South Alabama men’s basketball overcame a nine-point halftime deficit to defeat Coastal Carolina 53-48 on Thursday night at the Mitchell Center in Mobile, Alabama. The Jaguars improved their overall record to 15-6 and moved to 6-3 in Sun Belt Conference play.
In the first half, South Alabama managed only 15 points. However, the team responded after halftime by scoring 38 points and shooting 56 percent from the field in the second half. Their defense limited Coastal Carolina to just 28.8 percent shooting for the game and 27.6 percent after halftime.
Adam Olsen led South Alabama with 16 points and eight rebounds, including 14 points scored in the second half. Jayden Cooper contributed 13 points with three successful three-pointers. Chaze Harris added an all-around performance with 15 points, four rebounds, four assists, and four steals.
The Jaguars forced 11 turnovers and held Coastal Carolina to just over 30 percent shooting from beyond the arc (10-of-33).
Key moments included South Alabama starting the second half with a 9–2 run that cut their deficit to two points. Chaze Harris tied the game at 24–24 early in the half, while Adam Olsen gave South Alabama its first lead since early in the contest with a three-pointer at the 15:09 mark. The Jaguars later built a lead of up to twelve points but saw Coastal Carolina tie it again late before Olsen hit a jumper and sealed victory with free throws.
Head coach Richie Riley commented on his team’s effort: “Obviously, that first half was the roughest I’ve been a part of offensively. I felt like we got great looks and had a good plan—we just missed shots that guys don’t normally miss. At halftime, we had to change some things mentally, take a deep breath, and trust that things would turn. We did in the second half with 38 points, but what we hang our hat on is our defense, and that’s what kept us in the game. It could’ve gotten away from us if our defense wasn’t so lights out. It was ugly, but we win ugly sometimes. I’m proud of the defense and the grit we showed in the second half.”
South Alabama will next host Georgia State on Saturday at 7 p.m. CT inside the Mitchell Center.
For more information about South Alabama Men’s Basketball or updates on upcoming games and coverage, visit usajaguars.com or follow @SouthAlabamaMBB on X (formerly Twitter), /SouthAlabamaJaguars on Facebook, or @southalabamambb on Instagram.
