South Alabama men’s basketball secured a 69-67 win over Georgia State on Saturday night at the Mitchell Center in Mobile, Alabama. The Jaguars improved their season record to 16-6 overall and 7-3 in Sun Belt Conference play after holding off the Panthers with a defensive stop in the final seconds.
The Jaguars shot 51.9 percent from the field and scored 50 points in the paint, maintaining control inside for much of the game. They built a double-digit lead in the second half before Georgia State narrowed the gap late. The Panthers hit a three-pointer to cut South Alabama’s lead to one point with less than a minute left, but South Alabama closed out the game at the free-throw line and forced a contested shot at the buzzer.
Key moments included South Alabama scoring on its first two possessions, responding to an early run of three-pointers by Georgia State with inside scoring and second-chance points. A steal and fast-break finish by Chaze Harris sparked momentum for South Alabama late in the first half, and Adam Olsen’s three-pointer helped keep them ahead into halftime. Early in the second half, South Alabama went on a 9–2 run to extend their lead.
Georgia State made a late push, cutting what was once a 12-point deficit down to one point in the final seconds. Randy Brady made a key steal and hit an important free throw to help secure the win for South Alabama, who then forced Georgia State into taking a tough three-pointer as time expired.
Statistically, South Alabama shot 51.9 percent (28-of-54) from the field and outscored Georgia State 50–12 in points in the paint. Chaze Harris led all scorers for South Alabama with 15 points, six assists, and four steals. Adam Olsen recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds while Jayden Cooper added 11 points. The Jaguars held Georgia State to just 35 percent shooting overall despite allowing them to make 15 shots from beyond the arc. South Alabama finished with only five turnovers.
Head Coach Richie Riley said: “We found a way. That’s conference play this time of year. One team goes up, one team goes down. We’re moving up in the standings, and we won even though it wasn’t our best stuff. I’m proud of our guys. We didn’t play the best, but we found a way. On that last shot, AO gave the perfect contest that we teach. He jumped straight up at his peak with two hands, didn’t lean or foul, and got up high enough to make it come off short. Without that contest, it probably goes in, but he max-contested it perfectly, and we were able to get out of there.”
Next up for South Alabama is an away game against App State on Wednesday, Feb. 4 at Boone.
For more coverage of South Alabama Men’s Basketball, fans can follow @SouthAlabamaMBB on X (formerly Twitter), /SouthAlabamaJaguars on Facebook or @southalabamambb on Instagram or visit usajaguars.com.
