Mitchell Hits Career-High in Threes as Ohio Men’s Basketball Defeats South Alabama, 86-77 in Season Opener

Monday, November 2

Mobile, Ala.

8 p.m. ET

1-0,0-0MAC

South Alabama

0-1,0-0Sun Belt

Team	1	2	F
Ohio	34	52	86
South Alabama	35	42	77

Ohio Notes Digital Guide South Alabama Notes

11/2/2026 10:49:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

MOBILE, Ala. – Led by 21 points and a career-high seven three from redshirt junior guard Kolton Mitchell, the Ohio men's basketball team (1-0) opened the 2026-27 season with an 86-77 win at South Alabama (0-1) Monday night (Nov. 2) in the MAC-SBC Challenge.

Overall, Ohio shot 49-1 percent from the field, 42.1 percent from three and were 14-of-18 from the line, while South Alabama shot 50 percent from the field, 27.3 percent from three and were 17-of-28 from the line. Ohio outrebounded the Jags 36-27 and dished out 21 assists to South Alabama's 13.

Mitchell (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) led the Bobcats with 21 points, going 7-of-15 from three, a new career high for three made. Mitchell also two rebounds and dished out three assists. Fifth year guard Jackson Paveletzke (Kimberly, Wis.) added 20 points, going 4-of-4 from the field, 3-of-3 from three and went 9-of-11 from the line. He also grabbed five rebounds and dished out seven assists. Graduate guard Siebe Ledegen (Aalst, Belgium) scored 15 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out five assists in the win. Redshirt senior forward Javan Simmons (Columbus, Ohio) scored 10 points and grabbed five boards, while sophomore forward Dusan Makitan (Banja Luka, Bosnia & Herzegovina) added eight points and 11 boards.

The Bobcats won the tip, but South Alabama got on the board first with a layup. However, moments later, a three from Makitan put the Bobcats ahead. After South Alabama tied the game at 4-4, a three from Mitchell put the Bobcats up 7-4 headed into the first media break. Out of the timeout, back-to-back threes from Mitchell put Ohio nine. After the Jaguars and Simmons traded baskets, a three from Ledegen game the Bobcats an 18-9 lead. Moments later, South Alabama went on a 7-0 run to cut the Ohio lead to two going into the under-12 media timeout.

After South Alabama cut the Ohio lead to one, a layup from Simmons gave the Bobcats 22-19 lead with 6:43 remaining in the half. Out of the time out, South Alabama took a three-point lead, before the two teams continued to trade baskets over the next four minutes. After Ledegen gave Ohio the lead with a free throw, South Alabama tied the game at 32-32. Moments later, a Ledegen layup put the Bobcats up two, however, a three from South Alabama with 29 seconds left in the half gave the Jags the 35-34 lead headed into the break.

At the half, Ohio shot 43 percent from the field, went 5-of-18 from three and were 3-of-4 from the line, while South Alabama shot 50 percent from the field, 3-of-10 from three and were 4-of-10 from the line. Ohio outrebounded the Jags, 17-16 and recorded eight assists to South Alabama's seven.

Ledegen led Ohio with 11, two rebounds and three assists, while Mitchell added nine points and Makitan grabbed five boards.

After South Alabama opened the second half with a basket, a three from Paveletzke tied the game at 37-37. After the Jags went up five a jumper from Ledegen and a three from Paveletzke cut the Ohio deficit to 44-42 entering the first media timeout. Out of the break, South Alabama took a seven-point lead. Moments later, a three-point play from Paveletzke started a 9-0 run for the Bobcats, with threes from senior guard Kyler D'Augustino (Albany, Ohio) and Makitan, putting Ohio up 51-49 and forcing South Alabama to call a timeout with 12:11 to go.

After a three from graduate guard Marin Petkov (Skopje, North Macedonia) and free throws from Simmons put Ohio up four, a three-point play from the Jags cut the Ohio lead to one. However, another three from Petkov gave the Bobcats a four-point lead once again, before South Alabama matched it with one of their own to cut the Ohio lead to one with 8:51 to go.

Out of the break, a three from Mitchell and free throws from Paveletzke put the Bobcats up six. After South Alabama cut the Ohio lead back down to four, a layup from Ledegen and three from Mitchell gave the Bobcats a nine-point lead. After the Jags hit two free throws cut the lead back to seven, another three from Mitchell gave the Bobcats a 73-63 lead with 4:03 remaining.

After the two teams traded free throws, a three-point play from the Jags cut the Ohio lead to five before another three from Mitchell put the Bobcats back up eight. After the Bobcats forced a turnover, another three from Paveletzke put Ohio up 82-71 with under a minute to go. After the Jags cut the lead to 82-76, Ohio continued to hit their free throws down the line, securing the 86-77 win.

Up next, the Bobcats return to Athens on Saturday, Nov. 7 when they host North Carolina A&T. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. ET inside the Convocation Center and can be seen on ESPN+. Fans looking to attend can purchase tickets here.

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