MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama basketball fell to No. 3 Louisville in a tournament championship game, as the Cardinals used a 14-2 run midway through the second half to pull away from the Jaguars.
Forward Samardo Samuels led Louisville with 24 points on 9-of-10 shooting from the field and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. He added three assists and three blocked shots, and three other Cardinal starters also finished in double figures.
Davis and Tilford Lead Jaguars
Brandon Davis and Domonic Tilford each scored 16 points for South Alabama. Davis also grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds.
Turnovers Prove Costly
South Alabama trailed 39-27 at halftime. The Jaguars had committed four more turnovers than Louisville in the first half, and the gap widened after the break, when South Alabama turned the ball over 13 times to Louisville’s two.
For the game, the Jaguars committed 24 turnovers, 12 of them on Louisville steals, and shot 36 percent from the field. South Alabama held the Cardinals to 44 percent shooting and outrebounded them 41-38.
Arrow on the Cardinals
South Alabama coach Ronnie Arrow praised Louisville’s depth after the game.
“You could be looking at this year’s national champions,” Arrow said. “Coach Pitino has assembled a group of guys where they can go 10 or 11 deep and not miss a beat.”
Arkansas Next at the Mitchell Center
South Alabama returns home to host Arkansas in the annual Coors Classic at the Mitchell Center. The Razorbacks are coached by John Pelphrey, a former South Alabama head coach.
Tip-off is set for 8 p.m., and the game will be televised regionally on Comcast Sports Southeast.
