February 22nd Vanguard Poll Question
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Jags Get Spanked In Bowling Green, KY By WKU 99-69
The Jags played Western Kentucky on Thursday night and came away with a spanking after losing 99-69. This drops the Jags to 15-13 for the season and 7-9 in Sun Belt play. While the Hilltoppers improve to 16-12 and 9-6 in the Sun Belt.
This loss was the the worst for the Jags this season and an all-time worst against the Hilltoppers. Also allowing a season high of 99 points in a game.
Jags at the Hilltoppers traded scores in the beginnings, however the ‘toppers would go on a 29-8 run over the next eight and a half minutes. Then WKU added another 7-0 run later in the first half and went into the locker room with a 53-30 halftime lead.
A.J. Slaughter was the focal point of the first half, scoring 21 points for the Hilltoppers on a 6-of-7 showing from the floor, making all four of his 3-point attempts. Including 5-for-5 from the free throw line. But in the first half, the entire WKU team shot 64% from the field, just over 61% from outside the arc and were perfect from the free-throw line.
In the second half the Jags could not get any closer than 17 points.
Coach Arrow had this to say about the Jags performance, or lack thereof. “We just no-showed,” he said. “That’s the second time this year that’s happened. I was just really disappointed with our effort. We didn’t stop anybody the whole time. We were scoring the first five minutes but we weren’t stopping anybody. Then we just stopped scoring and started going one-on-one. When we do that, bad things are going to happen. We’re limited in depth and we’ve got to learn to take time off the clock and work the clock far better than what we did tonight, especially against a good team like that.”
South Alabama’s Tim Williams had a team high 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting while Gary Redus, Martino Brock and Javier Carter all added 11 points each in the Jag effort.
The Jags will end their road swing of the season as they swing through Tennessee for their game against MTSU on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7pm and the game will be televised on ESPN Plus and ESPN360.com.
Latest News About South Alabama Sports February 16, 2010
Football
Earlier this month, the Jags signed 22 players for their 2010 class. Their process to get to Football Bowl Subdivision play will continue this week as they return to the practice field for Spring workouts.
On Thursday, they will begin working out for 15 practices which includes four full-contact practices and three scrimmages. Their practice period will end on March 10th when they will conclude their spring drill session with a 6pm scrimmage at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Admission and parking will be free. The other 14 workouts will be held at the Jaguars on-campus practice facility near the Football Fieldhouse. All events are open to the public and free.
Head Coach Joey Jones says things will be different from last year. “I expect the first day to be a really good day, as opposed to waiting three to five days to get things going last spring. Last year, we were starting from scratch. Nobody knew terminology or each other, but now we’ve started to build a team. We’ve gone through a summer program, a year and an offseason, so our kids know each other and what to expect from us as coaches. We should be able to pick up from where we were at the end of the season and progress from there.”
The opening week of spring drills will have the Jags out on the practice field for workouts on Thursday at 7:30am and Friday at 7am in only helmets. Then drills on Saturday at 9am with pads but no tackling. Four other full pads practices without full contact are scheduled for February 22, February 24, March 1, and March 8 all will begin around 7am. Their first full-contact practice is scheduled for Tuesday, February 23 at 7:30am with more scheduled for February 25, March 2 and March 4.
The Jags first scrimmage is scheduled for Saturday, February 27 at 9am. Other scrimmages are scheduled on Saturday March 6 at 11am and their final scrimmage on March 10 at 6pm. On Tuesday, March 9 at 9am, the Jags will work out only in pads in preparation for the scrimmage the next day.
Men’s Basketball
Bryan Sherrer went down with a knee injury early in the February 11th game against Florida International. It was announced yesterday by Coach Ronnie Arrow that he tore his lateral meniscus and will miss 2-4 weeks.
Bryan has started the first 26 games of the season and averages just over 10 points per game, which is third best on the team. He also ranks eighth in the nation in free-throw percentage at 90.8%.
