South Alabama led 43-20 at halftime and by as many as 38 points in the second half before Coastal Carolina (8-16, 1-11) used an 18-0 run to get within 20 at 71-51 with 6:10 remaining. However, Corey hit back-to-back 3s for the Jaguars, who led comfortably the rest of the way.

The Trojans, who went 37-22 in 2024, received three first-place votes and 178 poll points, behind only preseason Sun Belt favorite Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles, who have won the last two the Sun Belt tournament championships, picked up four first-place votes and 179 points.