MOBILE, Ala. (Interstat) — South Alabama defeated Troy 65-54 in a men’s NCAA Division I basketball game Saturday at Mitchell Center. The Jaguars (20-9) never trailed after the opening minutes, leading 33-26 at halftime and maintaining a multi-possession advantage throughout the second half. Cooper Campbell led all scorers with 26 points for Troy (18-11). South Alabama’s Chaze Harris scored 17 points and Adam Olsen added 16. The Trojans struggled offensively, shooting just 24.5% from the field. South Alabama dominated inside, outscoring Troy 30-6 in the paint before an announced crowd of 5,250.

MOBILE, Ala. (Interstat) — In a defensive struggle defined by frigid shooting, the South Alabama Jaguars used a dominant interior presence to grind out a 65-54 victory over the Troy Trojans in a Sun Belt Conference men’s basketball game Saturday afternoon at Mitchell Center. A crowd of 5,250 watched as the Jaguars improved to 20-9 overall, while Troy fell to 18-11. The win avenged a 59-49 home loss for South Alabama against the Trojans back on Jan. 3. The most important part of the game was South Alabama’s overwhelming control of the paint and its ability to generate consistent offense inside against a Troy team that could not buy a basket from anywhere on the floor. The Jaguars outscored Troy 30-6 in the paint, a staggering 24-point disparity that told the story of the contest. While both teams struggled from the perimeter, South Alabama’s ability to attack the rim and convert high-percentage shots, coupled with a disruptive defense that blocked four shots and recorded seven steals, provided the steady foundation for a win that was never seriously threatened in the second half. The game was a stark contrast in offensive efficiency. South Alabama scored 65 points on 61 possessions, an offensive rating of 106.3. Troy, meanwhile, managed only 54 points on the same number of trips, an offensive rating of just 88.6. The Trojans’ shooting woes were historic, as they connected on only 13 of 53 field goal attempts, a dismal 24.5 percent. Their reliance on the three-pointer yielded little reward, as they made just 10 of 42 from beyond the arc. South Alabama was not much better from deep, shooting 8 for 29, but their 24-for-55 overall performance from the field (43.6 percent) was markedly superior. Troy’s lone offensive bright spot was guard Cooper Campbell. The junior from Puyallup, Washington, scored a game-high 26 points in 35 minutes, single-handedly keeping the Trojans within shouting distance. He was responsible for six of Troy’s 10 three-pointers. No other Trojan reached double figures, with forward Thomas Dowd of Dothan, Alabama, adding 10 points and two blocks in a full 40-minute effort. South Alabama countered with a balanced and efficient offensive attack. Guard Chaze Harris, a Cleveland, Ohio native, filled the stat sheet with 17 points, five assists and a steal in 35 minutes, orchestrating the offense and applying constant pressure on the drive. Forward Adam Olsen of Surrey, Canada, provided a crucial inside-out threat, scoring 16 points and grabbing several key defensive rebounds in 38 minutes. Guard Jayden Cooper, from nearby Pike Road, Alabama, also scored 17 points, while forward Hantz Louis Jeune of Lake Worth, Florida, chipped in 11. The Jaguars set the tone early. After Troy took a brief 3-0 lead from the free-throw line, South Alabama responded with a 10-0 run, capped by a Chaze Harris layup off a feed from Adam Olsen at the 15:44 mark of the first half. This early burst established the paint dominance that would last the entire night. Troy’s offense, outside of Campbell, was stagnant, often resorting to contested, long-range jumpers as the shot clock wound down. South Alabama took a 33-26 lead into halftime and methodically extended it in the second period. Every time Campbell would hit a three to spark a potential Troy run, the Jaguars would answer with a basket inside or a timely mid-range jumper. A Jayden Cooper three-pointer with 16:17 to play gave South Alabama a 39-36 lead, and after a Jerrell Bellamy dunk for Troy, the Jaguars scored the next six points to push the advantage to nine. The lead ballooned to as many as 14 points late in the game as Troy’s shooting never recovered. Defensively, South Alabama’s length, particularly from reserves like Stephen Williams of Atmore, Alabama, who blocked three shots in just 13 minutes, altered countless Troy attempts. The Jaguars also won the turnover battle, committing only seven to Troy’s nine, and converted those into nine points. The victory moves South Alabama to 20 wins on the season as they continue to jockey for position in the Sun Belt standings. Troy, after a promising stretch earlier in conference play, has now dropped three of its last four games and will look to rediscover its offensive rhythm before the conference tournament. Both teams return to action next week, with South Alabama hosting Louisiana-Monroe on Wednesday and Troy welcoming Louisiana-Lafayette on Tuesday.

MOBILE, Ala. (Interstat) — A pivotal Sun Belt Conference men’s basketball matchup is set for Saturday at the Mitchell Center as the South Alabama Jaguars host the Troy Trojans. Both teams enter with winning records and postseason aspirations. South Alabama (19-9) holds a slight edge in the standings over Troy (18-10). The Jaguars have won seven of their last ten but are looking to rebound from a 90-82 overtime loss to Texas State on Thursday. The Trojans arrive after a narrow 77-76 road victory at Louisiana-Monroe on Wednesday. The game features a compelling contrast in star performers. South Alabama is led by dynamic guard Chaze Harris, who has been on a scoring tear. Over his last four games, Harris is averaging 28.0 points and 7.3 assists, including a 30-point, 5-assist effort in a win at Arkansas State on Feb. 14. His ability to create for himself and others will be central to the Jaguars’ attack. For Troy, guard Kerrington Kiel provides a key spark. He is coming off one of his best performances of the season, scoring 15 points in 19 minutes off the bench in the win over Louisiana-Monroe. The Trojans will need his scoring punch against a potent South Alabama offense. This is the second meeting between the teams this season. Troy won the first contest 59-49 at home on Jan. 3, a game where both teams struggled offensively. South Alabama will seek to avenge that loss and protect its home court in a critical late-season conference clash. Tipoff is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. The game will be a significant factor in seeding for the upcoming Sun Belt Conference tournament.