ATLANTA — South Alabama dropped its second straight game at the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic as Monmouth’s Jesse Steele made three free throws with 1.3 seconds left to give the Hawks a 73-71 victory over the Jaguars.
Steele’s free throws came moments after South Alabama’s Augustine Rubit had gone to the line and put the Jaguars in front 71-70 with 5.8 seconds remaining. South Alabama had rallied from a six-point deficit over the final 3:16 before Steele was fouled on the game’s last meaningful possession.
Rubit Posts First Double-Double
Rubit finished with 20 points and 16 rebounds for his first double-double of the season, and he matched his career high with five blocked shots. Xavier Roberson scored 18 points, 13 of them after halftime, including three three-pointers in the final five minutes. Mychal Ammons added 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
- Augustine Rubit: 20 points, 16 rebounds, 5 blocks (ties career high)
- Xavier Roberson: 18 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist
- Mychal Ammons: 15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists
Runs Trade Hands in the Second Half
The second half featured double-digit runs by both teams. Trailing 45-41 early in the period, South Alabama scored 11 straight points in just over two minutes to take the lead.
The Jaguars then went more than seven minutes without a field goal, missing nine consecutive shots and committing three turnovers during the stretch. Monmouth took advantage with a 12-0 run of its own to move back in front 57-52, and the Hawks stretched the lead to seven points with 5:21 to play.
Roberson answered with the first of his three late three-pointers to pull South Alabama within four.
“I thought tonight he did what we needed him to do, which is make shots for us,” South Alabama head coach Ronnie Arrow said of Roberson.
A Late Rally
A Monmouth layup with 1:18 left made it 70-66. Rubit responded on the next trip down the floor with a three-point play and then secured a key defensive rebound when the Hawks missed on their following possession.
“We did a good job there,” Arrow said of the comeback. “I thought Freddie (Goldstein) ran the plays that we called, we executed and Xavier hit a couple of big shots.”
South Alabama had several chances to score in the closing seconds but could not convert until Rubit was fouled while going for a rebound. He made both free throws for the 71-70 lead.
The Final Foul
On Monmouth’s last possession, Steele was fouled and made all three free throws to decide the game.
“I thought our guys really played hard, came back and had the game won,” Arrow said. “The last thing I said to our guys was ‘don’t foul.’ The ball was there, Antoine (Allen) went for it and they called the foul. We have to do better in late-game situations. It’s just a shame that it ended like that. Hopefully we learn from it and the next time we get in that situation, we won’t foul.”
Turnovers a Factor
South Alabama committed 25 turnovers, and the two teams combined for 41.
“They put a lot of pressure on us,” Arrow said.
Up Next: Georgia State
South Alabama closes play in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic on Wednesday against tournament host Georgia State. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. Central time, and the game will be carried live on the WNSP website.
