MOBILE – Suffice it to say, Tarleton is ready to run it back with South Alabama following a 69-62 defeat on Tuesday inside the Mitchell Center.
The Texans had more than double the time with the lead than the Jaguars, forced the hosts into a season-worst 22 turnovers and outshot their Sun Belt Conference counterpart.
South Alabama, which entered the game ranked No. 66 in the NCAA NET Rankings, appeared ripe for an upset late. A 6-0 run staked Tarleton to a 49-45 lead with less than 10:00 remaining and prompted the Jaguars to burn a timeout.
A liberal whistle from the officials – Tarleton was called for 23 fouls and had six less than five minutes into the second half – and late Jaguars’ surge ultimately proved to be too much to overcome.
South Alabama closed the game on a 29-17 extended scoring run. The Texans went more than five-and-a-half minutes without a field goal after assuming its four-point edge. By that time, The Jaguars had taken the largest lead of the night for either team at 65-53 with 3:18 to go.
Tarleton fell to 3-8 on the season with the loss while South Alabama improved to 9-2.
Any feelings of frustration will likely fade fast. In a nonconference scheduling rarity, Tarleton gets a second crack at the Jaguars. And it won’t have to wait long. The Texans and South Alabama meet at 7 p.m. on Friday inside Wisdom Gym. Tarleton will aim to snap an eight-game South Alabama winning streak in the rematch.
For the second time in as many games vs. D1 opponents, Tahj Small was the best offensive player on the court. The 6-5 senior racked up a game-high 24 points on 9-16 shooting. Small was as aggressive as he’s been all season, attacking the rim in transition and pulling the trigger on jumpers if given space. The Durham, North Carolina native also finished with four rebounds and assists apiece and two blocks.
Fellow senior Montre Gipson was Tarleton’s other scorer in double figures, finishing with 15 points (7-15).
Defensively, Shamir Bogues carved out space on Tarleton’s single-game records list and the Western Athletic Conference statistical leaderboard. Bogues recorded seven steals, the fourth-most in a game in program history and a game-high among all WAC players thus far. Bogues (2.3 spg) now ranks second in the conference in the category.
Tarleton finished with 12 steals – its third most in a game this season. The Texans’ 22 turnovers forced were a season high and most against a D1 opponent under head coach Billy Gillispie.
South Alabama may lack the brand recognition of previous opponents on Tarleton’s nonconference schedule, but was bound to be a challenge. The Jaguars’ roster features eight transfers, five of whom made previous stops at Power Five conference programs and four from the SEC.
Tarleton, though, was the aggressor from the outset.
The Texans scored on their first three of their first four possessions to race out to a 6-0 lead less than two minutes into the ballgame. South Alabama regained a one-point lead at 9-8 out of a timeout but it proved to be their last in the half. A 3-pointer by Noah McDavid gave Tarleton a one-possession lead it maintained to the tune of a 20-19 advantage with 7:25 left in the half. The Texans then commanded seven-point leads at 29-22 and 32-25 behind a jumper by Small and long bomb from Gipson and took a 32-28 lead into the intermission.
Tarleton led for 17:45 in the half and connected at a 54 percent clip (13-24) from the field. The effort built off the progression the Texans demonstrated at the offensive end in an 81-75 win over Southwestern Assemblies of God on Wednesday. Tarleton shot 57 percent in the first half in the victory and 53 percent for the game.
The Texans finished 45 percent (25-55) from the field for the game. It marked their best shooting percentage in games against D1 opponents this season.
Foul calls seemingly arrived at the least opportune moments out of halftime. Small picked up his third personal less than four minutes into the half as a part of an and-one for South Alabama that knotted the score at 37-37. Hicks was whistled for his fourth personal and Tarleton’s sixth in the period on the following possession. Small received his fourth foul with 10:35 to go and Tarleton nursing a 45-43 lead.
South Alabama was in the bonus for 14:49 of the second half. Bogues, Gipson, Hicks and Small all played with four fouls down the stretch. Shakur Daniel (6 points, 5 rebounds) was the lone starter not to receive four whistles. The 23 fouls were the most called against Tarleton in a game in the 2021-22 campaign.
Daniel made his 30th career start on Tuesday.
The Jaguars out-rebounded Tarleton 40-23 and blocked 10 shots to the Texans’ three.
SEC transfers Charles Manning Jr. (LSU) and Javon Franklin (Auburn) led South Alabama at both ends. Manning Jr. finished with 17 points and eight rebounds while Franklin delivered a 14-point, nine-rebound effort.
The Texans close out nonconference play on Dec. 21 against Air Force in Stephenville following Friday’s tilt.
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