That South Alabama even made its 76-73 loss to Arkansas State a 3-point decision is pretty amazing, when you consult the stat sheet.

The Red Wolves (13-14, 7-6 Sun Belt Conference) outrebounded the Jaguars 42-31 — including 17-4 on the offensive glass — and scored 21 second-chance points. The Jaguars’ leading scorer, guard Isiah Gaiter, not only did not score, but did not attempt a shot in 15 minutes before fouling out.

“Some of the things that helped us win the last three we didn’t bring to the party today,” South Alabama coach Richie Riley said. “We got absolutely punished on the glass. That’s something that’s hurt us all season long.

“It’s a physicality issue, but it’s also — we had balls in our hands, a ton of them. We had the basketball in our hands on multiple rebounds and didn’t come away with them. And we had trouble getting stops. That makes it tough, because we had opportunities to win the game.”

So what kept the Jaguars (13-14, 5-9) back in the game? Samuel Tabe, for one thing.

Tabe scored a career-best 35 points, including 25 in the second half, as the Jaguars stormed back from 11 down in the first half and seven behind on multiple occasions in the final 20 minutes. Tabe — who came in averaging just 9.5 points per game this season — scored 10 straight points at one stretch midway through the second half, giving South Alabama a 57-53 lead with 9:02 to play.

“I think my teammates were just really great at trusting me and just finding me at any time,” said Tabe, who scored all those points without even attempting a 3-pointer, going 15-for-24 from the floor and 5-for-6 from the free-throw line. “I just give all the praise to my teammates for looking out for me and trusting me to do what they know I’m capable of doing.”

But Arkansas State kept finishing plays at the rim late, taking the lead for good at 64-62 when Derrian Ford put back an offensive rebound with 5:07 to play. South Alabama got to within one point three different times in the late going, including at 72-71 with 1:35 remaining.

Ford — who scored just nine points in the game — nailed a 3-pointer to put the Red Wolves up 75-71 with 29 seconds left, then Marcus Millender’s short jumper for the Jaguars made it a two-point game with 21 seconds remaining. After ASU’s Izaiyah Nelson missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 19 seconds left, Tabe could not convert under the basket and Nelson got the rebound again and was fouled with 3 seconds remaining.

The Red Wolves’ big man made his first free throw but missed his second, but South Alabama could not get off a clean shot in the final seconds. The 6-foot-10 Nelson scored only nine points, but was dominant in the paint with 15 rebounds and five blocked shots.

“We changed defenses a lot,” Riley said. “We did our best and we kind of stalled them out for a little bit, but then we would give up a key offensive rebound or a key drive. (Taryn) Todd killed us the first half. We did a good job disguising some things and limited him in the second half. But then we let a few guys score that usually don’t score a lot of points, and it’s kind of disappointing.”

Elijah Ormiston had 18 points — going 3-for-3 on 3-pointers — for South Alabama, while Millender added 12 with six assists. However, the Jaguars got little offensive help elsewhere, with only Tyrell Jones (5 points) and Julian Margrave (3) also scoring among the nine South Alabama players who saw action.

Most frustrated was Gaiter, who scored 18 in Thursday night’s 72-55 win over Texas State and came in averaging 14.2 per game. He did grab three rebounds, but spent so much time in foul trouble he was no help offensively.

“It was hard for him to get in a rhythm,” Riley said of Gaiter. “We played him with three fouls for a long time, then he got his fourth and I had to take him out. He never got in a rhythm.

“I felt like after Thursday night he kind of got back to what he was doing, but then he struggled tonight. Their athleticism might have bothered him a little bit, but also the fouls had something to do with it. When you get five fouls in 15 minutes, it’s hard to get anything going.”

Arkansas State led by 11 twice in the first half behind the hot-shooting Todd, who had 16 points at the break and finished with a team-best 21. However, South Alabama locked down on defense in the final five minutes of the half, cutting the lead to three before settling at 36-31 at the break.

The Jaguars moved to a zone defense, which seemed to keep the Red Wolves from slashing to the rim as easily as they did in the early-going. Arkansas State missed eight straight shots and nine of 10 at one stretch, allowing South Alabama to get back in the game.

Tabe’s 35 points were the most by a South Alabama player in the six-season Riley era, and most by a Jaguar since Rodrick Sikes score 38 vs. Louisiana-Monroe in January 2018. Riley was hired as USA’s coach the following offseason.

Tabe’s previous season-high was 20 vs. Georgia Southern on Feb. 7. The senior from Beltsville, Md., scored 30 in a game for Division II Seton Hill vs. Bloomsburg last January before transferring to South Alabama.

“I think I was more patient (in the second half), just taking my time down there,” Tabe said. “Again, I give all the praise and credit to my teammates and coaches for allowing me to do it. It’s special to score that many points here.”

South Alabama hits the road for two games next week, traveling to Southern Miss Thursday before meeting the Red Wolves again in Jonesboro, Ark., on Saturday.