Rubit Named To All-District Team For Fourth Time
Rubit sets yet another Jaguar record with his fourth consecutive All-Sun Belt Conference Team honor. Photo by John Adams | usajaguars.com
Augustine Rubit was named to the 2014 All-District team for District 24 on Tuesday by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. This is his fourth consecutive NABC All-District honor for Rubit.
He became the first Jag since 1988, and only the second in the programs history, to lead the team in scoring average three consecutive years. He averaged 17 points per game, which was sixth highest in the Sun Belt. He also became the first player in school history to lead the team in rebounding average for four consecutive years with an average of 9.4 rebounds per game, third best in the conference.
He earned 12 double-doubles, third most in the conference, this season to break the previous school record. He scored a career-high 35 points against then #16 ranked Gonzaga back on December 14. He scored 20 or more points in 10 games this season.
His career school records include rebounds (also a conference record) 1,183, 550 free throws made, 763 free throws attempted.
Head coach Matthew Graves has some big shoes to fill on the recruiting trail.
Meghan Dunn Selected To All-Sun Belt Conference Team
Meghan Dunn was selected to the All-Sun Belt Conference Third Team on Tuesday for her first postseason All-Conference honor in her career.
She was selected to the third-team by conference coaches and media on Tuesday and she extended the streak to 12-consecutive seasons at least one lady Jaguar was named to the All-Conference team.
In her final game as a Jaguar she recorded 23 points and four steals as she was key in the Jaguars 60-57 overtime win against UT-Arlington. Her four points in the final seconds of regulation sent the game to overtime, where she sunk four free throws to help seal the win in the extra period. She also blocked the game-tying three-point attempt defensively.
She finished the season tied for 10th in the conference in scoring. Even though she was keyed on by opposing defenses, she still managed to score double-digits 20 times this season and 13 of her final 18 Sun Belt games.
With injuries to Brittany Webb and Colby Davis, Dunn was forced to take over the point guard position and managed to average 13.1 points and 3.2 assists per game through the final nine games at that position.
Rubit Earns His Record Setting Fourth Consecutive All-Sun Belt Team Honor
Rubit sets yet another Jaguar record with his fourth consecutive All-Sun Belt Conference Team honor. Photo by John Adams | usajaguars.com
Augustine Rubit has not finished adding to his record setting career just yet. He set another school record on Tuesday when he was selected by conference coaches and media to the All-Sun Belt Conference team for the fourth consecutive year.
Rubit, a second-team selection this season, was a third-team selection in 2011 and a first-team selection in 2012 and 2013. This season he was the sixth leading scorer in the conference with an average of 17 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. He shot 46.3% from the floor and earned 12 double-doubles. He also finished the season fourth in blocks per game with 1.4. The 12 double-doubles and his rebounding average was third-best in the conference too.
In the Jaguars 31 games this season he scored 20+ points in 10 of them, including a career-high 35 points against #16 Gonzaga. He only failed three times to reach double-digits scoring this season.
He set the schools rebounding record in November, surpassed the 1,000 rebound mark in December and became the Sun Belt Conference’s All-Time leader a week later. He ends his career with 1,183 as well as holds three of the top five spots in the school’s single-season list.
Rubit also set school records with career free throws made (550), career free throws attempted (763), and double-doubles (54). He ranks second in points scored (1,917), fifth in field goals made (673), 3rd in field goals attempted (1,360), third in rebounding average (10.0), 3rd in blocks (139) and tied for 2nd in games played (118).
He was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week six times in his career, most by any player in school history as well.
South Alabama Sports Weekend Roundup
Men’s Basketball
The Men’s team defeated UT-Arlington behind the leadership of the teams two seniors, Augustine Rubit and Antoine Allen, who combined to score 42 points to end their Jaguar careers on a high note with a 78-73 win.
Rubit earned his 54th career double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds, with 14 points and 10 reboudns coming in the second half alone. Allen scored 24 points with 16 of them coming in the first half. Allen nailed five three-pointers and a season-high seven rebounds.
Rubit’s Jaguar historic career ends with him in 2nd place in points, 5th place in field goals made, 3rd place in field goals attempted, 1st in free throws made and attempted, 1st in rebounds, 3rd in rebounding average, 3rd in blocks, 1st in double-doubles, and tied for 2nd in games played. He recoreded a double-double in his first game as a Jaguar and the final game as a Jaguar.
“Well first and foremost, congratulations to our two seniors, Antoine Allen and Augustine Rubit,” head coach Matthew Graves said. “Even though we didn’t play in the conference tournament, they hung tough and we finished the season with two wins. What a way to go out.”
