University of South Alabama Athletics

02/09/06– FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JAGUARS SHOOT SEASON-LOW 30 PERCENT AND FALL AT HOME TO LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE, 59-53
Contact: Kit Strief

Box Score

MOBILE, Ala. - The University of South Alabama men's basketball team dropped a 59-53 decision to Louisiana-Lafayette on Thursday at the Mitchell Center. USA falls to 16-6 overall and 7-3 in the Sun Belt Conference, while Louisiana-Lafayette improves to 8-14 and 4-7 in conference play. Ragin Cajun Michael Southall had a game-high 26 points and Jaguar senior Michael Phillips had 14 points off the bench to lead the Jaguars.

The Jaguars jumped out to an early 7-2 lead through the first three minutes of the game, but a 21-4 run over the next 12 minutes put the Cajuns up 23-11 with 5:45 to play in the half. ULL built the lead to as many as 15, but a mini-run by the Jaguars at the end of the half cut the deficit to 32-21 at intermission.

USA tied the season low for points in a half with 21. The Jaguars scored 21 points in the opening half of a 55-52 win on Dec. 3. USA also was a season low 25.9 percent from the field on 7-of-27, including 1-of-13 from beyond the arc. ULL was 11-of-24 from the field for 45.8 percent and 9-of-12 from the line.

The Jaguars had just three players score in the first half with Phillips coming off the bench for nine points. Southall paced the Cajuns with 12.

ULL opened the lead to 15 points with 14:16 to play in the game, but the Jaguars continued to fight hard and erased the deficit in under four minutes going on 15-0 run capped by a layup by senior Chey Christie.

The Cajuns quickly regained the lead for good on a tip-in by Southall with 10:12 to play. The Cajuns extended the lead to six points, but the Jaguars would not go quietly as they cut the defict to two points three different times and had it to one point with 22 seconds left at 55-54. USA fouled sending Ed Turner to the line and he calmly knocked down a pair.

Sophomore Demetric Bennett had a good look at a game-tying trey, but it rimmed out with 16 ticks left. ULL salted the game away at the free throw line for the 59-53 win.

Phillips was a team-high five-of-nine from the field and four-of-seven from the line for 14 points. He pulled down a team-high seven rebounds. Senior Mario Jointer also was in double figures with 10 points. USA shot a season-low 30.5 percent for the game on 18-of-59 from the floor. The Jags were 5-of-28 from beyond the arc and 12-of-18 from the line.

Southall had a game-high 26 points on 7-of-10 from the field and 12-of-15 from the line. He was the only Cajun in double figures. As a team, ULL was 18-of-40 from the field for 45 percent. The Cajuns were 3-of-19 from beyond the arc and 20-of-27 from the line.

USA has a couple of days off before finishing its homestand against New Orleans on Monday, Feb. 14 at 7:05 p.m. in the Mitchell Center.