Game Notes

Game 9 • South Alabama Jaguars (6-2) at Stetson Hatters (5-6)
December 10, 2016 • 6 p.m. CST • Edmunds Center (4,000) • DeLand, Fla.

THE COACHES
South Alabama
Matthew Graves (Butler, 1998)
Record at USA: 43-62 (4th year)
Overall Record: Same
Record vs. Stetson: 0-0

Stetson
Corey Williams (Oklahoma State, 2002)
Record at SU: 28-68 (4th year)
Overall Record: Same

LAST GAME
South Alabama rallied from a big early deficit but fell 67-55 at home to Middle Tennessee. Stetson got double-digit points from four players in an 80-72 win at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.

NEXT GAME
The Jaguars start a three-game homestand Tuesday against Denver. The Hatters take a week off before hosting Fort Wayne on Dec. 18.

ON THE AIR
Radio: 99.5 FM The Jag; J.D. Byars (pxp)
On the web: www.iheart.com/live/995-the-jag-mobile-7117/ (audio); http://es.pn/2fNvmJb (video)

RANKINGS (Through Dec. 7)
USA: #110 RPI, #170 Sagarin
SU: #284 RPI, #313 Sagarin

THE SERIES
Tied 1-1.

Current winning streak: Stetson, 1 win
USA's last win in series: 74-61 (3/3/76)
Last meeting: Stetson 66, South Alabama 65 (11/27/76)
USA's last win at the Edmunds Center: 74-61 (3/3/76)
SU's last win at the Edmunds Center: N/A
USA's record at the Edmunds Center: 1-0
USA's road streak: Won 1
USA's longest winning / losing streak in series: 1 / 1

Notes: The two schools have split a pair of meetings in the 1975-76 and 1976-77 seasons, with each team winning on the other's home floor.

OPENING TIP
South Alabama's 6-2 record is the program's best after eight games since 2009-10.

Saturday marked the team's lowest scoring output of the season with 55 points. The Jags' two lowest scoring games of the year have been in losses (58.5 ppg).

After recording seven assists and 16 turnovers against Middle Tennessee, USA's turnover margin in two losses is minus-22, and in six wins the margin is plus-26.

The Jaguars still won the turnover battle against the Blue Raiders, forcing them into 17 miscues — their highest total of the year — with a season-high 10 steals. USA opponents are committing 17.8 turnovers in the last four games.

The team ranks third in the Sun Belt in turnover margin (+3.75) and turnovers forced (17.4), and fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.0).

USA opponents are shooting 17-40 (.425) from the 3-point line in two wins and 28-115 (.243) in six losses; Middle Tennessee went 8-for-20 from distance Saturday.

Defensively the Jaguars held the Blue Raiders to their third-fewest points of the year and still lead the league in scoring defense (61.8 ppg) and field-goal percentage defense (.378), and rank third in 3-point defense (.290).

Stetson is tied for the Atlantic Sun lead in 3-pointers with 8.8 per game, but is last in field-goal percentage (.420) and sixth (out of eight) in 3-point percentage (.329) and free-throw percentage (.657).

Georgi Boyanov, who has come off the bench in every game this season, was one of three Jags in double-digit points Saturday with 11 points on 3-for-5 shooting from the floor and 5-for-5 shooting at the free-throw line. He has scored 10 or more in back-to-back games for the first time this season.

Boyanov was held to a season-low two rebounds, leaving him two short of 500 rebounds for his career.

Boyanov is first in the conference in 3-point percentage (.706) and third in field-goal percentage (.627).

Ken Williams shared team-high honors in points with Don MuepoKelly against Middle Tennessee with 12 points. Williams needs 13 points to tie Demetric Bennett for seventh at USA in career points; he currently has 1,392.

In addition to the 12 points, MuepoKelly tied his career high with three steals and added two assists. He has hit double-digit points in five of his last six games, and leads the team with 6.6 rebounds per contest.

MuepoKelly did not block a shot Saturday, ending his run at 10 straight games with at least one rejection. He leads the Sun Belt with 1.9 per game.

The Hatters boast two of the top seven scorers in the A-Sun. Derick Newton is fifth with 17.5 points per game, and Divine Myles, who had 23 points and 14 rebounds Wednesday, is seventh with 15.6 ppg. Angel Rivera leads the conference in assists with 5.9 per contest.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

—USA—