Postgame radio interview with Mark Byington

MOBILE, Ala. – Josh Ajayi tallied 24 points and eight rebounds, and South Alabama finished the game with a 13-4 run in a 74-68 Sun Belt men's basketball win over Georgia Southern Saturday afternoon in the Mitchell Center.

Eagles of the Game
Isaiah Crawley posted his second-straight double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Calvin Wishart tallied 17 points, five rebounds and three assists. Ike Smith finished with 12 points, six rebounds and three assists, and Quan Jackson had 10 points and three steals.

Key moments
Georgia Southern led 64-61 after a 3-pointer by Wishart from the wing, but the Eagles missed their next eight filed goal attempts. Ajayi ignited the late run with a layup and added another layup to put the Jags ahead 70-64 with 38 seconds left. Smith made two free throws for GS to cut the margin to four, but the Eagles were forced to foul Herb McGee. The senior made two, and Wishart missed a triple at the other end.

After an Andre Fox transition 3-pointer from the top of the key gave South Alabama (12-7, 5-4) a 27-26 lead, the Eagles used a 13-2 run to open a 10-point advantage late in the first half. David Viti, Wishart and Elijah McCadden each hit 3-pointers during the stretch, while the Eagles (12-8, 6-3) held South Alabama to 1 for 5 shooting and forced two turnovers.

Key stats
South Alabama outscored the Eagles 25-9 from the free-throw line, making 20 in a row at one point. GS held a 13-3 edge in 3-pointers. The Jags outscored the Eagles 34-16 in the paint.

Next up
GS returns to Hanner Fieldhouse for a three-game homestand, starting Saturday, Jan. 25, against Georgia State. It's a White Out, sponsored by Morris Bank, and a doubleheader with the Eagle women's team. The women's game tips at 2 p.m., and the men will start at approximately 5 p.m.