Seniors Augustine Rubit and Antoine Allen combined for 42 points in their final game as Jaguars, leading South Alabama to a 78-73 win over UT Arlington to close the men’s basketball season.
The South Alabama women also finished with a win over UT Arlington, the softball team went 4-1 at a tournament in Boca Raton, Fla., and the baseball team swept Southern Illinois with two extra-inning walk-off wins.
Rubit, Allen Close Careers With Win Over UT Arlington
Rubit recorded his 54th career double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds, getting 14 points and 10 rebounds in the second half. Allen scored 24 points, 16 of them before halftime, and made five 3-pointers while grabbing a season-high seven rebounds.
Rubit finishes his South Alabama career first in school history in free throws made and attempted, rebounds and double-doubles; second in points; tied for second in games played; third in field goals attempted, rebounding average and blocks; and fifth in field goals made. He posted a double-double in both his first and last games as a Jaguar.
“Well first and foremost, congratulations to our two seniors, Antoine Allen and Augustine Rubit,” head coach Matthew Graves said. “Even though we didn’t play in the conference tournament, they hung tough and we finished the season with two wins. What a way to go out.”
“I think this is arguably Antoine’s best game that he has played all season,” Graves said. “I was really proud of his effort.”
Ken Williams and Mychal Ammons scored 13 points apiece, and Ammons blocked three shots. Barrington Stevens III had five assists and one turnover.
South Alabama held the Sun Belt Conference’s leading scorer, who entered averaging 20.5 points per game, to 11 points on 2-of-17 shooting, including 1-of-11 from 3-point range.
Dunn’s Career High Lifts Women in Overtime
Meghan Dunn scored a career-high 23 points, including four key free throws in overtime, as the South Alabama women beat UT Arlington 60-57 in their season finale.
The Lady Jaguars said goodbye to four seniors: Dunn, Jennifer Johnson, Olivia Mohler and Ronneka Robertson.
Softball Goes 4-1 in Boca Raton
The South Alabama softball team won four of five games at the Parents’ Weekend Invitational in Boca Raton.
The Jaguars opened with a 1-0 win over Marshall. Farish Beard retired 19 consecutive batters, and the game’s only run scored in the bottom of the sixth inning. Amanda Minahan led off with a single, Gwen Jones entered to pinch-run, and junior shortstop Kaitlyn Griffith drove her home with a two-out triple.
Virginia Tech won the nightcap 1-0. Hannah Campbell retired the first 18 batters she faced, but Kylie McGoldrick led off the bottom of the seventh with a double to left-center and scored the winning run on Katey Smith’s single to center. Campbell finished with five strikeouts and one walk.
South Alabama’s leadoff hitter reached base in five of the seven innings against Virginia Tech, but the Jaguars stranded seven runners. Stephanie Pilkington had the team’s only hits, going 2-for-3. In the second inning, Griffith and Minahan were hit by pitches on consecutive at-bats and Taylor Rodgers walked to load the bases, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the threat.
On Saturday, South Alabama beat Illinois 5-3 and then defeated host Florida Atlantic 7-1.
Illinois took a 2-0 lead on a first-inning run and a leadoff home run in the second. Chloe Rathburn answered with a leadoff solo homer in the bottom of the second. Trailing 3-1 in the third, the Jaguars tied the game on an RBI single by Minahan, who drove in three runs on the day, and a run scored by Pilkington on a fielder’s choice. Campbell retired consecutive batters to escape a fifth-inning threat, and in the bottom of the sixth Alex Breeden hit her fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot after Griffith was hit by a pitch, for the 5-3 lead.
The Jaguars closed the tournament Sunday with a 5-2, eight-inning win over Illinois.
Baseball Sweeps Southern Illinois
The South Alabama baseball team swept a three-game series from Southern Illinois, winning twice in extra innings to move above .500 at 8-7. Southern Illinois fell to 8-6.
Second baseman Matt Bolger drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning Friday night for a 4-3 victory.
On Saturday, Locke St. John struck out a career-high five batters and allowed one run on five hits as the Jaguars won 4-1 to clinch the series. He held Southern Illinois scoreless until a solo home run in the top of the ninth. James Traylor earned his first save of the season.
Sunday’s finale also went to extra innings. Davis Knapp was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the 10th and reached third on a one-out single to left-center by Bud Collura. Hayden Jones followed with a sacrifice fly to left on an 0-1 pitch, and Knapp tagged up to score the winning run in a 5-4 victory.
