Box Score LITTLE ROCK, Ark. ? South Alabama moved to 7-0 in Sun Belt Conference play and snapped UALR's eight-game homecourt win streak with a 72-65 victory Saturday night at the Jack Stephens Center. Five different players scored in double figures to lead the first-place Jaguars (15-3, 7-0) to their 11th-straight win.
Daniel Hayles led South Alabama with 13 points off the bench, going 3-of-4 from three-point range. Daon Merritt added 11 points and a game-high seven assists, while DeAndre Coleman led all players with 11 rebounds.
Holding a slim two-point lead, 51-49, after a three pointer by senior Terrance Akins and a putback by freshman Derrick Bails with 9:20 remaining, the Jaguars embarked on a 12-2 run to put the Trojans (12-6, 4-3) away for good.
South Alabama shot just 39.3 percent for the game, but pulled out the win by going 18-of-23 at the foul line in the second half (78.3 percent). UALR earned a 42-to-35 edge on the glass, but committed 18 turnovers and connected on just 5-of-22 attempts from three-point range (22.7 percent). Junior Brandon Patterson went 5-of-9 from the field (2-of-4 on three pointers) and led the Trojans with 14 points and five assists in the losing effort.
The Jaguars built a 10-point first-half lead, 23-13, with 8:38 to play after back-to-back turnovers helped fuel a quick 7-0 run. USA led by just three points, 16-13, after a three-point play by junior John Fowler, but turnovers by UALR led to a three pointer by Merritt and fastbreak layups from Demetric Bennett and Domonic Tilford.
Trailing by 10, the Trojans put together a 9-0 run, as South Alabama went scoreless over the next 3:21, to pull within a point, 23-22, with 5:17 remaining. Down 24-25, UALR took its first lead of the night off a one-handed shot from Bails.
The Trojans took their largest lead of the game, 30-26, after a tip-in by senior Rashad Moss with 1:26 on the clock. But the Jaguars closed out the half by knocking down three-straight three pointers to take a 35-30 lead into the break. Merritt assisted on each of the three pointers, two of which came compliments of Hayles.
UALR opened the second half with an 8-2 run, with the first four points coming from sophomore Mike Smith, but South Alabama answered with seven-unanswered points to take the lead for good.
The Trojans cut their deficit down to two points, 51-49, but a three pointer by Hayles sparked a 12-2 run which gave the Jaguars a comfortable 63-51 lead with just 4:21 to play. UALR pulled within six, 69-63, with 24 seconds to go, but Bennett sank both foul shots on the other end to seal the win.
UALR returns to action Thursday, Jan. 24 with a road game at Troy.
