USA MITCHELL CENTER | MOBILE, Ala. - For the seventh consecutive season and 10th time all-time, the University of Mobile Men's Basketball program, led by fifth-year head coach Darnell Archey, met the University of South Alabama in an exhibition contest on Monday night, Nov. 6 and came away with an upset victory over the Jaguars, 83-74. Mobile, a member of the NAIA Division, led for the entire 40 minutes over NCAA Division 1's South Alabama, outscoring the Sun Belt Conference program 47-23 in the first half alone and leading by as many as 27 points in the game.
South Alabama responded in the second half, however, outscoring Mobile 51-36, but the Rams' strong first half where the team shot 69% from the floor proved to be the difference in the end. Mobile finished Monday night's matchup with a 60% shooting line as a team, while the Jaguars only managed to shoot 35.5% from the floor. Additionally, Mobile out-rebounded South Alabama, 39-33.
"When you're the NAIA program in town, a lot of people look down at you in a sense," said Mobile Head Coach Darnell Archey following the victory. "We don't get to play in this type of environment a lot, so I told them to make the most of the moment." Archey is no stranger to the University of South Alabama, having served as an assistant coach under former Jags' head coach Matthew Graves from 2013-2018. When asked about what Monday's win means to him and his program, Archey smiled and spoke truthfully. "It means a lot for me because I coached here for five years."Â
Archey's players did exactly what he asked of them on Monday; make the most of the moment. Four players finished with double-digit point totals in the win, led by Pooh Frazier who scored a game-high 23 points. Frazier, in his second year as a Ram, made seven of 10 shots from the floor, adding seven successful free throws. He added four rebounds and led Mobile with two steals.
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DaMariee Jones tallied a double-double against South Alabama, finishing with 12 points and 11 rebounds, quieting the Jaguar faithful with two impressive dunks in the game. Ezra McKenna, the reigning SSAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week, finished with 17 points, four rebounds, and four assists, while Treylan Smith scored 17 points in 25 minutes of playing time from off the bench. "It really means a lot to these guys," Archey said. "Those guys truly made the most of tonight."
South Alabama entered Monday's contest against Mobile with a perfect 9-0 record all-time against the Rams, averaging a margin of victory by 28.2 points. The loss for the Jags is the first home loss to open a season in 32 years. For Mobile, although Monday's game was an exhibition and the win does not count on the overall 2023-24 schedule, the Rams celebrated the massive victory in the visiting locker room like it did count and will use this game as momentum going towards the next game on the regular season schedule.
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Mobile, 3-1 this season, is scheduled to return to action on Wednesday night, Nov. 8 at home, hosting another area foe in Spring Hill College (Ala.) at 7:00 p.m. CT.
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About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.
For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
