By: Bryant Kwilecki | Sports Editor |
Jan. 26, 2023
MOBILE, Ala. – South Alabama Men’s Basketball faced off against Old Dominion on Thursday, Jan. 26. The story for the Jags this year is that they tend to struggle early in games and then struggle to finish at the end of games.
The Jaguars got off to an early 23-17 lead midway through the first half, but the Monarchs went on a 17-6 scoring run to get the lead 34-29 at halftime. The Jags got off to a slow start in the second half but then began to find a rhythm. They did well at creating turnovers and rebounding. With a little over 2 minutes to go, South took the lead 62-61 but crucial fouls gave the Monarchs an opportunity to reclaim the lead and close out the win with a final score of 66-64. The Jags were solid from the three-point line and shot 63 percent from the free-throw line. Isaiah Moore led South in scoring with a total of 19 points.
This is a very tough South Alabama team who has been present in every game they have played. They have caught some very unfortunate breaks this year, but the inconsistency continues to be a factor.
“I’ve got to do a better of getting our guys to realize how our margin of error is incredibly small so those plays within the 40 all matter,” Head Coach Richie Riley said.
There are some plays in this game and the last several games for South where if one or two go the Jags’ way, they could come out on top. Coach Riley made it a point that it is not just those plays that matter; it is every play from start to finish. The Jags’ last five losses have come by a combined 19 points.
The Jags fall to 2-7 in conference play and 8-13 overall. With a lot of the season still left to be played, the Jags have every opportunity for improvement. The team will get a chance to get back into the swing of things when they host Troy at the Mitchell Center on Jan. 28 at 3:00 p.m.
Jag Media 