This will be a big loss for the Jags as the Sun Belt Conference tournament begins in just about two and a half weeks in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The tournament is the only hope the Jags have to make the NCAA Tournament this season after losing two key players for the rest of the season back in January.
Martino Brock, a freshman, was named the Sun Belt Conference’s Men’s Basketball Player of the Week on Monday. This was his first honor of his collegiant career.
His contributions over the last week lead the Jags to two wins by averaging 18.5 points and 12.5 rebounds. He also recorded two double-doubles. He ranks second on the team in two categories, with a season average of 12.3 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game.
Women’s Basketball
After starting off strong (9-0) in the Sun Belt, the Lady Jags have cooled off with two 3 game losing streaks recently. They are now sitting at 4th place (of six) with a 9-6 record in the Sun Belt eastern division and in 6th place overall in the SBC.
Arkansas-Little Rock and Middle Tennessee State are leading their divisions, both with 13-1 records in the Sun Belt. UALR has the overall edge for the season with a record of 20-5 to MTSU’s 18-5.
However, it just came to our attention that Tashley Gaines has been dismissed from the team. She was the Jags leading rebounder and their third leading scorer. It is unknown why she was dismissed from the team at this time as no official announcement has surfaced.
Two Jags Score Double-Double’s As Jags Down Louisiana-Lafayette
Junior Tim Williams and Freshman Martino Brock both scored double-doubles as the Jags battle from behind to beat the Ragin’ Cajuns 67-65 last night in the Mitchell Center. The win puts the Jags at 15-12 for the season and 7-8 in the Sun Belt while the Cajuns fall to 11-14 overall and 8-6 in the Sun Belt.
The Jags came out and got a very early lead, but the Cajuns would overtake them and keep the lead well into the second half. At halftime, the Jags were down 35-25 after shrinking the Cajun lead but allowed them to pull back away in the final minutes of the half.
The second half saw many momentum swings. Back-to-back three-pointers from Brock and Williams to quickly cut the Cajun lead to four, 35-31 before a long delay by the officials while they reviewed an altercation between the Cajuns and Tabet that forced Tabet to leave the game for medical attention for a cut.
After the stoppage, the red hot Jags cooled off and the ULL scored the next five points. Then the Jags answered with a 9-2 run. But once again the momentum would shift and the Cajuns’ Tyren Johnson would score seven consecutive points all by himself.
Brock and Williams would take the momentum back for South Alabama by scoring seven points between them before Johnson converted a three-point play. But Tim Williams nailed a clutch trey with 7:22 left in the game to cut the Cajun lead to two points, 52-50.
Finally Allyn Cooks would give the Jags the lead again with a lay-up, 55-54. He would then cap off the 8-0 run with a three-pointer, pushing the Jags out to a 58-54 lead. But then Johnson would score the next four points to tie the game at 58.
Four Jaguar free-throws would break the tie in favor of South Alabama, 62-58. But once again, Johnson would be a thorn in the Jaguars side scoring five consecutive points of the Cajuns seven to regain the lead 65-62.
With some of the crowd thinking that the Jags were going to let this one slip away, Tim Williams would sink two free-throws to put the Jags down by one with seconds to go. After a turnover, Brock would come away with the rebound after a missed three by Williams and lay it in for a 66-65 lead with 23 seconds remaining.
Randell Daigle of the Cajuns would miss a jumper with 13 seconds remaining and Brock would come away with the rebound and would be fouled. Brock hit one of his two shots for the Jags winning score, 67-65. Daigle would miss a desperation three with two seconds remaining to end the game.
Coach Arrow after the game. “To win close games, you’ve got to have guys that will make plays. Tim made some big jump shots and made his free throws, and Martino had a big rebound and a put-back. We took care of the ball for the most part and we got stops.”
The Jags tied their season high in 3-pointers with nine and went 7-for-11 from 3-point range after halftime.
