3 in Sun Belt Conference play.

Key Stats

• South Alabama outscored Coastal Carolina 38–24 in the second half.

• The Jaguars shot 56.0 percent (14-of-25) from the field after halftime.

• USA held Coastal Carolina to 28.8 percent shooting for the game and just 27.6 percent in the second half.

• Adam Olsen led the Jaguars with 16 points and eight rebounds, scoring 14 points in the second half.

• Jayden Cooper finished with 13 points, knocking down three three-pointers.

• Chaze Harris posted an all-around performance with 15 points, four rebounds, four assists, and four steals.

• South Alabama forced 11 turnovers and limited Coastal Carolina to 30.9 percent shooting from three-point range (10-of-33).

Key Moments

• South Alabama trailed 24–15 at halftime before opening the second half on a 9–2 run to cut the deficit to two.

• Chaze Harris scored six points in the opening four minutes of the second half, tying the game at 24–24 with 16:20 remaining.

• Adam Olsen knocked down a three-pointer at the 15:09 mark to give the Jaguars their first lead since the opening minutes.

• The Jaguars built their largest lead of the night at 12 points (45–33) with 6:59 remaining following a Jayden Cooper three.

• Coastal Carolina tied the game at 48 with 1:08 left, but Olsen responded with a jumper on the ensuing possession.

• Olsen sealed the game at the free-throw line with 28 seconds remaining, and Randy Brady added a free throw with 15 seconds left to put the game away.

Quotable

Head Coach Richie Riley

"Obviously, that first half was the roughest I've been a part of offensively. I felt like we got great looks and had a good plan—we just missed shots that guys don't normally miss. At halftime, we had to change some things mentally, take a deep breath, and trust that things would turn. We did in the second half with 38 points, but what we hang our hat on is our defense, and that's what kept us in the game. It could've gotten away from us if our defense wasn't so lights out. It was ugly, but we win ugly sometimes. I'm proud of the defense and the grit we showed in the second half."

Up Next

South Alabama will host Georgia State on Saturday at 7 p.m. CT inside the Mitchell Center.

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.