03/06/06–
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GRITTY JAGS EARN BERTH IN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
GAME WITH 75-65 WIN OVER DENVER IN SEMIFINALS
Box
Score Quotes
Notes
MURFREESBORO,
Tenn. (AP) - Chey Christie had 17 points, including nine
in the final 6:38, as South Alabama pulled away late to defeat Denver
75-65 in the Sun Belt Tournament semifinals on Monday.
South Alabama
(23-6) will face the winner of Louisiana-Lafayette-Western Kentucky
for the Sun Belt title on Tuesday night.
The Jaguars,
with seven straight wins, will be seeking their first tournament
title since 1998.
Denver (16-15)
led 60-59 when South Alabama's Carlos Smith sank a 3-pointer to
give the Jaguars the lead for keeps with 7:19 remaining. Christie
picked it up from there and scored all but four of the Jaguars final
13 points.
Mario Jointer
added another basket for South Alabama after Denver had pulled to
within 69-65 with 2:12 left to play.
The two schools
swapped the lead 12 times in the first 10 minutes of the game, including
eight consecutive possessions in one stretch.
South Alabama
reeled off 11 unanswered points after Sun Belt Defensive player
of the year Yemi Nicholson sat with his second foul at the 10:04
mark in the half.
The Pioneers
were scoreless for 5:41 as South Alabama went ahead 30-20 on a jumper
by Jason McGriff with 4:19 remaining. The Jaguars led 33-29 at the
break.
Four Denver
players scored in double figures, led by Nicholson with 14. The
Pioneers also had 16 turnovers, compared to five for the Jaguars.
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