Game Notes

Game 6 • South Alabama Jaguars (2-3) at Denver (4-1)
November 28, 2015 • 3 p.m. CST • Magness Arena (7,200) • Denver, Colo.

THE COACHES
South Alabama
Matthew Graves (Butler, 1998)
Record at USA: 25-44 (3rd year)
Overall Record: Same

Denver
Joe Scott (Princeton, 1987)
Record at DU: 134-118 (9th year)
Overall Record: 223-226 (16th year)

LAST GAME
South Alabama ended the game on a 14-0 run to defeat IUPUI 78-68 Tuesday. Denver ran its win streak to four with a 79-69 win over Idaho State Wednesday.

NEXT GAME
The Jaguars return home to play their second home game of the year against Spring Hill Monday. The Pioneers continue their five-game homestand Wednesday against Wyoming.

ON THE AIR
Radio: None
On the web: Pioneer Vision (pay audio/video)

RANKINGS (through Nov. 25)
USA: #261 RPI, #226 Sagarin
DU: #266 RPI, #169 Sagarin

THE SERIES
Tied 12-12.

Current winning streak: Denver, 2 wins
USA's last win in series: 48-47 (2/20/11)
Last meeting: Denver 61, South Alabama 50 (3/4/12)
USA's last win at the Magness Center: 48-47 (2/20/11)
DU's last win at the Magness Center: 71-48 (1/23/10)
USA's record at the Magness Center: 4-7
USA's longest winning / losing streak in series: 4 / 3

Notes: The series started in January 1972 when the Pioneers came to Mobile for the Senior Bowl and defeated the host Jaguars 64-58… When the series resumed in 2000, South Alabama won the first four meetings… The Jags average just 55.0 points in 12 losses but 70.1 points in 12 victories… USA is averaging 50.7 in the last six meetings (2-4 record) and has not scored greater than 54 points in any game… Two of the last four games have been marked by two big South Alabama comebacks… In the 2009-10 regular-season finale, the Jaguars rallied from a 22-point deficit in the second half at home to win 54-52 and the year after, the Jags trailed by 14 at halftime before winning 48-47 in Denver.

OPENING TIP
Denver is one of two former Sun Belt Conference members that South Alabama is playing in its non-conference schedule. On Dec. 5, the Jaguars travel to Middle Tennessee.

South Alabama has outrebounded four of its five opponents this season.

USA set new season lows in both 3-pointers (4) and 3-point attempts (13) against IUPUI. The team was averaging 7.5 treys and 24.3 attempts in the first four games.

The Jaguars shot 50 percent or better from the floor in each half vs. IUPUI for the first time this season. The team's 51.0 shooting percentage is a new season high.

Defensively they held IUPUI to 34.8 percent shooting, the lowest by an opponent this season. The previous three had all converted 50 percent or better, including 63.2 percent by Belmont.

The defensive effort was helped by a season-high nine blocks, with each from Georgi Boyanov and Tafari Whittingham. Boyanov set a new career best, while Whittingham tied his.

Boyanov tied his career high in points Tuesday with 17 and just missed a double-double with nine rebounds. He is averaging 16.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in his last two games. Boyanov has increased his scoring total in each of the last four games and is shooting 60.7 percent from the floor in the last three games.

Boyanov has recorded eight or more rebounds in four of his five games, and now ranks sixth in the Sun Belt at 7.8 per game. He had five of the team's seven offensive rebounds vs. IUPUI.

Ken Williams is coming off two straight 19-point outings, the second coming on 6 for 8 shooting, his fewest attempts of the year. He went 2 for 4 from 3-point land to move into fifth place on USA's career 3-point list with 154. He is seven away from fourth.

Williams went 5 for 6 at the free-throw line Tuesday, and is up to 84.6 percent on the year, which ranks tied for fifth in the Sun Belt.

Williams didn't just score against IUPUI, he tied his career high with six assists, which is the highest total by a Jaguar this season. He's led the team in helpers four times in five games this year.

Don MuepoKelly tied his career high of 11 Tuesday for the second game in a row. After shooting 35.7 percent from the field in the first three games, he is converting at a 76.9 percent clip in his last two.

Nick Stover set a new personal record with 10 rebounds — all on the defensive end — vs. IUPUI, becoming the third Jaguar this year to post double-digit rebounds.

Denver has two of the top five in the Summit League in field goal percentage: Bryant Rucker (69.2%, 1st) and Nate Engesser (62.8%, 5th). They also rank third and fourth, respectively, in 3-point percentage (Rucker: 61.5%, 3rd; Engesser: 58.1%, 4th).