Official Game Statistics
MOBILE, Ala. -- Brandon Davis scored 27 points, including a pair of free throws with 34.8 seconds left to lead top-seeded South Alabama to a 81-77 victory over New Orleans in the quarterfinals of the 2008 Sun Belt Conference Tournament Sunday afternoon at the Mitchell Center. The win was the 17th in as many outings at home this year for the Jaguars (26-5). It also established a new school record for wins in a season, besting the 25-5 mark in 1980-81.
Davis hit 15 of 20 free throws and also grabbed nine rebounds, while Daon Merritt and Demetric Bennett each added 15 and 14 points, respectively. South Alabama advances to the first semifinal game tomorrow night (6:30 p.m.) against Middle Tennessee. The game will be televised live on CSS and on other affiliated in a syndicated ESPN Plus package.
From the beginning, the No. 8 Privateers put a scare in the Jaguars, who were upset last year in the same game. The biggest lead for either team was a seven-point bulge South Alabama in the first half and the teams went to the locker room even at 39.
The Jaguars trailed by six at the 15:29 mark after UNO opened the second half by scoring nine of the first 12 points. South immediately answered with a 7-0 run to take a 49-48 lead when Davis scored a layup. The Privateers answered with five straight points to go up four, 53-49, and led 58-53 with 11:25 left.
South Alabama made another run, scoring six straight points to lead by a point, 59-58, only to see UNO take a quick two-point lead. Merritt hit three straight free throws to start an 11-2 run that put the Jaguars up for good, although the Privateers were not through fighing. They closed to within a basket four times in the final two-and-a-half minutes. But each time South Alabama struck back. First, DeAndre Coleman hit a a jumper at the 1:52 mark to turn a 72-70 lead into 74-70, then Davis hit his pair from the charity stripe to make the score 77-73 with 34.8 seconds left.
Domonic Tilford, held scoreless for the first 38 minutes of the game, tallied the last four points of the game for the Jaguars. The conference leader in free throw percentage, he hit a pair with 14 seconds left and a pair with 11 ticks remaining.
"The dance has begun," Head Coach Ronnie Arrow said. "It doesn't matter who you have played and who have you beaten before. I thought New Orleans had a good game plan, but we finally got to work on defense in the second half. They came right after us."
South Alabama finished the game outshooting UNO 52.6 percent to 51.1 percent, but the biggest discrepancy was at the free throw line. The Jaguars hit 37-of 49 attempts compared to 23-of-30 for the Privateers. The Jags also held a 29-20 rebounding advantage.