The Jags will take their final road swing next week as they travel to Western Kentucky on Thursday for a 7pm matchup. Then on Saturday they travel to Middle Tennessee for another 7pm matchup.
Jags Fall At Troy 73-66
The Jags fall for the fourth straight game, this time at Troy in overtime 73-66. This drops the Jags to 12-11 on the season and 4-7 in the Sun Belt Conference.
Again it was a tale of two halves. The first half saw the Jags play very well and take a 30-21 lead in the locker room. But the second half saw them struggle once again.
The Jags halftime lead was thanks in part to a 1 of 9 start by Troy from the field and a scoreless stretch of 5:30 late in the first half. Both teams combined for a mere 13 points in the final 9:13 of the first half as well.
The second half saw Troy make up their nine point halftime deficit with a 13-4 run about midway through the second half. From that point on during regulation, neither team would lead by more than three points.
An old fashioned three point play from Troy with 1:51 left in the second half would mark the end of the scoring during regulation play. Tim Williams missed a game winning three point shot with 22 seconds left as well as Troy’s Michael Vogler had his game winning lay-up blocked by South Alabama’s Javier Carter in the final seconds.
In overtime, the Jags scored the first points however Troy would answer with six consecutive points to gain a four point lead 63-59. Martino Brock would sink two free throws but then Troy would answer with two field goals for a six point lead for the Trojans.
The Jags would cut the lead to three on two occasions but their lead was too much as the Trojans went 6-for-6 from the free throw stripe to close out the game.
Tim Williams scored a career high 28 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to tie his career best and get his second double-double of the season. Gary Redus was the only other Jag to score in double digits with 10.
South Alabama won the rebounding game this time coming away with 43 while the Trojans came down with 35. But the Jags had 17 turnovers to the Trojans 12.
A frustrated Coach Arrow had this to say after the game. “We just didn’t get it done at the end,” he said. “We made some good decisions and did some good things but at the end we made some bad decisions. We hurried some shots and didn’t do the things we had to do.”
The Jags next game is Thursday when they travel to New Orleans for a 7pm tip off against the Privateers.
Jags Fall For 3rd Straight Game 70-59 To Florida Atlantic
The Jags dropped their third straight game on Thursday night to fall to 12-10 on the season and 4-6 in the Sun Belt. The Jags have gone from near the top of the Sun Belt’s Eastern Division to next to last (ahead of Florida International).
Since losing Hersey and Sims for the season due to grades and Redus to an injury, the Jags have struggled. Redus is back, but probably won’t be 100% for a couple of games though.
The Jags were dominant in the first half by jumping out to a 16-6 lead while FAU missed their first seven attempts from 3-point range. But then a 20-5 run by the Owls would put them in control of the game.
The Jags had kept up with the Owls during the game but when they were tied 53-53 with 5:09 left in the game after two free throws from Philip Tabet. But then the Owls went on a 13-0 run over 3:38 to seal the game. South Alabama went without a field goal for 9:10 late in the second half, missing 10 straight shots. The Jags defense held the Owls to only 39.7% for the game but could only manage to shoot 32.8% themselves. Plus, once again they were out rebounded 47-38.
Tim Williams was the only Jag to score in double figures managing 14 points and Philip Tabet set a new career high by pulling in 10 rebounds in the game.
Coach Arrow had this to say after the game. “They had big shots and they executed. He [Mike Jarvis] has done a phenomenal job with a young bunch, of getting them to buy into patience on offense. They get after you on defense. We’re not doing enough late. Every game we have lost is at the end and we just don’t execute. We were shooting 46 and 52 percent from the field, now the last two games we’re shooting in the thirties. It’s just poor shot selection.”
The Jags will try to break their losing streak when they play at 11-10 (6-4) Troy on Saturday with tip-off scheduled for 7pm.
