MOBILE, Ala. — Gary Redus hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:03 remaining as South Alabama basketball beat Georgia State 70-66 in the championship game to win the second annual USA Thanksgiving Tournament at the Mitchell Center.
The Jaguars opened the two-day tournament Wednesday with an 83-67 win over Alcorn State, then beat Georgia State on Thursday. The two wins improved South Alabama to 5-2.
Arrow Reaches 600 Wins
The win over Alcorn State was the 600th of Ronnie Arrow’s career as a head coach, counting both junior college and Division I. Arrow was not at the game. He served a suspension after being ejected from South Alabama’s game at Tulsa on Saturday.
Second-Half Surge Against Alcorn State
Alcorn State controlled most of the first half, making 4 of 9 3-pointers, and took a 41-39 lead into halftime. The Braves had not led in a game at any point this season before Wednesday.
South Alabama took over after the break. The Jaguars scored the first seven points of the second half and did not allow an Alcorn State field goal in the first 3:19. They shot better than 58 percent in the second half and used an 18-2 run midway through the period to turn a three-point lead into a 74-55 advantage.
Jaguars Win the Boards in Final
In the title game, South Alabama outrebounded Georgia State 37-26. Georgia State entered as the second-best rebounding team in the Colonial Athletic Association.
The performance on the glass followed South Alabama’s worst rebounding game of the season at Tulsa, where the Golden Hurricane outrebounded the Jaguars 53-29.
Redus’ 3-pointer in the final minute gave South Alabama the lead for good, and the Jaguars held on for the four-point win.
Up Next: Arkansas
South Alabama travels to Arkansas on Sunday to face the Razorbacks, who are 4-3. Arkansas is coached by John Pelphrey, a former South Alabama head coach.
