MOBILE, Ala. –– Despite a six-point halftime lead, Appalachian State University men's basketball fell to a hot-shooting second half South Alabama team by a final score of 87-74 on Saturday night inside the Mitchell Center.

The Mountaineers (8-17, 3-11 Sun Belt) were led by Craig Hinton (Winston-Salem, N.C./East Forsyth/VMI) who turned in a career-high 13 points on 4-for-7 shooting from the field, including 3-for-6 from beyond the arc.

Five Mountaineers finished in double-figures and were led by Hinton and Ronshad Shabazz's (Raleigh, N.C./Huntington Prep (W.V.)) 13 points. Griffin Kinney (Delaware, Ohio/Fork Union Military Academy) notched 12, while Isaac Johnson (Charlotte, N.C./Providence Day) scored 11 and Bennett Holley (Roanoke, Va./North Cross) tallied 10.

I. Johnson led the Mountaineers with eight rebounds and three steals. Kinney finished with seven boards.

App State opened the game hitting its first six shots and led by as many as 10 points in the first half following a Hinton three to put the Black and Gold up 22-12 at the 10:50 mark.

At the 6:16 mark, the Jaguars (13-13, 6-7 Sun Belt) closed to within just three points at 25-22, but Appalachian outscored South Alabama 11-8 to finish the half and take a 36-30 lead into the locker room.

South Alabama opened the second half on a 9-0 run before a 3-pointer from I. Johnson knotted the score up at 39-39 with 15:14 left in the second period. After tying the game, App State surrendered back-to-back threes which forced the Mountaineers into their first timeout of the half.

That six-point cushion would close to as little as one point following a Holley triple to cut the Jaguar lead to 51-50. Over the next 4:24 of the half, the Jaguars would grow its lead to a game-high 10 points, 65-55, with 6:23 left.

The Mountaineers would scrap their way back into the game and trailed by just five with 3:32 left after a free throw from Jake Babic (Oakville, Ontario/The Kiski School). 

Unfortunately, when the Mountaineers needed a stop, the App State defense nearly forced a shot clock violation but the Jaguars' Ken Williams hit a fadeaway dagger three at the end of the shot clock to put the Jags back up by eight.

The Apps would be forced to foul down the stretch to try and stop the clock and get back into it, but the Jaguars hit 19-of-24 free throws in the second half to help seal the victory.

Ken Williams led the Jaguars with 20 points, while three others finished in double-figures. 

Notes: App State is now 1-4 all-time against South Alabama … Craig Hinton notched a career-high 13 points … he tied his career high with four field goals and set a new career high with three 3-pointers … Isaac Johnson led the team in rebounding for the 10th time this season … he leads the team in steals and finished with a team-high three … it was Johnson's sixth double-digit scoring game … Griffin Kinney tallied his 14th double-digit scoring game and 21st of his career … Ronshad Shabazz netted his 23rd double-digit scoring game and 41st of his career … Bennett Holley posted his first double-digit scoring game since Montreal (Dec. 11) … Fifth time this season that Emarius Logan tallied at least 5 assists … with 217 3-pointers this season, App State has totaled its ninth-most threes in a single season.