Game Notes

MOBILE, Ala. – The 12th Annual Coors Classic, hosted by the GoDaddy.com Bowl, will feature the University of South Alabama men’s basketball team and LSU Sunday afternoon at the Mitchell Center.

Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. It will be shown live on CSS, with announcers Mike Morgan and Sonny Smith calling the action.

South Alabama fans can listen to Lee Shirvanian and Pat Greenwood call the action on WNSP 105.5 FM and WNSP.com. A videostream will also be available for Jaguar Athletics All-Access subscribers at USAJaguars.com.

It will mark LSU’s first visit to South Alabama’s home arena and just the second-ever meeting between the two schools. The Tigers won 71-62 during the 2002-03 season.

The Jaguars enter the contest with a 2-2 record and are coming off an 82-58 loss at UAB, while LSU brings a 3-2 mark, including a 78-36 victory over Centenary on Wednesday.

“This is a very good, high-profile team coming in and we need to have a very good game and beat them,” said USA head coach Ronnie Arrow. “They’re well-coached and execute at a high level, and their freshman point guard (Andre Stringer) is one of the best in the country.”

Stringer leads the Tigers in scoring (15.8 ppg), assists (15), 3-point percentage (.394) and 3-pointers (13). He tallied 16 points in just 19 minutes Wednesday and has led the team in scoring in every game this season.

“He was one of the top high school kids coming out last year,” said Arrow. “He can shoot NBA 3-pointers, he can deliver to the open man and he can make the team go.”

LSU ranks fifth in the SEC in rebounding margin at plus-8.0 and has won the rebounding battle in each of its last four outings, including plus-20 vs. Tennessee-Martin and plus-17 against Centenary. South Alabama, on the other hand, ranks in a tie for eighth in the Sun Belt at minus-2.0, but leads the league in offensive rebounds per game (15.0) and is second in total rebounds per contest (40.5).

“They’re a very physical team,” said Arrow. “Trent does a really good job of getting them physical. They went to Memphis and it was a four or five-point game for most of it. They’re very precise on offense. We’re going to have to box out and not give them any second shots. It will be a physical game and we have to show up. We have not played well in physical games.”

Redshirt freshman Augustine Rubit (Houston, Texas) is the Jaguars’ top rebounder with 9.0 boards per game, which ranks fifth in the conference. He has two double-doubles on the year, both at home.

Rubit isn’t the only USA player having success on his home court. The Jags average 81.5 points in two games in the Mitchell Center (both victories) compared to only 58.0 points in two away games (both losses).

“It’s always nice to play at home,” said Arrow. “There’s nothing like playing in the Mitchell Center and we need to take advantage of that. We have to take good shots and put pressure on them defensively. Shot selection, being physical and getting stops on defense are going to be vital.”

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

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