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South Alabama basketball fall to NAIA opponent Mobile, 83-74

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South Alabama basketball fall to NAIA opponent Mobile, 83-74


Monday’s game vs. South Alabama was technically an exhibition for the University of Mobile, but someone forgot to tell the Rams that.

The Rams, an NAIA team, led by as many as 27 points on their way to an 83-74 victory over their cross-town Division I counterpart Jaguars at the Mitchell Center. The loss was the first-ever to Mobile for South Alabama, which was 9-0 all-time in the series before Monday and won 97-59 against the same program last year.

“They outplayed us for 40 minutes, and it wasn’t even close,” sixth-year South Alabama coach Richie Riley said. “… It was bad. It’s the worst one I’ve been a part of in my career, to be honest with you. And it’s my responsibility as the head coach. I’ve got to get us to play better. I give (Mobile) credit, they did a nice job. But that was hands-down the worst any of our teams have played since I’ve been here and that’s on us.”

Mobile (3-1) bested South Alabama (0-1) in every phase of the game, shooting 60% from the field, including 69% in the first half. The Jaguars, meanwhile, shot just 21% in the first half — 35.5% in the game — and were outrebounded 39-33 overall.

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Mobile — ranked No. 22 in the latest NAIA poll — scored the game’s first five points, and was up by double-digits less than five minutes into the game. South Alabama got back in it briefly with a 15-0 run in the second half, but never trailed by fewer than seven in the final 35 minutes of game time.

“We just couldn’t guard anybody,” South Alabama’s Judah Brown said. “They shot 60% from the field, 70% in the first half, which is just completely unacceptable. We have to look ourselves in the mirror and address — a lot.”

Brown led South Alabama with 21 points, 16 in the second half. Isiah Gaiter added 14 and Samuel Tabe 12 for the Jaguars, who made just 7 of 28 3-point attempts.

Pooh Frazier, a Mobile native and Vigor High School graduate, led the Rams with a game-high 23 points. Three other Mobile players scored in double-figures, with Ezra McKenna adding 17, Treylan Smith 15 and Damariee Jones posting a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

“It means a lot,” said Mobile coach Darnell Archey, a South Alabama assistant under coach Matthew Graves from 2013-18. “It means a lot for me, because I coached here for five years, but it really means a lot to these guys. You know, when you’re the NAIA program in town, a lot of people look down at you in a sense. We don’t get to play in this type of environment a lot, so I told them to make the most of the moment. And those guys truly did that tonight.”

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It was a stunning defeat for South Alabama, which reached the Sun Belt Conference tournament championship game last season. The Jaguars returned two starters and just one other key contributor from last year’s team, but was picked to finish sixth in the Sun Belt by league coaches.

But the Jaguars never got it together until it was too late on Monday, rarely getting off an uncontested shot and allowing the Rams to take the ball to the rim repeatedly in the early-going. Mobile scored 48 points in the paint, an extraordinary amount for a team playing up three levels in competition.

“It certainly should be a wake-up call, but we’ve got to get better,” Riley said. “… Not only is it a wake-up call, but it’s like an emergency call. Because it’s not like our schedule gets easier, and that’s not a knock on (Mobile). They’ve got a good team, but it’s not like our schedule gets easier. We’ve got to play way, way, way better.”

South Alabama returns to action on Saturday, playing at Buffalo at 1 p.m. as part of the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge. The Jaguars also travel to Tuscaloosa to face defending SEC champion Alabama next Tuesday.

Mobile hosts arch-rival Spring Hill at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

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Alabama

Oklahoma DC Zac Alley Alabama Postgame

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Oklahoma DC Zac Alley Alabama Postgame


CARSON FIELD

Carson Field has worked full-time in the sports media industry since 2020 in Colorado, Texas and Wyoming as well as nationally, and he has earned degrees from Arizona State University and Texas A&M University. When he isn’t covering the Sooners, he’s likely golfing, fishing or doing something else outdoors.
Twitter: https://x.com/carsondfield



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Alabama Football at Oklahoma Injury Updates

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Alabama Football at Oklahoma Injury Updates


NORMAN, Okla.–– The Alabama football team stayed relatively healthy in last week’s game against Mercer after suffering a few season-ending injuries in the weeks before with guys like Cole Adams and Que Robinson.

Adams, Robinson and defensive back on Keon Sabb are the only three Crimson Tide players who have showed up on the official SEC availability report this week as Alabama prepares to face Oklahoma on Saturday night. However, the Sooners have a long list of players on the report

Follow along for injury updates throughout Saturday’s game between the Crimson Tide and Sooners.

