Game Notes
Game 25 • South Alabama Jaguars (10-14, 4-9) at Denver Pioneers (13-13, 9-4)
Feb. 20, 2011 • 1 p.m. MST • Magness Arena (7,200) • Denver, Colo.
THE COACHES
South Alabama
Ronnie Arrow (Southwest Texas State, 1969)
Record at USA: 187-142 (12th year)
Overall Record: 321-233 (20th year)
Record vs. Denver: 3-3
Denver
Joe Scott (Princeton, 1987)
Record at DU: 58-61 (3rd year) PRE-ULM
Overall Record: 147-169 (10th year)
LAST GAME
The Jaguars dropped an 82-79 decision at North Texas. DU took over first place in the SBC West Division with a 65-37 home victory over Louisiana at Monroe.
NEXT GAME
The Jaguars start the final homestand of the year Thursday vs. UALR. The Pioneers travel to Louisiana at Lafayette.
ON THE AIR
TV: FSN-Rocky Mountain (DirecTV 683, Dish 414);
Tom Helmer (pxp),
Greg Lackey (color),
Alanna Rizzo (sideline)
Radio: 105.5 WNSP; Lee Shirvanian (pxp)
On the web: www.wnsp.com (audio)
RANKINGS (Through Feb. 17)
USA: #296 RPI (RealTimeRPI), #299 Sagarin
DU: #217 RPI (RealTimeRPI), #207 Sagarin
THE SERIES
USA leads 11-10.
Current winning streak: South Alabama, 1
Denver’s last win in series: 71-48 (1/23/10)
Last meeting: South Alabama 54, Denver 52 (2/25/10)
Last five games: USA leads 3-2
USA’s last win at the Magness Center: 70-64 (1/20/07)
DU’s last win at the Magness Center: 71-48 (1/23/10)
USA’s record at the Mitchell Center: 3-7
USA’s road streak: Lost 2
USA’s longest winning / losing streak in series: 4 / 3
Notes: The series started in January, 1972 when the Pioneers came to Mobile for the Senior Bowl and defeated the host Jaguars 64-58... When the series resumed in 2000, South Alabama won the first four meetings... The Jags average just 56.0 points in 10 losses but 72.1 points in 11 victories… USA is averaging 52.0 in the last three meetings (1-2 record)… In the 2010-11 season finale, the Jaguars rallied from a 22-point deficit in the second half to win 54-52.
OPENING TIP
The Jaguars are 0-4 against the Sun Belt West this season.
USA’s last three opponents have shot a combined 44-70 (62.9%) in the second half.
Gary Redus had a game-high two blocks Thursday at North Texas to extend his streak of eight straight games with a rejection. He ranks 14th in the SBC in blocks per game (1.0 pg) and has seven games this year with two blocks.
The Jaguars as a team rank second in the league and 32nd nationally (5.0).
USA’s three-point loss is the second-closest defeat of the year (two vs ULM). The Jaguars have nine defeats by 10 or more.
South Alabama shot a season-high 57.1% from the field in the loss at North Texas. The team is 2-2 when converting 50% or better for the game. NT shot 50.9%, the 10th time a USA opponent hit more than half its shots. The Jags are 0-10 in those games.
Tim Williams, who has four-straight games with less than 10 points (his longest streak in last two years), averaged 18 ppg in two games vs. Denver last year. He had 22 in the season finale, including the team’s last 11 points of the game as the Jags rallied from a 22-point deficit in the second half.
Brian Stafford was the only Pioneer to reach double-digit scoring in both games last year. He had 12 in Denver and 16 in Mobile on 6-for-8 shooting from the floor.
Augustine Rubit, who came off the bench Thursday for the first time this season, was held to five rebounds, his lowest since grabbing three vs. LSU on Nov. 28. The nation’s ninth-leading rebounder was coming off back-to-back 13-board performances and had 11 or more in six of his previous seven outings.
Denver is first in the conference and 28th in the nation holding its opponents to 61.3 points per contest but rank 300th (11th SBC) in scoring offense (62.0). The Pioneers are sixth in Division I in 3-point field goal percentage (41.6%) and face a USA team that is 321st nationally in 3-point defense.
