HOUSTON --- After scoring just nine points in the first 16 minutes and facing a 14-point deficit, the University of South Alabama men’s basketball team shook off the rust to defeat Sacramento State 70-58 Sunday afternoon in Tudor Fieldhouse at the Rice Basketball Challenge.
The Jaguars end the first weekend of the season 2-1 and return for their home opener Thursday night against Spring Hill.
Both teams went through a prolonged scoring drought in the first half, but it was the Jags who went scoreless for a stretch of 8:04 and started the contest by shooting just 3-for-21 from the floor. Neither team dented the scoreboard for a stretch of 7:20 before Sacramento State finally snapped the streak.
“When the game started we were still at the Holiday Inn,” said USA head coach
Ronnie Arrow. “The Rice game must have taken a lot out of us last night. It’s always good to win but when you play bad and win, it’s even better. We’ve played three games now and we haven’t showed up in the first half yet. We’re a second-half ballclub and we have to learn how to show up for games. We’re so young, they might be too hyped up for the game. By the time the second half rolls around, we’re ready to play.”
When the second half began the Jaguars started fast by scoring the first six points and forced the Hornets to miss eight of their first nine shots of the final period. SSU converted just 30.8% of its field goals in the second half.
“In all of our games, our defense has won it for us,” said Arrow. “We just wait for our offense to get there.”
USA capped off a 15-5 run on a jumper from junior
Gary Redus (Decatur, Ala.) to take its first lead of the game, 36-34 at the 13:42 mark.
SSU hit two free throws to tie the score but a 3-pointer from Redus and a jumper from junior
Tim Williams (Pontiac, Mich.) put South Alabama up for good. Sacramento State managed to cut the deficit to 45-44 with 8:45 to play but seven straight points from the Jaguars put the game out of reach.
The Jags hit 10 of their last 11 free throws in the final 2:15 to thwart any comeback attempt. Sophomore
Allyn Cooks (Bryan, Texas) went 8-for-8 at the stripe for the game and 6-for-6 in the final minutes.
South Alabama shot 66.7% (14-21) in the second half and outscored Sacramento State 49-29. Redus (15 points), Williams (14) and Cooks (10) combined for 39 in the final 20 minutes alone and Cooks added five assists.
“We had five assists at halftime and we wound up with 17,” said Arrow. “We started making shots, getting to the lane and pitching to the open man. I’ve said all along that we’re a good shooting team but we haven’t been looking to get somebody else a shot. We had 12 assists in the second half – that means you’re playing as a team.”
Williams tallied a game-high 23 points and eight rebounds. He added three assists in 39 minutes of work.
“I told him at halftime, ‘Tim, I didn’t bring you in to be a mediocre player. I brought you in to be a leader on this team and to get it done,’” said Arrow. “He went out and showed that he’s one of the top players around and he has to continue to do that. We’ve got to have him playing.”
Redus totaled 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the floor and 4-of-5 from 3-point land.
Four Sacramento State players recorded 10 points each.
NOTES: South Alabama used a different starting lineup for the third straight game – freshman
Martino Brock (Memphis, Tenn.), senior
Bryan Sherrer (Monticello, Ark.) and Williams are the only players to have started all three… After averaging 18.0 points in the first two games, Brock was held to just two but grabbed five rebounds… He has also recorded a block in each game so far… The team’s 88.5 free throw percentage was USA’s highest since shooting 90% vs. UC Davis on Nov. 29, 2008.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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