In-game injury updates

First Quarter

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  • 11:30- Overton is back on the field for Alabama’s second defensive series.
  • 14:30- Alabama defensive tackle LT Overton goes down on the first drive of the game. He is brielfy looked at by medical staff, but is able to walk off the field on his own. However, he headed straight for the injury tent.

Pregame

Alabama Final Availability Report

  • Keon Sabb, DB – Out
  • Cole Adams, WR – Out
  • Que Robinson, LB – Out

Oklahoma Final Availability Report

  • Jayden Gibson, WR – Out
  • Jalil Farooq, WR- Out
  • Nic Anderson, WR – Out
  • Andrel Anthony, WR – Out
  • Gentry Williams, DB – Out
  • Kendel Dolby, DB – Out
  • Geirean Hatchett, OL – Out
  • Jacob Sexton, OL – Out
  • Jake Taylor, OL – Out
  • Deion Burks, WR – Out
  • Jovantae Barnes, RB – Game-time decision
  • Joshua Bates, OL – Out

Read more: What Happened to the Players who Transferred From Alabama Last Year?

Why One Alabama Assistant Has Been Losing Sleep this Week

Where Alabama Football Ranks in the College Football Playoff Poll



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Oklahoma-Alabama GameDay Preview: Under the Radar

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Oklahoma-Alabama GameDay Preview: Under the Radar


These can feel like grasping at straws sometimes, but in this case, I really think Jacob Jordan can be the difference for the OU passing game. Deion Burks probably isn’t going to play. Jalil Farooq has already been downgraded to questionable after he gave it a try two weeks ago at Mizzou. The return of those two players — for better or worse — did almost nothing for the offense in Columbia. Meanwhile, as the coaching staff inserted their stars back into the lineup, it came at the expense of Jordan, the true freshman walk-on who had blossomed in a three-week stretch, catching six passes for 86 yards against South Carolina, six for 38 and a touchdown at Ole Miss and three for 36 against Maine. At Mizzou? Jordan got to play one snap and was relegated to the end of the bench. OU defenders say he’s a frustrating player to cover because he runs such precise routes and catches almost everything. Also, when Jackson Arnold was benched and running the scout team, he developed some chemistry with Jordan. The Sooner staff would be wise to utilize him against the Crimson Tide.

— John E. Hoover

Alright, a Butkus Award semifinalist and the heartbeat of Oklahoma’s football team is probably too high-profile to qualify as “under the radar,” but it’s Senior Night and I’m going to bend the rules. Stutsman was everywhere against Missouri, totaling 19 tackles and preventing the Tigers from having much of a rushing attack at all. He’s going to say all the right things, but Stutsman’s final game on Owen Field means a great deal to him and his family, and I expect we’ll see another fantastic outing from the talismanic linebacker. And Oklahoma will need it. Jalen Milroe’s ability on the ground makes Alabama’s entire offensive operation go. The teams that have had success bottling him up, Vanderbilt and Tennessee, were able to upend the Crimson Tide. Any path to a shock OU victory runs through a night to remember for Stutsman — something he’s completely capable of on Saturday. 

— Ryan Chapman 

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Even though Saturday marks Senior Day in Norman, the Sooners will be leaning heavily on a true freshman against the Crimson Tide. Coming off a career-high 56 yards on nine carries against Missouri, running back Xavier Robinson said he’s burning his redshirt seems to be in line for an increased share of the team’s carries this week when Alabama comes to town. If the Oklahoma City product has another strong performance, it could be enough to spark Oklahoma’s offense and keep the Sooners in contention against a formidable opponent who has been able to light up the scoreboard this season.

— Randall Sweet

The Sooners will need explosive plays to have a chance to take down Alabama. With receiver Deion Burks injured and sidelined again, the speedy Brenen Thompson might be OU’s best chance at a big play. Thompson has reached the end zone twice this season, and the last time was a 54-yard touchdown connection with Jackson Arnold, proving what Thompson is capable of if he and Arnold get the time they need. Alabama might also overlook the 5-foot-9 receiver and focus on a bigger threat like Jalil Farooq, possibly freeing Thompson, if even for one big play. 

— Dekota Gregory

Oklahoma’s wide receiver room has been a hot topic of conversation all season long. The Sooners have been banged up and the passing game has been extremely quiet. Whether it’s the quarterback spot, the offensive line, or the short handed receiver group, it’s been an all-around failure. Jalil Farooq has been injured for most of the season, but returned to the lineup against Missouri two weeks ago. He was expected to have a breakout campaign, but injuries have hampered his time on the field. Farooq looked rusty in his first week back, and it looked like he might not fully trust his foot yet. With a bye week in the past, this is the time for Farooq to make a difference, though. Oklahoma will desperately need him  with no other starting receivers healthy, and could force feed him early and often.

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— Ross Lovelace



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