Game Notes
Game 10 • South Alabama Jaguars (3-6) at Samford Bulldogs (7-3)
December 18, 2015 • 7 p.m. • Pete Hanna Center (5,000) • Birmingham, Ala.
THE COACHES
South Alabama
Matthew Graves (Butler, 1998)
Record at USA: 26-47 (3rd year)
Overall Record: Same
Samford
Scott Padgett (Kentucky, 1999)
Record at Samford: 20-22 (2nd year)
Overall Record: Same
LAST GAMESouth Alabama lost a second-half lead in a 57-54 defeat to Southern Miss. Samford won 86-67 Saturday at Florida A&M.
NEXT GAMEThe Jaguars play their last game before Christmas Tuesday at home against Rice. The Bulldogs take a day off before going to Nebraska.
ON THE AIRRadio: 710 AM WNTM;
J.D. Byars (pxp)
On the web: www.iheart.com/live/newsradio-710-wntm-1 (audio);
SoCon Digital Network (video)
RANKINGS (through Dec. 16)USA: #308 RPI, #255 Sagarin
SAM: #148 RPI, #193 Sagarin
THE SERIESUSA leads 16-2.
Current streak: USA, 13 wins
Last meeting: South Alabama 59, Samford 54 (12/2/06)
USA's last win at the Pete Hanna Center: N/A
USA's last win in Birmingham: 88-81 (1/31/76)
Samford's last win at the Pete Hanna Center: N/A
Samford's last win in Birmingham: 68-53 (2/10/72)
USA's record at the Pete Hanna Center: 0-0
USA's record in Birmingham: 4-1
USA's road streak: Won 4
USA's longest winning / losing streak in series: 13 / 1
Notes: The two schools haven't met since the 2006-07 season, and not in Birmingham since 1975-76… USA's 13-game win streak is the program's second-longest active streak, but longest against a Division I institution (14 vs. Spring Hill)… The last five meetings — dating back to 1976 — have been in Mobile… The schools played 14 times from 1969-1976, including twice a season from 1971-72 to 1975-76, but not again until the 2002-03 season… The Jaguars have eclipsed the 100-point mark twice in the series: 119-83 on Jan. 13, 1975, and 102-70 on Jan. 12, 1976… USA's last three wins against Samford have been by a combined 10 points.
OPENING TIPSouth Alabama's 13-game win streak over Samford — dating back to 1976 — is the program's second-longest active streak and longest over a Division I institution. The Jaguars will attempt to hold on to a winning streak after failing to end skids to Middle Tennessee (8) and Southern Miss (6).
Monday's 57-54 loss to Southern Miss was USA's first game this season decided by single digits. Prior to the USM game, the Jags' margin of victory was 19.7 points and margin of losses was 13.8 points.
Since allowing a season-high 98 points to Belmont on Nov. 23, USA is giving up 62.4 points per game, including 59 or fewer twice.
The last time South Alabama allowed 60 or fewer and lost was Jan. 2, 2014 in a 58-56 defeat to Western Kentucky.
South Alabama had new season lows in turnovers forced (12, tie) and steals (4) after averaging 19.3 and 10.3, respectively, in its previous three outings. The team ranks fifth in turnovers forced (15.1).
The Jaguars' 24.0 second-half shooting percentage Monday is a new season-low; the team is converting 25.9 percent after intermission in their last two games after hitting 50.7 percent in their previous three.
The team did hit 11 of its 26 shots from behind the arc for the game, including a 9-for-16 (56.3%) performance in the first half. The 11 treys are a new season high — as is the 42.3 shooting percentage — and almost match the total of the previous three games combined (12).
After averaging 8.0 triples in the first three games, USA averaged 4.4 in its next five games, including a season-low three at Middle Tennessee, before erupting for 11 Monday.
Barrington Stevens III led the Jaguars vs. Southern Miss with a career-high 20 points on 7 of 9 shooting. He went 6 for 7 from distance — making his first six attempts from deep — to also set a new personal best in 3-pointers as well. He scored a total of 17 points combined in his previous three games.
Ken Williams came back from missing the MTSU game due to injury to score 14 points and grab a team-best six rebounds.
Nick Davis played 14 minutes in his first game of the year after becoming eligible and scored three points with three rebounds.
Georgi Boyanov entered the contest second in the Sun Belt Conference in field goal percentage but was held to 0-for-2 shooting; he did record five rebounds and two assists. He is seventh in the league in rebounding (6.6 rpg).
Don MuepoKelly had one of the team's four steals Monday to extend his steals streak to nine games.
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).
—USA—
