MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama fell to Ohio 86-77 Monday night at the Mitchell Center as the Bobcats connected on 11 second-half three-pointers to top the Jags in their season opener.
Jalen Langsy led South Alabama with a game-high 25 points in his Jaguar debut, while freshman Diego Roman added 19 points and five assists. Stephen Williams finished with 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Key Moments
- Ohio built an early nine-point advantage behind three consecutive triples from Kolton Mitchell. South Alabama worked its way back, with a Roderick Williams Jr. layup and a Samuel Shoptaw three-pointer helping trim the deficit to 18-16.
- The Jags took their first lead since the opening minutes on a Langsy layup with 6:28 remaining in the first half. Aaron Goldstein knocked down a three-pointer with 29 seconds left to send South Alabama into halftime ahead 35-34.
- South Alabama extended its advantage early in the second half behind Williams and Langsy. Langsy converted a three-point play with 14:10 remaining to give the Jaguars their largest lead at 49-42.
- Ohio answered with a 9-0 run to move ahead 51-49. Roman tied the game with a layup, and a Williams dunk briefly put the Jags back in front before a Marin Petkov three-pointer gave the Bobcats the lead for good with 11:14 remaining.
- Roman's three-point play pulled South Alabama within 76-71 with 1:41 left, but Ohio responded with consecutive three-pointers to put the game out of reach.
Key Stats
- Langsy scored 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting, including three triples, and added two assists.
- Roman finished with 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting and led South Alabama with five assists in his collegiate debut.
- Williams totaled 14 points, eight rebounds, one block and one steal while shooting 5-of-8 from the field.
- Goldstein added seven points, two assists and two steals in his South Alabama debut.
- Peyton Law recorded two points, three rebounds and two steals in his first regular-season action since a season-ending knee injury limited him to 10 games last year.
- South Alabama shot 50 percent from the field, finishing 27-of-54, and outscored Ohio 40-22 in the paint.
- The Jaguars went 6-of-22 from three-point range and 17-of-28 at the free-throw line.
- Ohio finished 16-of-38 from behind the arc, including an 11-of-20 mark in the second half. Mitchell led the Bobcats with 21 points on seven three-pointers.
- South Alabama forced 13 turnovers and recorded seven steals, while Ohio held a 36-27 rebounding advantage.
Quotable
Head Coach Richie Riley
"We pride ourselves on our discipline and toughness, and it was not good tonight. We have to be the toughest team out there every night with the most discipline. We've got to fly around and play with a ton of passion and energy, and I just didn't think we did that. I give Ohio credit. They have a nice team, but that is not who we are."
Up Next
South Alabama hosts Jacksonville State Thursday, Nov. 5, at the Mitchell Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT.
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