Game Notes

Game 25 • South Alabama Jaguars (15-9, 12-4) at Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (23-4, 15-1)
February 21, 2013 • 7 p.m. • Murphy Center (11,520) • Murfreesboro, Tenn.

THE COACHES
South Alabama
Jeff Price (Pikeville, 1981) - Interim
Record at USA: 10-4 (1st year)
Overall Record: 303-190 (18th year)
Record vs. MTSU: 0-1

Middle Tennessee
Kermit Davis (Mississippi State, 1982)
Record at MTSU: 203-137 (11th year)
Overall Record: 274-187 (15th year)

LAST GAME
South Alabama blew out Louisiana at Lafayette 88-64 last Thursday. Middle Tennessee won its 12th straight game in a 66-61 victory over Arkansas at Little Rock.

NEXT GAME
The Jaguars return home to host North Texas Saturday. The Blue Raiders entertain Louisiana at Monroe.

ON THE AIR
Radio: 105.5 WNSP; Lee Shirvanian (pxp)
On the web: www.wnsp.com (audio); ESPN3.com (video) http://es.pn/mbb-USAvsMTSU

RANKINGS (Through Feb. 18)
USA: #154 RPI (RealTimeRPI), #185 Sagarin
MTSU: #25 RPI (RealTimeRPI), #53 Sagarin, RV AP, Coaches

THE SERIES
Middle Tennessee leads 16-12.

Current winning streak: Middle Tennessee, 4 wins
USA’s last win in series: 63-57 (1/2/11)
Last meeting: Middle Tennessee 60, South Alabama 56 (1/5/13)
USA’s last win at the Murphy Center: 63-57 (2/19/09)
MT’s last win at the Murphy Center: 68-52 (12/31/11)
USA’s record at the Murphy Center: 5-5
USA’s road streak: Lost 3
USA’s longest winning / losing streak in series: 4 / 4

Notes: Middle Tennessee has won nine of the last 11 meetings… MTSU has won four straight in the series, the longest vs. the Jags in school history… The Blue Raiders won three straight games by 16 points or more until their four-point win earlier this season in Mobile… USA’s last two wins have come by the same 63-57 score… The schools played just once from 1982-2001 before MTSU entered the Sun Belt… The Blue Raiders swept the Jaguars in 2009-10 and last season, winning all games by double-digits… Middle Tennessee has eliminated South Alabama in four consecutive SBC Tournament meetings.

OPENING TIP
Thursday’s 24-point win over Louisiana at Lafayette was the team’s biggest this season.

The Jaguars are 4-1 this year after a break of a week or more.

South Alabama is 14-0 (10-0 Sun Belt) this season when leading or tied at halftime.

USA’s 12-4 Sun Belt record is the program’s best after 16 games since starting 14-2 in 2007-08. The Jaguars’ 12 conference wins are also the most since the 2007-08 campaign.

South Alabama has won seven of its last eight games, tied for its best eight-game run of the last five seasons, and has won four straight games, the program’s longest in 2012-13.

In conference games, the Jaguars rank second in both field percentage defense (40.4%) and 3-point percentage defense (29.4%).

Thursday the Jaguars went to the free throw line a season-high 36 times and tied a season-best with 25 conversions. USA leads the Sun Belt with 18.1 free throws per game and 25.6 attempts per contest.

Augustine Rubit tied his career high with 12 free throws and posted a new personal best with 16 attempts. He has set a new school record for free throws in a season Thursday with 159.

On Thursday Rubit led the team in scoring for the 10th straight game—and 18th time this season— with a career-high 34 points, shooting 11 of 16 from the floor. The 34 points tie the most by a Sun Belt player this season. He reached the 30-point mark for the third time this season which is the most by a USA player since Demetric Bennett had four 30-point games in 2007-08.

Rubit recorded his 14th double-double of the season vs. Louisiana at Lafayette with 34 points and 12 rebounds. His double-double total ranks second in the conference.

Mychal Ammons teamed up with Rubit for dual double-doubles, posting his fourth of the season with 18 points and 11 boards. It marked the first time since the 2012 Sun Belt Quarterfinals that two USA players recorded a double-double in the same game. Ammons’ 18 points are his most since putting up 21 at FIU on Dec. 1 and his 11 rebounds are tied for his second most in 2012-13.

Javier Carter went 4-for-6 from the floor vs. ULL and is shooting 69.4 percent over his last eight games.

Middle Tennessee’s 23 wins are tied for third-most in the nation (as of Wednesday) and the Blue Raiders are 14-0 at home this year.

MTSU leads the conference in 12 different statistical categories, including scoring offense (70.6), scoring defense (58.0), field goal percentage (46.1%) and field goal percentage defense (40.0%).

The Blue Raiders rank first in scoring offense despite their leading scorer, Marcos Knight (12.7), ranking 15th in the conference. Knight is the only MTSU player to average double-digit points.