GEORGIA BULLDOGS ROUT JAGUARS IN SEASON OPENER :: SEC foe holds SU to 27% shooting and forces 35 turnovers in loss.

	Southern's Steffon Wiley, center, puts up a shot between Georgia defenders Albert Jackson (34) and Dave Bliss (44) during the second half of college basketball game Friday, Nov. 10, 2006 in Athens, Ga. Georgia won 97-37. (AP Photo/Todd Bennett)

Nov. 11, 2006

Box Score

ATHENS, Ga. -- Southern University's first taste of a rugged nonconference schedule turned very bitter very quickly Friday night.

The Jaguars men's basketball team opened their season at Georgia and never mounted much of a threat in a 97-37 loss.

Billy Humphrey scored a career-high 23 points for the Bulldogs and Georgia's 21 steals helped set up 51 points off turnovers.

Humphrey made 7-of-8 3-point field goals as the Bulldogs (1-0) showed improved depth even while two potential starters, Channing Toney and Takais Brown, served academic suspensions imposed by coach Dennis Felton.

Sophomore guard Mike Mercer was 0-for-6 on 3-pointers but still managed to produce added 21 points.

Rashaad Singleton, a 7-foot sophomore center, also set a career-high with 14 points for the Bulldogs. Steve Newman and freshman center Albert Jackson each added 10 points.
Chris Davis led Southern with 12 points.

Guards Deforrest Riley-Smith, who had 10 points, and Steffon Wiley are the only returning starters for Southern.

The Jaguars won the Southwestern Athletic Conference last season and lost to Duke in the first round of the NCAA tournament to finish 19-13.

Georgia opened the game with three steals -- each leading to a basket -- in the first minute. A quick time-out by Southern coach Rob Spivery didn't help the Jaguars.

Singleton's three-point play by Singleton capped a 16-0 run for a 27-5 lead. Southern's final points of the half came on their first 2-point field goal of the game, leaving Georgia with a 50-14 lead.

The Jaguars (0-1) connected on only 4 of 24 field goals in the first half and had more turnovers (16) than points by the break.

Southern shot slightly better in the second half, hitting 10-of-28 from the floor. But the Jags also coughed the ball up 19 more times to finish with 35 turnovers.

Riley-Smith added three steals . Joe Holliday was SU's leading rebounder with five.

The Jaguars' rugged road continues with games at Wisconsin (Nov. 19), Oklahoma State (Nov. 21) and defending champion Florida (Nov. 28).