Jags Fall To Denver 71-48
Jags lost for the fifth time in the last six games on Saturday, falling at Denver 71-48. What did in the Jags was 14 three pointers and only four turnovers by the Pioneers. This puts the Jaguars at 12-9 for the season and 4-5 in the Sun Belt.
The Jags entered the game ranked second in the Sun Belt and 32nd nationally in 3-point defense. While the Pioneers was ranked second in the league in both 3-point percentage and 3-pointers per game.
In a low scoring half, the Pioneers went into the locker room with a 29-20 lead.
For the game, the Jags show 37.5% with season lows in both field goals (15), field goal attempts (40) and assists (5).
Coach Arrow was very displeased with the Jags performance. “We didn’t show up tonight,” he said. “We don’t have the manpower to do the things we were doing early in the year, but they have a really good bunch and they’ll pick you apart. If you don’t come ready to play, they’ll pick you apart and shoot the heck out of it from the 3’s. The number one thing we put on the board (in the locker room) was ‘Guard the 3-point line.’ Fourteen out of 28 is not what I’d call guarding the 3-point line.”
He further commented, “Our continuity is just really bad right now. We have kids playing out of position because of injury. Our continuity isn’t anywhere close to what it was. We just have to get back home and start doing the things we were doing earlier in the year.”
The Jags will return home to face Florida Atlantic on Thursday night with a 7:05pm in the Mitchell Center.
Also it has been confirmed that Raymond Sims has been deemed ineligible for the rest of this season by the NCAA.
Jags Fall To UNT, Lose Watson For Season
The Jags fell again to North Texas on Thursday night 86-78 and fall to 12-8 overall and 4-4 in the Sun Belt. The Jags were out rebounded 48-31 in the game.
Why are the Jags having such problems now when they were doing so well early on? Simple, they have been without three players. Raymond Sims and LaShun Watson have been gone. Sims was suspended for ten games for breaking team rules and might possibly miss the rest of the season due to academic ineligibility. LaShun Watson will definitely miss the rest of the season due to being named academically ineligible by the NCAA. Also the Jags have been without Gary Redus due to an injury. So they have gone from 12 scholarship players to nine.
Compound the loss of those three players and the lack of inside production by the Tabet brothers and you have a recipe for problems. The other teams know they are short handed and have a lack on the inside so they have been playing them hard. Really hard. That is why the Jags have been keeping it close early in the game but fading late.
Redus should be able to return soon, which will help alot. But if Sims can get his act in gear and is also academically eligible (some rumors going around that he might not be) the Jags will be in much better shape.
What can be done in the mean time? The Tabet brothers have got to work harder to get rebounds and be an inside force. Phillips needs to be able to come in and make some shots.
We, the fans, need to come out to the Mitchell Center and help these guys out. They are getting knocked around and run up and down the court but are staying in the game down to the end. They need the Jaguar Nation to come out and be that 6th man. They need us to help push them those last minutes in the game, to give them that edge to beat their opponents.
Go Jags!! Bleed it Red!!
Jags End Three Game Skid And Southpaw Wins A National Championship
Sorry I have been MIA until now but as you may have noticed, the Jags rebouding and inside game was also MIA for a while. The Jags lost three games in a row before coming up with a big win against Troy on Saturday night.
The Jags lost in overtime against Western Kentucky 67-64 before the BCS Championship game. Then they lost to Arkansas State two nights later 69-63 where ASU outplayed the Jags in the second half to battle back from a 9 point deficit. Both games were played at the Mitchell Center. These were two consecutive losses but three consecutive losses at home in the Mitchell Center.
Then on Thursday, January 14th the Jags traveled to Louisiana-Monroe and lost 61-58 in a close game despite commiting 23 turnovers. This was the Jags 3rd consecutive loss.
The Jags then returned home to the Mitchell Center to face the Troy Trojans. Troy connected on a game tying three pointer with 4.3 seconds left but Allyn Cooks would go the length of the floor to make a lay-up at the buzzer to win the game for the Jags 69-67.
