Game Notes

MOBILE, Ala. – After a rough December that saw the University of South Alabama men's basketball team play four road games, including three against top 100 RPI schools, the Jaguars return home to open Sun Belt Conference play against Western Kentucky Thursday afternoon at 5:05 p.m.

The game will be the Jags' last against the Hilltoppers as conference rivals. WKU will join Conference USA for the 2014-15 year.

"I'm really excited about the opportunity to play Western Kentucky," Jaguar head coach Matthew Graves said. They have a great tradition and they're the defending champions from last year. It's going to be a great test for our team. I know our players are excited and our fans are as well."

South Alabama went 2-4 against that tough December slate and enter the contest with a 6-7 overall record. Both wins last month came at home, but Graves hopes road losses to Gonzaga, Arkansas and New Mexico State will help prepare the team for the upcoming conference schedule.

"What it's allowed us to do is play against several different styles in different venues that are very tough," Graves said. "When you look at the teams we've played, it's going to give us a great feel for our conference. For example, Western Kentucky is very good defensively and tough and physical. Then you turn around on Saturday and you're playing Georgia State, who could arguably be one of the best offensive teams in the league. Being able to adjust and play against different styles in a short turnaround is going to be key to our success and I think we set up our non-conference schedule so that we could see many different looks."

The solid defenses last month held USA to 64 points or less and less than 44 percent shooting in three of its last four games. The Jaguars are 10th in the Sun Belt in field goal percentage (.404) and will be going against the top scoring defense (65.5 ppg) in the league.

"The biggest thing for us is to take good shots," Graves said. "We are doing a really good job of finding open shots and right now they're just not going down. As long as we continue to take good shots and take care of the basketball—we had a season low in turnovers in our last game—we've got good shooters and we're going to make shots. Playing on the road probably had a little bit to do with it and the opponent had a little bit to do with it, so as we continue to play and get better, if we take good shots and take care of the ball, those shots will fall."

USA's Augustine Rubit averages 17.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game to rank seventh and third, respectively, in the conference. He became the Sun Belt's all-time leading rebounder last week at New Mexico State after pulling down a team-high six boards.

The Hilltoppers (8-5) rely on the one-two punch of T.J. Price and George Fant. Price is one spot below Rubit in the league rankings with 17.1 ppg and Fant averages 14.1 points per contest. Price scored 26 in WKU's 79-74 home loss to Ole Miss on Monday on the strength of six 3-pointers, while Fant poured in 23 against Brescia (Ky.) on Dec. 28, converting 8 of 9 from the floor.

"Those two guys are as good as any tandem in this league," Graves noted. "They're tough, they're physical, they have a presence about them and they have a swagger about them; they're the defending conference champs so they have a bit of an ego and that's a good thing if you're a Western Kentucky fan. We'll certainly have our hands full but I think the way we guard in our system, it's a team defense so it's not one guy guarding Price and one guy guarding Fant; it's our five guys defending Western Kentucky.

"We understand that, especially for Price, he's going to make some tough shots; that's what he does, but how many times can we make him take those tough shots and not give him easy baskets? With Fant, you really have to match his energy. He does a great job of scoring around the basket, attacking the goal, getting to the free-throw line and getting offensive rebounds. Can we play as hard as he's going to play? I think our guys are going to be ready for that challenge."

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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