Postgame radio interview with
Brian Burg
MOBILE, Ala. – Javon Franklin tallied 19 points and 12 rebounds, and South Alabama held off a second-half Georgia Southern rally to earn a 73-67 Sun Belt men's basketball win over the Eagles Saturday afternoon in the Mitchell Center.
Eagles of the Game
Elijah McCadden led the Eagles with a season-high 19 points to go along with a career-high 11 rebounds, and
Gedi Juozapaitis finished with 10 points, four assists and three rebounds.
Andrei Savrasov totaled nine points and seven rebounds, and
Kaden Archie chipped in eight points, two assists, two boards and two steals.
Key Moments
The Eagles (8-7, 1-3) erased a 13-point halftime deficit and led 59-56 following a McCadden runner with 5:22 to go. South Alabama banged in consecutive triples in a 10-0 spurt and opened a 66-59 advantage on a Franklin dunk with 2:56 remaining as GS missed seven straight shots during the run. The margin never dipped below five points for the remainder of the contest.
The Eagles trailed by 10 midway through the second half but came roaring back with an 18-5 run, and an Archie 3-pointer from wing gave GS a 57-54 lead with 5:59 to play. GS held the Jags to 1 for 5 from the field and forced two turnovers during the stretch while converting 4 of 7 at the other end.
Georgia Southern cut a nine-point deficit to five on a spinning layup by McCadden with 3:23 to play in the first half, but South Alabama outscored Georgia Southern 10-2 for the rest of the stanza. The Eagles were 1 for 5 with two turnovers, and Franklin's free throw with nine seconds remaining put the Jags (12-5, 2-2) ahead 33-20 at the break.
Stats and Notes
- The Jags held the Eagles to 35 percent shooting in the game and 31 percent in the first half.
- South Alabama had 15 offensive rebounds but scored just 10 second-chance points.
- The Eagles matched their season low with nine turnovers.
- Georgia Southern was without one starter because of COVID-19 protocols.
Up Next
The Eagles are scheduled to play host to Coastal Carolina Thursday and Appalachian State Saturday. Thursday's game is 80s night, and Saturday's game is a Blue Out. The games will air on the GS Radio Network and ESPN+.
