Game Notes

Game 10 • South Alabama Jaguars (5-4) vs. #20/16 Gonzaga Bulldogs (9-1)
December 14, 2013 • 7 p.m. PST • KeyArena (17,072) • Seattle, Wash. • Battle in Seattle

THE COACHES
South Alabama
Matthew Graves (Butler, 1998)
Record at USA: 5-4 (1st year)
Overall Record: 5-4 (1st year)
Record vs. Gonzaga: 0-0

Gonzaga
Mark Few (Oregon, 1987)
Record at Gonzaga: 383-94 (15th year)
Overall Record: Same

LAST GAME
South Alabama rallied from a 17-point deficit in the second half but fell on a buzzer-beater in three overtimes at Rice, 96-93. Gonzaga also came back from a double-digit deficit but won 80-76 at West Virginia.

NEXT GAME
The Jaguars return to Mobile for their final home game of 2013 when they host Dillard Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. The Bulldogs take on Kansas State next Saturday in the Wichita Wildcat Classic.

ON THE AIR
TV: Root Sports; Greg Heister (pxp), Richard Fox (color), Brad Adam (color)
Radio: 105.5 WNSP; Lee Shirvanian (pxp)
On the web: www.wnsp.com (audio)

RANKINGS (through Dec. 10)
USA: #183 RPI (RealTimeRPI), #167 Sagarin
Gonzaga: #16 RPI (RealTimeRPI), #10 Sagarin

THE SERIES
Gonzaga leads 2-0.

Current streak: Gonzaga, 2 wins
Last meeting: Gonzaga 80-63 (12/5/98)
USA's record in Seattle: 0-1
USA's neutral streak: Lost 2
USA's longest winning / losing streak in series: 0 / 2
Notes: Gonzaga has a pair of 17-point wins in the series, both on neutral courts… The first meeting came on Dec. 29, 1995 at the U.S. West Cellular Air Time Tournament in Seattle, resulting in a 60-43 final… The two schools met again almost three years later at the Hawkeye Classic in Iowa City, Iowa, which Gonzaga won 80-63 en route to the Elite 8 that season.

OPENING TIP
South Alabama is 8-6 against current members of the West Coast Conference but is 0-2 all-time against Gonzaga. The Jags last played a WCC school in 2007-08, a 77-55 win over San Diego.

Both previous meetings with Gonzaga have come on a neutral floor and Saturday's matchup will be the second in Seattle. The first meeting came in 1995 at the U.S. West Cellular Air Time Tournament.

South Alabama is 3-2 in its last five games against ranked opponents. The Jags opened the 2012-13 campaign with a 76-71 win at No. 25/24 Florida State.

Saturday's loss at Rice is believed to be the school's first-ever triple-overtime contest.

The Jaguars trailed at halftime for the first time this season but rallied from as many as 17 down in the second half to force overtime. The team entered the game outscoring the opposition by 12.0 points before halftime but shot just 25.9% vs. the Owls. Defensively the Jags allowed Rice to shoot 50.0% from the floor, the highest by a USA opponent this season.

South Alabama has scored 90 or more in back-to-back games for the first time since Dec. 20, 1994 and it's the most total points by the program over two consecutive games since March 1, 2003.

The Jags set a new single-game 3-point school record at Rice with 17 trifectas, including a career-high six from Antoine Allen. USA ranks 10th in the nation and first in the Sun belt in 3-pointers per game (9.6), and have made 10 or more treys in a game three times this season.

South Alabama is excelling at defending the 3-pointer, ranking 24th in Division in 3-point percentage defense (.270), and is holding its last four opponents to convert just 21.5%. Three schools have shot 12 percent or worse from distance.

Allen went 6-for-12 from behind the arc Saturday and put up a personal-best 26 points, with all 26 coming after halftime. His point total is the highest by a USA player this season. He is ninth in the SBC in 3-point percentage (.489) and 3-pointers per contest (2.6).

Also putting up a career scoring night at Rice was Ken Williams who poured in 15 points and dished out five assists, and tied his personal high with three 3-pointers. He has scored at least 13 points in four of his last five games with three triples each in those contests.

Mychal Ammons went 3-for-5 from long range in his last outing and is shooting 6-for-9 (66.7%) from distance while averaging 16.5 ppg over his last two games. He tied his career high with 14 rebounds vs. Rice and has moved up to fifth in the conference in rebounding (8.7). Ammons posted his second double-double of the season by adding 16 points. He averaged 14.5 points in his first two games of the year, 5.2 over his next five and 16.5 in his last two.

Augustine Rubit is the Division I active leader in rebounds (981) and double-doubles (46), and second in rebounding average (10.2).

South Alabama posted a positive assist-turnover ratio (17 assists, 13 turnovers) for the third time in its last four games. Barrington Stevens III has dished out five assists with no turnovers in his last two outings and has had a positive ratio seven times in nine games this season.

Gonzaga ranks in the nation's top 10 in scoring (89.4, 6th), scoring margin (+17.5, 10th), field goal percentage (53.8, 1st), 3-pointers per game (9.8, 5th), 3-point percentage (.464, 1st) and assist-turnover ratio (1.64, 8th).