After this span of four games, the Jags are now 12-7 overall and 4-3 in the Sun Belt. The current standings has Eastern Division as Western Kentucky 4-1, South Alabama 4-3, Troy 4-3, Florida Atlantic 4-3, Middle Tennessee 3-3, and Florida International 3-5. The Western Division standings are: Arkansas State 5-1, Denver 5-3, North Texas 4-4, Louisiana-Lafayette 3-3, New Orleans 2-5, Louisiana-Monroe 3-5, and Arkansas-Little Rock 1-6.
The Jags will play their next two games on the road. On Thursday, January 21 they play North Texas at 7pm then on Saturday January 23 they play Denver with a 5pm CST start.
Also South Paw, South Alabama’s mascot, won the National Championship in Orlando Florida. This was his first national championship. This was Southpaw’s first national championship competition and was able to defeat YouDee from Delaware for the title.
Jags Dig Deep In Second Half To Beat FAU On The Road
The Jags came back from a 15 point deficit at one point in the second half to get a huge win over Florida Atlantic in overtime, 96-93. Three Jags scored at least 20 points in the game as well
Early in the second half the Owls took their largest lead of the game at 15. They had a double digit lead as late at the eight minute mark. But South Alabama would not give up. With about 50 seconds left, they were down by five 81-76. Bryan Sherrer would hit both of his free throw attempts with 43 seconds left to cut the lead to 81-78.
Redus would foul on the inbounds where the Owls would convert both of their attempts to extend their lead back to 5 points, 83-78, with 34 seconds left. Tim Williams would hit a layup to once again cut the lead to three with 32 seconds to go, 83-80. Lashun Watson would foul on the inbounds with 27 seconds remaining. Again the Owls would make both of their attempts, once again extending their lead to five, 85-80.
Then some Jaguar magic would happen. After an Owl timeout with 27 seconds remaining, Tim Williams would nail a three pointer with 24 seconds left to get within two points, 85-83. Gary Redus would foul to stop the clock with 19 seconds left. But Raymond Taylor would only make the first of his two shots to leave the Owls clinging to a three point lead, 86-83.
The missed free throw would be rebounded by LaShun Watson and on the other end Tim Williams would hit his second consecutive three to tie the game at 86 with 17 seconds remaining.
The Jags would force a turnover with 3 seconds remaining, but Allyn Cooks three point attempt missed and sent the game to overtime.
In overtime, the Jags would score first for their first lead of the entire game. Jags would go up by five with 27 seconds remaining but the Owls could only manage to score once more for the final score of 96-93.
This win marked Coach Ronnie Arrow’s 171st win at the helm at South Alabama in his 11 seasons. This ties Cliff Ellis for the most in school history. It also improves the Jags to 11-4 on the season and 3-0 in the Sun Belt. While FAU falls to 5-9 overall and 1-2 in the conference.
Tim Williams would lead all scorers with 23 points on 9 for 16 shooting and 2 for 4 from three point range, making the two when they counted the most. Bryan Sherrer added 21 while Allyn Cooks added 20. Gary Redus scored 11 and LaShun Watson scored 10 to round out the double digit scorers.
Coach Arrow spoke after the game on the Jags victory. “We didn’t show up ready to play, number one, for whatever reason,” he said. “Give FAU credit, they have a bunch of young guys that were hungry to play and came out and hit shots. I thought it showed a lot on our part to come back and win like that.”
Coach Arrow spoke to Lee Shirvanian about the play late to tie the game and send it into overtime. “Our guys executed and got him open and (Williams) hit the shots,” he said. “We called ‘knockoff throwback’ and he nailed the shot. It takes two to tango; Allyn did a great job of penetrating and pitching back to Tim. That’s what it’s all about – Allyn doing his job and Tim doing his job.”
The Jags will return to the Mitchell Center to host Western Kentucky on Thursday with a 5:05pm tip-off. The game will be aired on Fox College Sports.
Go Jags!