Game Notes

Game 27 • South Alabama Jaguars (16-10, 8-7) at Florida International Panthers (7-20, 4-11)
February 25, 2012 • 7:30 p.m. EST • U.S. Century Bank Arena (5,000) • Miami, Fla.

THE COACHES
South Alabama
Ronnie Arrow (Southwest Texas State, 1969)
Record at USA: 205-154 (13th year)
Overall Record: 339-245 (21st year)
Record vs. Florida International: 7-2

Florida Intl.
Isiah Thomas (Indiana, 1987)
Record at FIU: 25-64 (3rd year)
Overall Record: Same

LAST GAME
South Alabama survived Florida Atlantic in overtime 79-76. Florida International fell at home to Troy, also in overtime, 75-70.

NEXT GAME
Both teams will participate in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament March 3-6.

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

RANKINGS (Through Feb. 22)
USA: #176 RPI (RealTimeRPI), #194 Sagarin
FIU: #236 RPI (RealTimeRPI), #229 Sagarin

THE SERIES
USA leads 17-7.

Current winning streak: FIU, 1 win
USA’s last win in series: 86-78 (1/22/11)
Last meeting: FIU 65, South Alabama 62 (1/19/12)
USA’s last win at Century Bank Arena: 71-59 (12/31/09)
FIU’s last win at Century Bank Arena: 73-62 (1/8/11)
USA’s record at Century Bank Arena: 7-4
USA’s record on the road: 8-4
USA’s road streak: Lost 1
USA’s longest winning / losing streak in series: 6 / 2

Notes: FIU ended a six-game losing streak to South Alabama last season in Miami… The win (73-62) was the Panthers’ second-biggest win in the series (74-43 in 1998)… USA’s win streak was its longest all-time vs. FIU… The Jags have won nine of the last 12 games… FIU has a 1-0 record in the Sun Belt Tournament… The series is 14-9 USA since FIU joined the league in 1998… The last meeting in Mobile, a 69-65 USA win, was the first in the series to go to overtime… Two FIU wins in the 2004-05 season (one regular season, one SBC Tournament) were vacated due to NCAA penalties.

OPENING TIP
South Alabama needs one Sun Belt win to reach the 300-win plateau.

Ronnie Arrow is two SBC victories away from setting a new league record for career conference wins. He can tie Gene Bartow with 111 wins with a victory Saturday.

USA has won four straight Sun Belt games for the first time since February 2009. The Jags last won five in a row at any point in March 2008 and five straight SBC games in January of that year.

South Alabama has six wins this year when trailing by 10 points or more at any point in the game, including two of the last three. Since the start of the 2009-10 campaign, the Jags have rallied from down 10 or more to win 14 times.

One game after scoring 15 of 17 points after halftime vs WKU, Mychal Ammons scored nine of his career-high 26 points vs. FAU in overtime. He has a four-game double-digit scoring streak for the first time in his career and is averaging 20.5 points over that span with two 20-point performances. He is shooting 55.6 percent from the floor in his last four outings and 83.8 percent at the free throw line. He has led the team in scoring three times in his double-digit scoring streak.

Ammons also has multiple steals in four of the last five games and has led the team in steals 11 times.

After going four games without a double-double, tying his career-long drought, Augustine Rubit has one in each of his last two games and is tied for the Sun Belt lead with 10 on the season. The team is 8-2 when Rubit has a double-double in a game. With 12 rebounds vs. Florida Atlantic, he passed Andy Denny for eighth place in career rebounds in USA history and has 546 in less than two seasons. Rubit leads the SBC in rebounding (9.2 rpg) and double-doubles (10, tie).

In three games against FIU, Rubit averages 18.7 points and 11.0 rebounds with three double-doubles.

Freddie Goldstein has alternated double-digit scoring performances in his last five games, including a 15-point outing Thursday vs. Florida Atlantic. His converted 3 of 6 from 3-point land against the Owls and is currently second in the Sun Belt in 3s per game (2.4).

South Alabama has outrebounded 20 of its 26 opponents this season, including four in a row, and ranks fifth in the nation in rebounding margin (+7.7). The Jags won the battle of the boards vs. FAU 41-30.

USA, the SBC’s last-ranked team in turnover margin (-3.46) will go up against the league’s best in terms of steals (7.6 spg). FIU had 10 thefts in the first meeting in Mobile and forced 15 turnovers.

FIU has lost five in a row overall and nine straight at home.