Game Notes

Game 19 • South Alabama Jaguars (6-12, 4-4) at Appalachian State Mountaineers (6-10, 3-4)
January 22, 2015 • 7:30 p.m. EST • Holmes Center (8,325) • Boone, N.C.

THE COACHES
South Alabama
Matthew Graves (Butler, 1998)
Record at USA: 17-32 (2nd year)
Overall Record: Same
Record vs. App State: 1-0

Appalachian St.
Jim Fox (SUNY Geneseo, 1995)
Record at ASU: 6-10 (1st year)
Overall Record: Same

LAST GAME
South Alabama held off Arkansas-Little Rock 66-64 on Monday. Appalachian State rallied from five down at halftime to win at Troy 69-64.

NEXT GAME
The Jaguars venture outside Sun Belt play when they host NJIT on Sunday. The Mountaineers start a three-game road trip Saturday at Texas State.

ON THE AIR
Radio: 710 AM WNTM; J.D. Byars (pxp)
On the web: www.iheart.com/live/newsradio-710-wntm-1 (audio)

RANKINGS (through Jan. 20)
USA: #300 RPI, #282 Sagarin
ASU: #273 RPI, #278 Sagarin

THE SERIES
USA leads 1-0.

Current winning streak: South Alabama, 1 win
ASU's last win in series: N/A
Last meeting: South Alabama 104, App State 95 (1/8/15)
USA's last win in the Holmes Center: N/A
ASU's last win in the Holmes Center: N/A
USA's record in the Holmes Center: 0-0
USA's road streak: N/A
USA's longest winning / losing streak in series: 1 / 0

Notes: The two schools met for the first time on Jan. 8 in Mobile, a 104-95 USA win.

OPENING TIP
South Alabama's 4-2 record in the last six games is the team's best mark in a six-game stretch since going 4-2 in November of last season. The uptick in recent play comes on the heels of a seven-game losing streak, the program's longest since 2004-05.

The last time these teams met, Jan. 8, South Alabama hit the 100-point mark (104) for the first time in three seasons.

The Jags' 66 points Monday are their fewest since putting up 60 Dec. 30 against Arkansas State, ending a run of six consecutive games with 71 points or more (82.6 ppg), the program's longest run since 2002-03.

Despite shooting 35.7 percent from 3-point range Monday vs. Arkansas-Little Rock, their lowest output in six games, the Jaguars moved up to the top spot in the league in 3-point percentage at 35.0 on the season.

In league games, the Jags are converting 42.0 percent from distance, tops in the league, in addition to a league-best 50.0 percent from the floor overall.

USA has outshot six of its last eight opponents after not outshooting any of its first 10.

After giving up 50.9 percent shooting on 3-pointers in three straight games, the Jaguar defense has permitted less than half that—just 23.8 percent—in the last two games, including a season-low 18.2 percent (4-22) Monday vs. UALR. The Trojans converted 7.7 percent (1-13) in the second half alone.

South Alabama still ranks last in Sun Belt games in scoring defense (79.4 ppg) and 10th in field goal percentage defense (45.8%).

In the last three games, USA has been outrebounded by an average of 8.7 per outing and has allowed 16.3 offensive rebounds per game.

Ken Williams failed to score 23 points for the fifth straight game Monday, which would have been the longest in over 25 years, but did keep his 20-point streak alive with 20 on 5 of 9 shooting from the floor and 3 of 6 from behind the arc. His run of five straight 20-point games is the longest by a Jaguar since Demetric Bennett in 2007-08.

Williams became the 14th player in school history to make 100 treys in a career and enters Thursday's contest with 102. He is two away from tying Freddie Goldstein in 13th and three from tying Toby Madison in 12th. Williams needs 14 more to enter the school's top 10.

Dionte Ferguson scored 15 points vs. UALR, but shot 4-for-10 from the floor, his first sub-.500 outing since the start of the Sun Belt season on Dec. 30.
The Jaguars have shot 50 percent or better from the floor in a half nine times in their last 14 games.

Appalachian State's Frank Eaves is averaging 21.0 points in his last five games, and 28.0 in his last two, wins over Georgia State and Troy. He is shooting 58.3 percent (14-24) from 3-point land in his last two.