“I think this is arguably Antoine’s best game that he has played all season,” Graves noted. “I was really proud of his effort. I thought he played more within himself tonight than he did the entire season so that’s a really big positive.”
Ken Williams and Mychal Ammons both scored 13 points each with Ammons recorded three blocks. Barrington Stevens III had five assits with only one turnover. The Jags held the Sun Belt’s leading scorer to 11 points on 2-of-17 shooting and 1-of-11 from 3-point range. He entered the game averaging 20.5 points per game.
Women’s basketball
The South Alabama women’s basketball team finished out the season with a 60-57 win over UT-Arlington as Meghan Dunn scored a career-high 23 points, including four pivotal free throws in overtime to give USA the win.
The team said farewell to seniors: Dunn, Jennifer Johnson, Olivia Mohler and Ronneka Robertson.
Softball
The Jaguar softball team won four of their five games over the weekend at the Parents’ Weekend Invitational in Boca Raton, Florida. The Jags opened the weekend with a 1-0 win over Marshall. Then came back in the nightcap and lost 1-0 to Virginia Tech.
Against Marshall Farish Beard was on top of her game and retired 19 consecutive batters to give the Jaguars a chance to win the game.
In the bottom of the sixth inning Amanda Minahan led off the inning with a single, then Gwen Jones replaced her to pinch run. Then Junior shortstop Kaitlyn Griffith delivered a two-out RBI triple to being Jones home and provide the winning margin for USA.
Against Virginia Tech the Jaguars leadoff hitter got on base in five of the seven innings but none of them could get home. The Jags left seven runners on base in the game with Stephanie Pilkington being the only Jaguar to record a hit by going 2-for-3. Emily Messer, Amanda Minahan and Taylor Rodgers all drew walks.
Hannah Campbell retired 18 consecutive batters to start the the game. In the bottom of the seventh Hokie Kylie McGOldrick led off the inning with a double to the left center gap. Katey Smith would single to center field to drive McGoldrick in for the winning run.
USA had an opportunity in the second inning after Griffith and Minahan were hit by pitches in back-to-back at-bats, then Rodgers would draw a walk but back-to-back strikeouts would end the Jaguars’ threat.
Campbell finished with five strikeouts and only one walk.
On Saturday they defeated Illinois 5-3 in an afternoon game then turned around and defeated host Florida Atlantic 7-1 in the nightcap.
The Illini jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first, then doubled it with a leadoff solo homerun in the second inning. But the Jags would respond in the bottom of the second when Chloe Rathburn delivered her own solo leadoff homer to cut the lead to 2-1.
Down 3-1 in the top of the third, Amanda Minahan got the first of her three RBI ont he day with a single that scored Rodgers. Pilkington then scored on a fielders choice to tie the game at 3-3.
Illinois threatened in the top of the fifth after back-to-back hits, but Campbell retired consecutive batters to end the threat.
In the bottom of the sixth with Kaitlyn Griffith on base after being hit by a pitch, Alex Breeden belted her fourth homer of the season for the winning margin, 5-3.
On Sunday they defeated Illinois again 5-2 in eight innings.
Baseball
The Jaguars sweeped the weekend series from Southern Illinois to improve to 8-7 on the season.
On Friday night, second baseman Matt Bolger delivered a walk-off RBI in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Jags the first game 4-3.
In game two on Saturday, Locke St. John struck out a career-high five batters in eight innings to lead the Jags to a 4-1 win to clinch the series. He only allowed one run and five hits for the game.
St. John threw eight consecutive scoreless innings before surrendering a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning. James Traylor pitched one scoreless inning to earn his first save of the season. He walked two and struck out one in the one inning of relief.
Not content on just clinching the series, the Jags returned on Sunday to finish off SIU, but it would go into an extra inning to do so.
Hayden Jones delivered a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th for the Jaguars to secure the 5-4 win and the sweep.
Jaguar Davis Knapp got on base by being hit by a pitch. He would then move to third on a one-out single to left-center field by Bud Collura. Then Jones would fly a 0-1 pitch to left field allowing Knapp to tag up and score the winning run.
SIU fell to 8-6 on the season while the Jags got above .500 at 8-7.
Rubit’s Record-Setting 53rd Double-Double Leads Jags Over Texas State
Augustine Rubit broke a tie between him and Terry Catledge by earning his 53rd career double-double as a Jaguar. Photo by John Adams | usajaguars.com
Senior Augustine Rubit earned a school-record 53rd double-double of his career to lead the Jaguars to a 63-53 win over Texas State on Thursday night at the Mitchell Center. His double-double broke a tie with Terry Catledge for the most double-doubles in school history.
