South Alabama closed out the calendar year with a 71-59 Sun Belt Conference men’s basketball victory at Florida International on New Year’s Eve, opening a two-game road swing through Florida.
The win improved Ronnie Arrow’s Jaguars to 10-4 overall and 2-0 in Sun Belt play. FIU, in its first season under head coach Isiah Thomas, fell to 4-12 overall and 1-2 in the league.
Defense Sets the Tone
The game was South Alabama’s first since its win over No. 18 Florida before Christmas.
The Jaguars held FIU to 16 first-half points on 25 percent shooting and to just over 35 percent shooting for the game. South Alabama forced 19 turnovers and blocked a season-high seven shots.
After FIU pulled close in the first half, South Alabama held the Panthers scoreless over the final 6:23 before the break, closing the half on a 13-0 run to lead 31-16.
FIU Rally Falls Short
South Alabama pushed the lead to 18 points with a little more than 14 minutes remaining. FIU answered with an 8-0 run, with all eight points scored by Marvin Roberts, but the Jaguars kept the Panthers from getting within single digits and used a 6-1 run late to seal the win.
Scoring Leaders
- Tim Williams led three Jaguars in double figures with 18 points.
- Freshman Martino Brock scored 15 points and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.
- Senior Bryan Sherrer added 10 points.
Arrow on the Win
“It’s great to win the final game of the old year and go into the new year on a good note,” Arrow said. “Our defense played well – we held them to 35 percent and they hit some big shots at the end or it would have been even lower. We got some key steals at the end of the first half that ignited our offense. I think our guys are finally understanding what it’s all about defensively.”
Up Next
South Alabama continues its Florida road trip Saturday night at Florida Atlantic, with tipoff set for 7 p.m.
