TROY, Ala. — Georgi Boyanov recorded his third double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and five South Alabama players scored in double figures as the Jaguars beat Troy 71-67 on the road.
The win ended a three-game losing streak for South Alabama, which improved to 8-17 overall and 6-8 in Sun Belt Conference play. Troy fell to 9-14 and 4-10 in the league.
The victory also kept the Trojans from collecting a steak dinner that Troy’s athletic director had promised the team for a win over South Alabama.
Balanced Scoring
Sophomore Taishaun Johnson shared game-high scoring honors with 17 points. Dionte Ferguson added 14 points and seven rebounds, and sophomore Ken Williams scored 13 points with a career-high six assists.
Boyanov did most of his damage after halftime, totaling 12 points and six rebounds in the second half. He also came up with a steal with 13 seconds remaining to help seal the win.
Second-Half Runs
Neither team built a large lead. Troy went ahead by three points near the midway point of the second half with an 8-0 run, but South Alabama answered with a 10-1 surge.
Johnson started the run with a layup and then hit back-to-back 3-pointers, the second giving the Jaguars a 56-50 lead with 8:01 to play.
Troy scored the next four points to pull within two. South Alabama responded by scoring eight of the next 10 points while holding the Trojans to one field goal over a six-minute span. Troy got no closer than four points over the final five and a half minutes.
Defensive Adjustment
Troy made 60 percent of its 3-point attempts in the first half. South Alabama held the Trojans to 33.3 percent from beyond the arc after halftime.
All five Troy starters reached double figures. Kelton Ford matched Johnson for the game high with 17 points, and Wesley Person added 14.
Graves Credits Preparation
“There’s no question we needed this win to get back on track and get refocused,” South Alabama head coach Matthew Graves said. “Anytime you can win a game on the road in league play, it’s a great thing.”
Graves said the game featured runs by both teams. “We were very fortunate that we made a lot of the right plays at the end of the game and came out with the victory,” he said.
He credited assistant coach Darnell Archey for the scouting report and defensive plan. “He did an outstanding job with the scouting report and the defensive scheme, calling out their actions,” Graves said. “Our players did an excellent job of following through with that.”
The Jaguars had three days to prepare for Troy. “When we have three days to prepare for somebody and our guys stay locked in and focused, that’s a recipe for success,” Graves said.
Up Next
South Alabama returns home to host Texas-Arlington on Saturday at the Mitchell Center, with tipoff set for 4:05 p.m.