Rubit scored 14 points and came down with 11 rebounds in the game with four steals, two blocks, and two assists as the Jaguars never trailed in the game.
A strong defensive effort by USA held the Bobcats in check throughout most of the first half by only allowing 10 points through the first 16+ minutes of the game. TSU only made five of their 22 field goal attempts and shot 27.6% in the first half.
Though the Jaguars did not shoot much better with a 33.3% mark in the first half themselves. Rubit and Antoine Allen accounted for 17 of the teams 31 first half points.
Texas State scored the first six points of the second half to draw near but an 8-1 run by USA stretched the lead by out to 13 points about midway through the second half.
Again Texas State made a run by scoring eight unanswered points and 12 of 15 points scored to cut the lead four with just over five minutes remaining. But Allen and Williams both hit buckets to double the lead and would only allow the Bobcats to close to within five points twice over the final 2.5 minutes. Williams finally put the nail in the coffin with a three-pointer with 1:20 left in the game.
Allen was the only other Jaguar to score in double-figures with 13 points to go along with his two steals and two assists.
All nine Jags saw action in the game.
“I’m really proud of the team,” coach Matthew Graves said. “The guys did a tremendous job of coming out and playing hard out of the gate. We talked about this week, everybody is aware that we weren’t playing for the opportunity to go to the conference tournament, which is certainly disappointing, and the players could have easily given up and not played as hard and ridden off into the sunset. But they hung tough and I was really encouraged, especially in the first half, by how hard the guys were playing. They were really sharing the basketball.”
“In the second half we started off very flat and reverted back into some bad habits that have crept in and we were able to regroup in time and force a lot of turnovers. This might have been our season high in turnovers that we forced and I thought overall defensively, except for a few times in the post, this was one of our better efforts on the year.”
South Alabama will conclude their 2013-2014 season at the Mitchell Center on Saturday against Texas-Arlington with tipoff scheduled for 7:05pm on Senior Night. The Lady Jaguars will play beforehand and will honor their Seniors prior to their game as well.
USA will be bidding farewell to two Seniors, Antoine Allen and Augustine Rubit. Come out on Saturday and send those two out on a high note.
USA Women’s Basketball Eliminated From Postseason Play With 64-60 Loss
The Lady Jaguar basketball team will not have the opportunity to play in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament this season after falling to Texas State 64-60 on Wednesday evening.
The Bobcats used a 14-0 run midway through the second half to regain the lead and held onto it the rest of the way. While the Jags held a 30-18 advantage over the Bobcats in points in the paint, they turned the ball over 20 times which led to 20 points for their opponents.
Jennifer Johnson finished the game with 17 points, just one shy of her career high. Breanna Hall added 15 points for her 11th double-digit scoring game in the Jaguars last 13 games.
The Jags how lost their last eight games to fall to 7-20 on the season and 5-12 in Sun Belt play. They will close out the season against Texas-Arlington on Saturday night for Senior night. They will honor four seniors prior to the game: Meghan Dunn, Jennifer Johnson, Olivia Mohler and Ronneka Robertson.
“I’m very disappointed, and our kids are really hurting,” Jaguar head coach Terry Fowler said after the game. “We basically had four opportunities with the two games last week and tonight, and I thought we played well enough for 30-33 minutes to win them. Unfortunately it’s a 40-minute ball game, if we could get the NCAA to somehow give us a 33-minute game our record would be a lot different.”
“We told (the team) in the locker room we know that we’re not going to the conference tournament, but Saturday night is Senior Night, and that’s special night,” Fowler said. “We play for our seniors, so let’s send them out on a high note. I haven’t lost on Senior Night in the last seven years, and the challenge is to play for our seniors. That’s our plan.”
Come out Saturday night to send our Jaguar Seniors out on a high note.
USA Women’s Basketball Fall In Overtime 68-61
South Alabama’s woes continue as they lost their seventh consecutive game, this time in overtime, to Louisiana-Lafayette in the Cajundome 68-61.
The losing streak began against Troy on February 6, the game in which Brittany Webb was injured and lost for the remainder of the season. The team was already thin, but was extremely thin at point guard.
After dropping their last seven consecutive games, the lady Jaguars stand at 7-19 overall and 5-11 in conference play. They have fallen out of the top eight, who will fill the eight seeds for the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in New Orleans which is fast approaching.
With two games remaining, they are two games behind a trio of teams sitting at 7-9 in the conference. The Jags would have to win out and get some help from those teams ahead of them in order to potentially make the conference tournament. The math is pretty simple actually, win two games and ULM lose two games and the Jaguars are in.
