Game Notes

Game 27 • South Alabama Jaguars (16-10, 13-5) at Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (15-14, 9-9)
February 28, 2013 • 7 p.m. • Diddle Arena (7,326) • Bowling Green, Ky.

THE COACHES
South Alabama
Jeff Price (Pikeville, 1981) - Interim
Record at USA: 11-5 (1st year)
Overall Record: 304-191 (18th year)
Record vs. WKU: 1-0

Western Kentucky
Ray Harper (Kentucky Wesleyan, 1985)
Record at WKU: 26-22 (2nd year)
Overall Record: 368-85 (14th year)

LAST GAME
South Alabama defeated North Texas in its home finale 69-57. Western Kentucky exploded for 88 points on the road vs. Louisiana at Lafayette.

NEXT GAME
The Jaguars conclude the season Saturday at Troy. The Hilltoppers host Middle Tennessee.

ON THE AIR
TV: ESPN Full Court
Radio: 105.5 WNSP; Lee Shirvanian (pxp)
On the web: ESPN3.com (video); www.wnsp.com (audio)

RANKINGS (Through Feb. 25)
USA: #151 RPI (RealTimeRPI), #191 Sagarin
WKU: #181 RPI (RealTimeRPI), #194 Sagarin

THE SERIES
USA leads 33-29.

Current winning streak: South Alabama, 2 wins
WKU’s last win in series: 75-66 (2/4/12)
Last meeting: South Alabama 65, WKU 57 (1/24/13)
USA’s last win at Diddle Arena: 80-76 (2/3/11)
WKU’s last win at Diddle Arena: 75-66 (2/4/12)
USA’s record at Diddle Arena: 11-16
USA’s road streak: Lost 1
USA’s longest winning / losing streak in series: 6 / 6

Notes: South Alabama is the only Sun Belt school to lead the all-time series with Western Kentucky… South Alabama snapped a six-game losing streak to WKU—the longest by the Hilltoppers in the series—in 2010-11 season in Bowling Green, and has won three of the last four meetings… WKU also won six straight from Feb. 16, 1985 to Jan. 16, 1988… WKU’s 30-point win in Bowling Green in the 2009-10 season was the biggest win in the series by either school… The previous seven meetings were decided by eight points or less… Since South Alabama won six straight from 1996-98, WKU leads the series 15-12.

OPENING TIP
USA is the only Sun Belt school to lead the all-time series with Western Kentucky (33-29).

South Alabama is 15-0 (11-0 Sun Belt) this season when leading or tied at halftime and 12-1 (10-1 Sun Belt) when recording a higher shooting percentage than its opponent.

USA’s 13-5 Sun Belt record is the program’s best after 18 games since starting 16-2 in 2007-08. The Jaguars’ 13 conference wins are also the most since the 2007-08 campaign.

The Jaguars closed their home schedule with a seven-game win streak in the Mitchell Center.

South Alabama held North Texas to 33.8 percent shooting from the floor, the lowest by a USA opponent all season. The Mean Green converted just 1 of 11 shots from 3-point range, also the lowest percentage (9.1%) by an opponent in 2012-13. The Jags had allowed three straight teams to shoot 42 percent or better from the floor before Saturday.

Saturday marked just the second time in the last seven games that USA failed to get to the free throw line 28 times, but the Jags made up for it by shooting a season best 15 of 16 (93.8%) at the stripe. Wendell Wright, a career 45.5% shooter entering the game, made a career-high six free throws in six attempts. USA leads the SBC in free throws made (18.0) and attempted (25.3) per game.

Augustine Rubit went to the charity stripe just three times Saturday, his fewest attempts since going 1-for-1 at Florida Atlantic on Nov. 29. Through Saturday, Rubit is third in the nation in free throws made (6.5) and attempted per game (8.3). He has already set a new school record for free throws made in a season with 169 and is second with 215 attempts.

Rubit’s double-digit scoring streak ended Saturday at 17 games with nine points—just his second single-digit  game this season—but managed to grab a game-high 15 rebounds, his most in the 2013 calendar year, to tie Chris Gatling of Old Dominion for 11th in Sun Belt history for career rebounds with 859. Rubit needs four boards to move into the league’s top 10. He also leads the nation in offensive rebounds per game (4.5).

Rubit needs nine points to move into ninth in USA history for career points (currently has 1,301).

Javier Carter recorded his third career double-double—and first of the 2012-13 season—Saturday with 10 points and a personal-best 12 rebounds. He added six blocks, his highest total since blocking seven vs. William Carey. Carter has blocked six or more shots in a game five times in his career. He is shooting 63 percent from the floor in his last 10 games.

After leading all scorers with 18 points vs. North Texas, Mychal Ammons is averaging 15.5 points and shooting 53.5 percent from the floor in his last four games. Ammons has recorded double-digit points in all four games—including two 18-point performances—with one double-double.