Game Notes

MOBILE, Ala. – After breaking a losing streak Monday, the University of South Alabama men's basketball team will attempt to win two in a row when the Jaguars welcome Sun Belt Conference newcomer Appalachian State Thursday night.

The Jaguars enter the contest with a 3-10 mark overall and 1-2 in the conference. Tip off is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Fans can listen to the game on 710 AM or iHeartRadio.com, follow via Twitter at @SouthAlaMBK or live stats on USAJaguars.com, or subscribers can watch on South Alabama All-Access.

The skid was broken Monday at Arkansas-Little Rock with a 72-69 victory that saw the Jags take the lead with just over nine minutes remaining and never give it back.

"I think there's a sense of confidence, but at the same time, we've got to demonstrate the consistency to do it; that's the next step for this team," USA head coach Matthew Graves said. "Winning a game is a great thing; it validates what you're doing in practice, but we've got to get to the point where we're building habits, and that starts with how we're going to practice today to prepare for Appalachian State. I'm really anxious to see where we're at today."

The win came thanks to a combined 41 points from senior Dionte Ferguson (Prattville, Ala.) and sophomore Georgi Boyanov (Lovech, Bulgaria). The two posts put up 56.9 percent of the team's total output, and Boyanov recorded his second double-double of the year with a career-high 13 rebounds to go along with his 16 points.

Ferguson tallied 25, a new personal best and the most by a Jaguar this season, on 8 of 13 shooting from the floor and 9 of 10 from the free-throw line.

The 25-point output put Ferguson at the top of the team's single-game scoring list for the year, but it marked just the third time (out of 10) a post scored 17 points or more. The other two times were overtime losses to Middle Tennessee (Abdul Lewis-17) and Arkansas State (Ferguson-18).

"Our ability to play through our posts, whether that's throwing the ball in there in isolations or they're active in rebounding the ball, and the better our post play is, the better chance we're going to have to perform well in that particular game," Graves noted. "It speaks to the mindset we want to have. We want to be attacking, we want to be physical, and we want to get 'paint touches.' We can get that one of two ways: throw the ball in the post or drive the ball and get to the free-throw line. The more we can be in that attack mindset of getting to the free-throw line, getting to the paint and getting post touches, then our outside shooting will translate a little bit better."

Appalachian State (4-7, 1-1) won its Sun Belt opener at Arkansas State, where the Mountaineers rallied from 14 down midway through the second half, but fell by 16 to league leader Louisiana-Lafayette on Monday.

USA will have to stop their inside-outside combo of guard Frank Eaves and forward Tommy Spagnolo. Eaves is fifth in the conference in scoring at 15.8 ppg, but was held to just eight points Monday at ULL after shooting 2-for-11 from the floor.

Eaves has more than tripled his scoring output from last season (5.0 ppg) and rarely uses the 3-point shot, going just 13-for-52 from distance, preferring to get to the free-throw line as he leads the conference in attempts per game (7.6) and is second in makes (6.3).

"He is a very aggressive scorer," Graves said. "He's able to score on many different levels: getting to the free-throw line, mid-range and he can make the 3-point shot. We're really going to have to pay close attention to him and not let him get in any sort of rhythm."

Spagnolo is one of the top rebounders in the league, ranking third with 7.6 per contest. He has four double-doubles to his credit, and has scored in double-digits in each of his last four outings to improve his season scoring average to 11.1 per game.

"For me, he's really fun to watch," Graves said. "He plays extremely hard, he gets the most out of his ability and he's a workhorse. He sprints in transition and he goes after every loose ball, so he's one of those kids you hate to play against and you root for when you watch him on film, because he plays the right way and embodies a physical, tough post player. We're going to have to match his intensity and physicality."

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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