Game Notes

MOBILE, Ala. – After splitting a pair of road games last week, the University of South Alabama men’s basketball team returns home Thursday to start a three-game homestand against Louisiana at Monroe.

The Jaguars and Warhawks will tip off at 7:05 p.m. The game can be seen online by subscribers of Jaguars All-Access, heard on 105.5 FM WNSP and WNSP.com, and followed via live stats on USAJaguars.com or Twitter @SouthAlaMBK.

“Louisiana-Monroe is a good team—like any conference team we’re expecting a close game,” interim USA head coach Jeff Price said. “This is a team that went and won at North Texas and played Middle Tennessee to nine points last week. You learn that conference games are different than non-conference games. They’re going to come ready to play and we’ll have to show up to have a chance to win the game.”

While USA has enjoyed success on the road in league play, posting a 4-1 record with four straight wins, the team is 1-2 at home. The two losses have come to Middle Tennessee and Arkansas State, squads that have a combined 10-5 record in the Sun Belt Conference.

“I think we’ve been extremely focused on the road,” Price said. “Our focus has been really good and we have to find a way to get that same focus at home and hopefully get off to a good start—we haven’t gotten off to great starts at home—and hopefully have some folks here to watch us.”

The Jaguars and Warhawks will be facing off for the second time in two weeks and is the first SBC rematch for USA. On Jan. 3 in Monroe, South Alabama jumped out to an early 17-point lead and led by 16 in the second half before holding on for a 77-72 victory. Junior Augustine Rubit (Houston, Texas) had a career night, pouring in 32 points.

“(Playing again so soon) could benefit both of us or be a disadvantage,” Price said. “We look at a lot of tape and I’m sure they’re doing the same thing. We look at what we did well over there and what we didn’t do well and try to make some adjustments. It’s certainly different playing someone so close together and I’m sure we’ll both have our own strategies put together on how we need to win the game.”

Rubit’s career high came on 11 of 12 shooting from the floor and he grabbed 13 rebounds. The nation’s 10th-leading rebounder (10.9 rpg) also converted 10 of 12 from the free throw line.

“Aug’s been tremendous and I think he’s playing right now as well as he’s ever played,” Price noted. “He impacts the game so much, not just with his scoring, but he’s drawing two or three defenders now and making guys around him better and that’s what he needs to do. His work ethic has been great and he just shows up every day.”

ULM’s Amos Olatayo jumpstarted his season in the first USA contest. After totaling just six points in two previous games, Olatayo scored a team-high 18 points off the bench against the Jaguars—the first of four straight double-digit games—and is averaging 19.0 over that span, including a season-best 24 last week against Middle Tennessee, while shooting 58.0 percent from the floor. He leads the team in scoring at 14.6 points per game.

“He’s been playing great; he had a chance to be the player of the week in the conference,” Price said. “He’s just playing with a lot of confidence. He’s shooting the ball well and he’s so active away from the ball—he cuts well to the basket on backdoors—and he’s a good rebounder for his position. He’s certainly going to be a handful.”

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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