Game Notes

Game 9 • South Alabama Jaguars (2-6) at IUPUI Jaguars (2-8)
December 20, 2014 • 1 p.m. • Fairgrounds Coliseum (6,841) • Indianapolis, Ind. • Gotham Classic

THE COACHES
South Alabama
Matthew Graves (Butler, 1998)
Record at USA: 13-26 (2nd year)
Overall Record: Same
Record vs. IUPUI: 0-0

IUPUI
Jason Gardner (Arizona, 2003)
Record at IUPUI: 2-8 (1st year)
Overall Record: Same

LAST GAME
South Alabama gave up a late run to Richmond in a 65-54 loss Thursday. IUPUI lost its sixth straight, falling 57-47 to Howard.

NEXT GAME
The USA Jaguars return home Tuesday to host Howard in the final game of the Gotham Classic. The IUPUI Jaguars travel to Richmond.

ON THE AIR
Radio: None
On the web: ESPN3.com (http://es.pn/1zV0jg2)

RANKINGS (through Dec. 18)
USA: #325 RPI, #261 Sagarin
IUPUI: #311 RPI, #314 Sagarin

THE SERIES
First meeting.

OPENING TIP
Six members of the South Alabama men's basketball program have ties to the state of Indiana: head coach Matthew Graves, assistant coach Darnell Archey, athletic trainer Matt Brown, graduate assistant Jordan Surenkamp, sophomore Austin Karazsia and freshman Taishaun Johnson.

In its two wins, South Alabama has gone 36-for-55 at the free-throw line (18.0-for-27.5 per game), but in six losses, the team is 61-for-99 (10.2-for-16.5 per game). The Jaguars set new season lows by going 5-for-7 at the charity stripe at Richmond.

After averaging 14.5 assists in its previous two games vs. Middle Tennessee and Pepperdine, including a season-best 15 on Monday, USA had a season-low six at Richmond.

No South Alabama player reached double-digit scoring Thursday, marking the first time that happened since January 1997. Three players had nine each: Dionte Ferguson, Ken Williams and Johnson.

Johnson had his double-digit scoring streak snapped at six. He averaged a team-best 11.8 points over that span, including a career-high 15 points and 10 rebounds at Detroit.

Ferguson failed to shoot 50 percent from the floor (3-for-8) for only the second time this season; he entered the game ranked fifth in the conference in field goal percentage and currently stands in ninth at 53.8 percent.

Ferguson also had two steals and two blocks, extending his streak with at least one block to four. He also has four rejections combined in his last two outings.

The Jags currently lead the Sun Belt Conference in defensive rebounding percentage at 73.3. They won the rebounding battle Thursday on that end 25-11.

USA is looking for its first win over a Division I opponent (0-6) this season and is 1-17 on the road since the start of the 2013-14 campaign.

The Jaguars have been outshot in every game this season and have converted better than 40 percent three times. The Spiders won the shooting battle 41.4 percent to 35.4 percent.

Abdul Lewis fell just shy of a double-double Thursday with eight points and a team-high nine rebounds. He has led the team in rebounding in each of the last three games, averaging 10.3 boards during that stretch.

Barrington Stevens III ranks ninth in the Sun Belt in assists (3.0) and fifth in assist/turnover ratio (2.7). He had one assist and one turnover at Richmond, marking just the second time this season he failed to have more assists than turnovers.

Seven of IUPUI's eight losses have come by nine points or greater. The team's closest defeat was by three points (66-63) to defending Sun Belt champion Georgia State. The Jaguars' two wins were by two points each.

IUPUI ranks 337th in the nation in turnovers committed (17.2), but had a season-low 11 their last time out vs. Howard. However, IUPUI averages 8.8 steals per contest, which is 32nd best in Division I.