Game Notes

Game 17 • South Alabama Jaguars (6-10, 0-3) at Arkansas State Red Wolves (9-5, 2-1)
January 11, 2014 • 7:05 p.m. • Convocation Center (10,038) • Jonesboro, Ark.

THE COACHES
South Alabama
Matthew Graves (Butler, 1998)
Record at USA: 6-10 (1st year)
Overall Record: 6-10 (1st year)
Record vs. Arkansas State: 0-0

Arkansas State
John Brady (Belhaven, 1976)
Record at ASU: 89-83 (6th year)
Overall Record: 370-299 (23rd year)

LAST GAME
South Alabama let an 11-point lead vs. Arkansas-Little Rock slip away in a 65-60 loss Thursday. Arkansas State allowed Troy to shoot 55.2 percent from the floor and lost 98-84.

NEXT GAME
The Jaguars return to Mobile to host Louisiana-Lafayette Thursday. The Red Wolves go on the road to take on Georgia State.

ON THE AIR
TV: Sun Belt Network; Tom Dore (pxp), Bob Donewald (color)
Radio: 105.5 WNSP
On the web: www.wnsp.com (audio)

RANKINGS (through Jan. 8)
USA: #241 RPI (RealTimeRPI), #201 Sagarin
ASU: #152 RPI (RealTimeRPI), #136 Sagarin

THE SERIES
ASU leads 19-17.

Current streak: Arkansas State, 2 wins
USA's last win in the series: 74-57 (2/9/12)
Last meeting: Arkansas State 74, South Alabama 62 (1/31/13)
USA's last win at the Convocation Center: 74-67 (1/17/09)
ASU's last win the Convocation Center: 74-62 (1/31/13)
USA's record at the Convocation Center: 4-13
USA's road streak: Lost 2
USA's longest winning / losing streak in series: 5 / 4

Notes: South Alabama had a five-game win streak over ASU snapped in 2009-10 in Mobile… The Red Wolves had won the previous four meetings prior to USA's five-game streak and have won four of the last five against the Jaguars… Arkansas State is 2-0 in games decided in overtime… The series dates back to the 1970-71 season… The Jags have scored more than 90 points just once in 35 games (91-78, 12/28/06).

OPENING TIP
South Alabama has lost five straight games for the first time since the end of the 2006-07 campaign. Arkansas State had its four-game win streak snapped Thursday at home against Troy.

USA will be looking for its first win away from home of the season Saturday, currently holding an 0-5 road record and 0-2 mark in neutral sites.

South Alabama went 7-for-17 from 3-point territory in the first half vs. UALR, equaling their total for the entire game last week vs. Georgia State and the previous two games combined against New Mexico State and Western Kentucky. However, in the second half the shooting touch went cold and the Jags went just 2-for-17 after the break.

The Jaguars shot 32.1 percent from the floor in two games against Arkansas State last year, both losses. USA converted 27.4 percent (17-62) overall and 14.8 percent (4-27) from 3-point land in a 63-54 home defeat and hit 38.0 percent of its shots in ASU's 74-62 win in Jonesboro.

Augustine Rubit was the only Jaguar to average double-digit points against the Red Wolves last season, recording a 19.0 average despite shooting 36.0 percent from the field. He tallied 20 of his 38 total points from the free throw line on just 24 attempts (.833), including a 12-for-12 performance in Jonesboro that is tied for third in school history.

In four career games against the Red Wolves, Rubit is averaging 17.0 points and 11.3 rebounds with two double-doubles. Last season in Mobile he went for 20 points and 17 boards and added two blocks and two steals.

Rubit's 22 points Thursday are one more than he had in the previous two games combined and his most since pouring in a career-high 35 on Dec. 14 vs. Gonzaga. He tied his career high with three 3-pointers vs. UALR and went 5-for-5 at the free throw line.

Rubit recorded his seventh double-double of the season with a game-high 13 rebounds; he had a season-best 14 boards his last time out against Georgia State. Rubit's 49 career double-doubles lead all active Division I players and his 1,051 career rebounds lead all players in any NCAA division.

Rubit has double-doubles in back-to-back games for the first time since Nov. 24.

Antoine Allen has reached double-digits in points four times in his last five games after tallying 13 at UALR. He is sixth in the Sun Belt in 3-pointers per game (2.3) and 12th in 3-point percentage (.371).

Isaiah Maston made the most of his playing time Thursday, scoring all of his career-high eight points in the first half while shooting 3 of 4 from the field and 2 of 3 from beyond the arc.

The Jaguars have won the rebounding battle in each of their last two outings and have held their opponents to just eight offensive rebounds total over that span. Georgia State and Arkansas-Little Rock combined for only nine second-chance points.

Arkansas State's Melvin Johnson III ranks third in the nation in 3-point percentage, converting at a 52.0 percent clip on the season. He went just 2-for-7 Thursday against Troy, part of an 8-for-24 effort as a team. The Red Wolves are 24th in Division I in 3-point percentage (.399) and ninth in 3s per game (9.1).