Game Notes

Game 13 • South Alabama Jaguars (6-6) at New Mexico State Aggies (10-5)
December 28, 2013 • 7 p.m. MST • Pan American Center (8,994) • Las Cruces, N.M.

THE COACHES
South Alabama
Matthew Graves (Butler, 1998)
Record at USA: 6-6 (1st year)
Overall Record: 6-6 (1st year)
Record vs. New Mexico State: 0-0

New Mexico State
Marvin Menzies (UCLA, 1987)
Record at NMSU: 136-84 (7th year)
Overall Record: Same

LAST GAME
South Alabama fell 72-60 to Arkansas in Little Rock. New Mexico State routed Northern New Mexico 97-47.

NEXT GAME
The Jaguars open Sun Belt Conference play on Thursday at home against Western Kentucky. The Aggies commence their league schedule as well, traveling to Grand Canyon on Jan. 4.

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

RANKINGS (through Dec. 26)
USA: #201 RPI (RealTimeRPI), #156 Sagarin
NMSU: #48 RPI (RealTimeRPI), #65 Sagarin

THE SERIES
New Mexico State leads 8-6.

Current winning streak: NMSU, 1 win
USA's last win in series: 63-55 (2/12/05)
Last meeting: New Mexico State 58, South Alabama 52 (12/4/12)
USA's last win at the Pan American Center: 63-55 (2/12/05)
NMSU's last win at the Pan American Center: 77-71 (2/8/03)
USA's record at the Pan American Center: 3-3
USA's record on the road: 3-3
USA's road streak: Won 2
USA's longest winning / losing streak in series: 2 / 4

Notes: The previous 10 meetings before last season's matchup came when New Mexico State was a member of the Sun Belt Conference… The last six meetings have been decided by 10 points or less… The Aggies won four in a row during the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons, sweeping the Jaguars two straight years… The first meeting between the two schools came at the Birmingham (Ala.) Classic on Dec. 17, 1976, an 85-83 USA victory.

OPENING TIP
New Mexico State has five players 6-foot-8 or taller, including two—Sim Bhullar (7-foot-5) and his brother Tanveer (7-foot-3)—over seven feet.

South Alabama is 0-5 on the road or at neutral sites and 6-1 at home this season.

One game after tying a season low with seven turnovers, USA committed a season-high 20 against Arkansas, who lead the SEC with 17.7 forced per game. The Jaguars are third in the Sun Belt with 13.2 turnovers per game. The Aggies commit 13.5 miscues per outing, but force just 11.6 and rank 286th in the nation in turnover margin (-1.9).

Augustine Rubit recorded his seventh double-figure rebound game of the season with 10 boards against Arkansas and also became the second player in Sun Belt Conference history to tally 1,000 career rebounds. Rubit enters Saturday's game with 1,009 and needs two to pass Muntrelle Dobbins of Arkansas-Little Rock to become the conference's all-time leader.

Rubit was held to a season-low eight points against the Hogs; his previous low was nine in the season opener vs. Detroit. He did, however, tie his career high with four assists.

Rubit is one of six active Division I players to have 1,500 points and 600 rebounds in their career. He has the most rebounds of any member of that club. He also ranks first among active players in rebounds and double-doubles (47) and second in rebounding average (10.2).

Outside of 2-for-12 and 3-for-10 performances at the free-throw line for Rubit against William Carey and Dillard, respectively, Rubit is shooting 83.1 percent at the stripe.

Antoine Allen hit the 20-point mark for the second time this season vs. Arkansas with a game-best 21. Fifteen of those points came on 3-pointers; the five treys are one shy of his career high. He has hit four or more 3s five times this season and ranks fifth in the Sun Belt in 3s per game (2.3) and 11th in 3-point percentage (.424).

Allen also did some work on the defensive end of the floor, nabbing three steals to tie his season best.

South Alabama has held nine of its 12 opponents under their current scoring average, including six by 10 points or more. The Jaguars held Arkansas, averaging 85.5 points per game this season, tied for 14th in the nation, to 72 last Saturday, and Gonzaga, who ranks 16th with 85.3 ppg, to just 68.

Part of that defensive effort last Saturday was limiting Arkansas to 29.4 percent (5-17) shooting from 3-point range. USA is 10th in the nation in 3-point defense, holding opponents to 27.3 percent from beyond the arc. The Jags have held four teams to below 15 percent this season and six of their last seven opponents have shot 30 percent or worse.

The Aggies average 14.9 attempts from distance compared to 23.5 for the Jaguars.

Last season against the Aggies, Rubit was held to eight points on 3-for-12 shooting, but grabbed a team-best 10 rebounds. Mychal Ammons led all players with 16 points.