Game Notes

Game 27 • South Alabama Jaguars (14-12, 7-6) at Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (11-16, 5-9)
February 17, 2018 • 2:30 p.m. CST • The HTC Center (3,212) • Conway, S.C.

THE COACHES
South Alabama
Matthew Graves (Butler, 1998)
Record at USA: 65-90 (5th year)
Overall Record: Same
Record vs. CCU: 1-2

Coastal Carolina
Cliff Ellis (Florida State, 1968)
Record at CCU: 210-145 (11th year)
Overall Record: 744-482 (40th year)

LAST GAME
South Alabama scored 46 second-half points in a 77-66 victory at  Appalachian State. Coastal Carolina fell 66-65 to Troy.

NEXT GAME
The Jaguars open their final homestand of the season Thursday against ULM. The Chanticleers travel to Little Rock.

ON THE AIR
Radio: 99.5 FM The Jag; J.D. Byars (pxp)
On the web: 995thejag.com/listen (audio); ChantVision (video)

RANKINGS (Through Feb. 15)
USA: #236 RPI, #216 Sagarin
CCU: #250 RPI, #236 Sagarin

THE SERIES
CCU leads 3-2.

Current winning streak: South Alabama, 1 win
CCU's last win in series: 80-67 (3/8/17) in New Orleans
Last meeting: South Alabama 60, Coastal Carolina 57 (1/18/18)
USA's last win at the HTC Center: N/A
USA's last win in Conway: N/A
Coastal Carolina's last win at the HTC Center: N/A
Coastal Carolina's last win in Conway: 82-70 (1/24/90)
USA's record at the HTC Center: 0-0
USA's record on the road: 0-1
USA's road streak: Lost 1
USA's longest winning / losing streak in series: 1 / 3

Notes: The two schools split the first two meetings, with South Alabama winning in 1988-89, and Coastal Carolina winning in 1989-90, but the Chanticleers won the first Sun Belt meeting last year in overtime, then won in the first round of the Sun Belt Tournament… The 1988-89 meeting in Mobile took place in Jag Gym.

OPENING TIP
South Alabama's 7-6 Sun Belt Conference record is its best after 13 games since going 9-4 in 2012-13.

USA is on a three-game win streak for the first time this season.

The Jaguars' plus-48 scoring margin over the last three games is their biggest over Sun Belt opponents since February 2008, and the team has three straight double-digit wins for the first time since December 2010.

South Alabama picked up just its third win when trailing at halftime (3-10) and when being outrebounded (3-11), but improved to 12-0 when holding the opposition to fewer than 70 points. Coastal Carolina was held to 57 in the first meeting between the two teams.

Rodrick Sikes has converted 73 times from 3-point land this season, which is currently tied for ninth in school history.

Sikes scored 18 of his 24 points on Thursday before halftime. He is averaging 19.5 points in the first half of his last two games.

He has moved up to fifth in the league in scoring overall (18.4 ppg) and is second in scoring in league games (20.7 ppg). Sikes is averaging 28.0 points and has made nine 3-pointers in his last two outings.

Sikes also did work on the other end of floor at App State, tying his career high with three steals.

Josh Ajayi posted a season-high 26 points on Thursday, scoring 20 in the second half alone. He tallied 10 straight points in a 10-3 run that gave the Jags a six-point lead with 3:26 left to play.

Ajayi posted his team-leading sixth double-double of the season with a career-high-tying 14 rebounds. He is the only Jaguar with a double-double this season.

Ajayi is averaging 20.0 points and 7.5 rebounds, while shooting 54.7 percent from the floor in his last four outings.

Ajayi went 8 for 8 at the free-throw line Thursday, which is the best performance by a Jag at the stripe this season.

Sikes and Ajayi have scored 20 points each in the same game four times in 2017-18, and twice in the last two games. The team is 3-1 when they both reach the 20-point plateau, 6-3 when Sikes scores 20 or more, and 5-1 when Ajayi posts a double-double.

Jordan Andrews recorded eight points against Appalachian State, and shot 2 for 3 from distance and 2 for 2 from the free-throw line. His scoring output is his highest against a Division I opponent since Dec. 29.

The Chanticleers' loss to the Jaguars on Jan. 18 was their sixth in a row, but they rebounded to win their next four. They enter Saturday's game on a three-game skid after a 66-65 loss to Troy.

CCU shot 4 for 25 from 3-point land in the first meeting in Mobile. The 16.0 long-range percentage is the lowest by a Sun Belt opponent, and second lowest by a Division I opponent this season.

PREVIEWING SATURDAY
Head coach Matthew Graves on Coastal Carolina
On key to recent win streak: "I think our guys have really settled in to understanding, both offensively and defensively, what we need to do and how we need to do it. They're really playing with a clear mind and a great deal of energy and effort right now."

On Ajayi's play in the last four games: "He's becoming more and more comfortable in the role of being a go-to scorer for us. It really wasn't a matter of if he could do it, it was how consistent could he be doing that. Right now he's in a stretch where he's being very consistent scoring and rebounding the basketball for us. "

On Coastal Carolina: "Any time you go on the road, you have play really well if you expect to win, and it's no different playing Coastal Carolina. They have the ability to make a bunch of 3s in transition, which is scary, and they have a good lineup that can get to the offensive glass. We'll have to do a great job in our transition defense and finishing plays with a strong, physical box-out."

On slowing down Shaw and Cuthbertson: "You have to have a keen awareness of Shaw in transition and off his ball screens, because he does a great job of getting in the paint and not only making plays for himself but others too. We have to do a great job in our ball screen coverage. With Cuthbertson, he's an inside-out scorer, so you have to be aware of him on the perimeter, but at the same time, be able to box him out and not give him anything easy, which allows him to get in a rhythm."

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).

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—USA—