Both games are at home for the Jaguars which could be just the help they need to get back into the win column. At least it would give them momentum going into the offseason. ULM will play the final two games of the season on the road at Arkansas State and Arkansas-Little Rock, the first and third place teams in the conference.
As for the game itself, Ronnka Robertson posted a career performance with 28 points and 17 rebounds. But in overtime, the Cajuns outshot the Jags at the free throw line which made the difference. ULL was 9-of-10 from the free throw stripe, while the Jaguars were only 5-of-10.
The Lady Jags will try to do their part on Wednesday when they host Texas State at the Mitchell Center for a 7:05pm tipoff.
USA Men’s Basketball Cannot Overcome ULL’s Fast Start
South Alabama could not overcome a fast start by Louisiana-Lafayette and a 25-point halftime lead to fall 102-76 on Sunday in the Cajundome.
ULL used a 25-6 run over an 11-minute span in the first half to score the most first half points against the Jaguars all season. Bryant Mbamalu scored a game-high 32 points for the Cajuns and 11 of his 17 first half points in the opening 4:07 of the game.
Freshman Ken Williams recorded a career-high 22 points on five three-pointers. Sophomore Barrington Stevens III added a career-high 20 points while going 4-for-4 from outside the arc. They combined to score 31 of the Jaguars 49 points in the second half.
Augustine Rubit narrowly missed another double-double with 17 points and nine rebounds as he added four blocks to earn his way into the top 25 in the conference in this category.
This was the first Jaguar opponent to score over 100 points on the Jaguars since New Orleans on February 5, 1995.
With the loss, the Jaguars fall to 9-20 overall and 3-13 in conference play and only one game in the win column behind eighth place and the final seed in the conference tournament.
With the loss the Jaguars were eliminated from the Sun Belt Tournament and with that news Augustine Rubit’s phenominal career in a South Alabama jersey will conclude on Saturday against UT-Arlington.
The Jags will face Texas State on Thursday and UT-Arlington on Saturday to close out the season and hopefully have some positive momentum going into the offseason.
Men’s Basketball Falls At ULM
The South Alabama men’s basketball team was outscored 36-21 in the second half as Louisiana-Monroe coasted to a 71-54 win on Thursday night.
The Jags shot only 26.9% from the floor after halftime en route to scoring the fewest points of the season. A 16-3 run late in the game secured the victory for the Warhawks.
USA falls to 9-19 overall and 3-12 in conference play while ULM improves to 9-14 overall and 6-9 in conference play.
Augustine Rubit was the only Jaguar in double digits scoring with 14, which was enough to move him into second place in the school’s All-Time scoring list with 1,868 points and into ninth place in Sun Belt history.
All five of ULM’s starters scored in double-digits. Jayon James had a game high 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting, Chinedu Amajoyi added 12 points and eight rebounds, Nick Coppola added 11 points and six assists and Tylor Ongwae and Marvin Williams both scored 10 points each.
“I really wanted see how we would come out and perform because we knew this was a game we needed to compete and win if we wanted to continue our season in the conference tournament,” head coach Matthew Graves said. “I thought we started off OK, not great, but we were in the game. We got down 10 in the first half and I thought our team showed a lot of resolve and came back and tied the game. But in the last four minutes we had three turnovers that got them in a rhythm.”
“At the start of the second half I was really disappointed in how we came out of the locker room,” Graves continued. “We missed a loose ball, got scored on in the post and it really snowballed from there. In this game, you’ve got to be strong and physical and have to want contact. They were the more physical, more aggressive team, and nine times out of 10 when that happens, you’re not going to come out on the side you want.”
The Jags play their final road game of the season on Sunday at Louisiana-Lafayette. Tip-off is scheduled for 3pm and in addition to the normal WNSP broadcast, it will also be available on the Sun Belt Network so check your local listings for availability.
USA Men’s Basketball Face ULM Tonight
South Alabama kicks off their final road swing of the regular season this evening against Louisiana-Monroe. The Jags used a hot first half against Troy to earn a much needed win 86-78 in their last game on Saturday.
The Jags are one game behind Troy and Texas State, who are both at 4-10 and tied for the eighth and final spot into the Sun Belt Conference Championship with four games left in the regular season.
ULM enters the game with an 8-14 record overall and a 5-9 record in conference play. The Jags lost to the Warhawks on January 18th at the Mitchell Center 64-58.
The two teams rank near each other in the Sagarin rankings. The Jags are ranked 241st while the Warhawks are ranked 232nd. The game can be heard on 105.5 FM WNSP or WNSP.com starting around 6:30pm with the pregame show and tipoff at 7pm.