MOBILE, Ala. — Allyn Cooks went the length of the floor for a layup at the buzzer Saturday night, giving South Alabama basketball a 69-67 win over Troy at the Mitchell Center and ending a three-game losing streak.
Troy had tied the game with a 3-pointer with 4.3 seconds remaining before Cooks’ drive decided it. The win moved the Jaguars to 12-7 overall and 4-3 in the Sun Belt Conference.
A Three-Game Slide
The victory followed three straight losses, two of them at home.
- Western Kentucky beat South Alabama 67-64 in overtime at the Mitchell Center on Jan. 7.
- Two nights later, Arkansas State rallied from a nine-point deficit in the second half to win 69-63 at the Mitchell Center.
- On Thursday, Jan. 14, the Jaguars lost 61-58 at Louisiana-Monroe in a game in which they committed 23 turnovers.
The losses to Western Kentucky and Arkansas State were part of a string of three consecutive home defeats before the Troy win.
Sun Belt Standings
South Alabama is tied for second in the Sun Belt’s East Division. The standings in conference play:
East Division
- Western Kentucky 4-1
- South Alabama 4-3
- Troy 4-3
- Florida Atlantic 4-3
- Middle Tennessee 3-3
- Florida International 3-5
West Division
- Arkansas State 5-1
- Denver 5-3
- North Texas 4-4
- Louisiana-Lafayette 3-3
- New Orleans 2-5
- Louisiana-Monroe 3-5
- Arkansas-Little Rock 1-6
Road Trip Ahead
South Alabama plays its next two games on the road. The Jaguars visit North Texas on Thursday, Jan. 21, at 7 p.m. and play at Denver on Saturday, Jan. 23, at 5 p.m. Central.
SouthPaw Wins National Title
South Alabama’s mascot, SouthPaw, won a national mascot championship in Orlando, Fla. It was SouthPaw’s first appearance in the national championship competition, and he defeated Delaware’s YouDee for the title.
