South Alabama survives against Coastal Carolina

South Alabama survived a poor first half and held off a late push from Coastal Carolina to defeat the Chanticleers 53-48 on Thursday night. After trailing by nine at the break, the Jaguars flipped the game in the second half behind improved shooting to snap Coastal’s five-game winning streak.

Both teams got off to quick starts, scoring on their first possessions. Randy Brady opened the game with a layup for the Jaguars, but AJ Dancler immediately answered with a three for the Chanticleers.

That early pace did not last long, especially for Coastal. South Alabama jumped out to an 8-3 lead just over five minutes into the game before the Chanticleers began to find their footing, particularly from deep. Baskets from Reggie Hill, Josh Beadle and RaSheed Jones helped Coastal take a 15-11 lead shortly after the under-12 media timeout.

A prolonged scoring drought followed, with neither team scoring for more than four minutes. After brief baskets on both ends, another drought ensued, this one lasting nearly three minutes. Coastal was the team that finished the low-scoring half strong, heading into the break with a 24-15 lead.

The story of the first half for the Chanticleers was their size advantage. Coastal out-rebounded the Jaguars 26-17, controlling the glass on both ends. Scoring was balanced as well, with all five starters scoring three or more points.

South Alabama struggled mightily shooting in the first half despite generating good looks. The Jaguars shot 7-29 from the field in the opening 20 minutes and did not hit a three. Forward Adam Olsen, in particular, was held in check, shooting 1-12 from the field.

The Jaguars came out of halftime looking like a different team, hitting shots and forcing Coastal into difficult possessions against their zone defense. South Alabama opened the half on a 12-2 run over the first six minutes to regain the lead at 27-25.

There you go AO 👌 pic.twitter.com/bEGPnWUDr3

— South Alabama Men’s Basketball 🏀 (@SouthAlabamaMBB) January 30, 2026

Coastal continued to struggle offensively in the second half, while South Alabama steadily extended its advantage. The Jaguars pushed the lead to a game-high 12 with just over seven minutes remaining, appearing to take control.

An eight-point lead at the under-four timeout suggested South Alabama was pulling away, but Beadle had other ideas. He scored five quick points to cut the deficit to 48-45, forcing Jaguars head coach Richie Riley to call a timeout.

Dancler then delivered a clutch three to tie the game with just over a minute remaining. Olsen responded on the ensuing possession with a bucket to put South Alabama back in front, 50-48. Coastal had a good look to retake the lead, but Dancler’s three would not fall. The Jaguars sealed the game at the free-throw line, closing out the 53-48 win.

Got it done ✅#LSF | #BurnTheBoats pic.twitter.com/xlrv9ZWDoE

— South Alabama Men’s Basketball 🏀 (@SouthAlabamaMBB) January 30, 2026

South Alabama was led by Olsen, who finished with 16 points and eight rebounds despite his rough first half. Chazé Harris added 15 points, while Jayden Cooper provided a spark in the second half, scoring 11 of his 13 points and knocking down three shots from beyond the arc.

Coastal Carolina had two players score in double figures in Beadle and Dancler, though both struggled shooting, each attempting 13 or more shots. Hill added nine points and eight rebounds, while Jones finished with nine points and seven rebounds. As a team, the Chanticleers shot 28.8 percent from the field and went 10-43 from three, making five in each half.

South Alabama improves to 15-6 on the season and 6-3 in Sun Belt play and will host Georgia Southern on Saturday, Jan. 31. Coastal Carolina sees its winning streak snapped and falls to 13-10 (6-5). The Chanticleers will travel to Monroe on Jan. 31 to face ULM.