South Alabama’s men’s basketball team lost its final road game of the regular season, falling to Marshall 84–80 on Monday night at the Cam Henderson Center in Huntington, West Virginia. The Jaguars now hold a 19–8 overall record and are 9–5 in Sun Belt Conference play.
Marshall built an early lead by making 12 three-pointers in the first half, leading 48–35 at halftime. The Herd extended their advantage to 16 points early in the second half after another three-pointer with just over 16 minutes left.
South Alabama narrowed the gap with strong play inside. A fast-break layup by JJ Wheat helped reduce the deficit to 60–49 with just over 14 minutes remaining. Adam Olsen made a three-pointer at the eight-minute mark, which started a run that brought South Alabama within four points.
Stephen Williams scored on a fast break at 6:52 to make it a four-point game. Chaze Harris contributed by scoring on three consecutive possessions near the basket, bringing the score to 77–76 with just over two minutes left.
After Marshall responded with another three-pointer, Harris scored again in the lane to make it 80–78 with under a minute and a half remaining. Despite several late opportunities—including second-chance shots in the final seconds—South Alabama was unable to tie or take the lead.
The Jaguars shot 53.2 percent from the field and dominated inside, scoring 52 points in the paint. They outscored Marshall by nine points in the second half and held their opponent to under 40 percent shooting after halftime. However, Marshall made a total of 18 three-pointers during the game, which proved decisive.
Chaze Harris led South Alabama with 28 points and eight assists, shooting efficiently from both the field and free-throw line. Adam Olsen added 21 points—including five three-pointers—and Stephen Williams finished with a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds.
South Alabama also won the fast-break battle and collected more rebounds than Marshall but could not overcome their opponent’s outside shooting or second-chance points.
With four games left in their regular season schedule, South Alabama will return home for a four-game homestand starting Thursday against Texas State at Mitchell Center.
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