Game 14 • South Alabama Jaguars (7-6, 1-1) at Florida Atlantic Owls (9-6, 2-0)
Jan. 6, 2011 • 7 p.m. EST • FAU Arena (5,000) • Boca Raton, Fla.

THE COACHES
South Alabama
Ronnie Arrow (Southwest Texas State, 1969)
Record at USA: 184-134 (12th year)
Overall Record: 318-225 (20th year)
Record vs. Florida Atlantic: 6-1

Florida Atlantic
Mike Jarvis (Northeastern, 1968)
Record at FAU: 29-48 (3rd year)
Overall Record: 392-250

LAST GAME
South Alabama held off Middle Tennessee 63-57 on Sunday. Florida Atlantic defeated Florida Memorial 94-76.

NEXT GAME
The Jaguars continue their Florida road trip Saturday at Florida International. The Owls play the third of their four-game homestand Saturday vs. Arkansas State.

ON THE AIR
Radio: 105.5 WNSP; Lee Shirvanian (pxp)
On the web: www.wnsp.com (audio)

RANKINGS (Through Jan. 3)
USA: #240 RPI (KenPom), #265 Sagarin
FAU: #172 RPI (KenPom), #129 Sagarin

THE SERIES
USA leads 7-2.

Current winning streak: USA, Won 1
FAU’s last win in series: 70-59 (1/28/10)
Last meeting: South Alabama 52, Florida Atlantic 51 (3/6/10)
Last five games: USA leads 4-1
USA’s last win at FAU Arena: 96-93 (1/2/10)
FAU’s last win at FAU Arena: 79-69 (2/21/07)
USA’s record at FAU Arena: 3-1
USA’s road streak: Won 3
USA’s longest winning / losing streak in series: 5 / 1

Notes: The nine meetings are the fewest for any USA Sun Belt opponent… South Alabama rallied from a 15-point deficit in the second half to win in OT in Boca Raton last year… It was just the second game in the series decided by single digits… Each school won on the other’s home floor last year and USA won the rubber match with a 52-51 win in the SBC Tournament… FAU ended a five-game losing streak by winning 70-59 in Mobile.

OPENING TIP
A win would give the Jaguars their 700th win in the program’s history.

South Alabama is 4-0 in post-New Year games under Ronnie Arrow. But the Jags have lost their next game the last two years.

USA is 7-0 when winning the rebounding battle and outshooting its opponent and 0-6 when losing both categories.

FAU’s Greg Gantt ranks fourth in the Sun Belt in scoring (15.2 ppg) and fifth in 3-pointers per game (2.1). He averaged 16.0 points in three games against the Jaguars last season, including 21 in Mobile. He hit an average of three trifectas per outing. Monday against Florida Memorial he went for 28 points—including five 3-pointers—and eight rebounds.

USA’s Tim Williams rebounded from a four-point effort at Arkansas State with 25 against Middle Tennessee, his most since pouring in a career-best 33 points Nov. 20 against Central Michigan. Williams scored 23 at FAU last year, including the game-tying 3-pointer with 10 seconds left in regulation.

Augustine Rubit has recorded at least nine rebounds in each of his last eight games with six double-digit performances (12.9 rpg during that span). He ranks ninth in the nation in rebounding (10.9). In the last five games alone, he is shooting 68.1% from the floor and ranks third in the SBC in field goal percentage (54.3%).

South Alabama leads the conference and is 15th in Division I in blocks per game (5.8). Over the last four games the Jags have rejected an average of eight per outing, including 10 Sunday vs. Middle Tennessee. USA and FAU (5.4) are first and second, respectively in blocks per game in the Sun Belt.

Dishing out those blocks are DeAndré Hersey and Javier Carter. Hersey swatted a career-best five vs. MTSU and is tied for fourth in the league (1.4 pg). Carter is tied for seventh (1..2 bpg) and has a block in  eight of his last nine games.

Allyn Cooks enjoyed one his best games of the year Sunday with a career-high seven assists and just one turnover. He is first in the SBC and 18th in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (2.8).