Game Notes

MOBILE, Ala. – Winners of two straight games, the University of South Alabama men's basketball team will now turn its attention to Sun Belt Conference play Wednesday when Little Rock comes to Mobile.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Fans can follow the action via live stats on USAJaguars.com, Twitter at @SouthAlaMBK, audio on 710 AM or www.iheart.com/live/newsradio-710-wntm-1, or video on JagNationTV.com.

The Jaguars (5-6) return after an extended break following a 74-67 home win over Rice on Dec. 22.

"Having a break this time of year where you can go back home and be with family and friends, especially with our team since we have a lot of guys that don't live that close to Mobile, is good," USA head coach Matthew Graves said. "You could really tell in our first two workouts that they were excited to be back. Now they're focused and ready for league play."

The victory over Rice came after a double-overtime win at Samford that saw the Jaguars rally back from a late five-point deficit. The team has won two straight games for the first time this season.

"It's very encouraging that we're playing good basketball now," Graves noted. "Even going back and watching the last two games, there are a lot of areas where we can improve, but at the same time, we were able to come out with two wins and get on a little bit of a streak. Certainly Little Rock coming in here at 10-1 is going to test our ability to stay within the game plan and make plays."

Junior Georgi Boyanov (Lovech, Bulgaria) has been a key component in the last two wins, recording a double-double in each game. He set a new career high with 18 points vs. Rice and added 12 rebounds, the most by a USA player this season. He leads the Sun Belt in field goal percentage (.594) and has shot 50 percent or better in nine of 11 games.

"Georgi, first and foremost, brings experience," Graves said. "He's a third-year guy that has played a lot of minutes. It's about him being comfortable on the floor and within his role. He's been able to find openings offensively where he can score; he's very crafty. What I like about him is he's extremely efficient with his baskets and then he goes and rebounds the basketball. He's playing at a very high level right now."

Little Rock began the season with 10 straight victories prior to its 65-53 loss at Texas Tech just before Christmas. The Trojans lead the league in five different team categories, including scoring defense (54.7, 1st in Division I) and field goal percentage defense (.369, 10th in Division I).

"What stands out to me is how well-coached they are on the defensive end of the floor," Graves stated. "They might be, in my three years here, the best in terms of defensive principles – getting to the help line, communicating, and playing physical without fouling in their man-to-man defense. They do a tremendous job of helping each other and it's certainly not fun to watch when you have to find out ways to score."

Marcus Johnson Jr. paces the team in scoring (14.9 ppg) and the league in 3-point percentage (.470), while Josh Hagins tops the conference in assist/turnover ratio (3.3) and is second on the team in scoring (11.7 ppg). Since opening the year with a season-low eight points, Johnson has scored no fewer than 13 since.

"With Hagins and Johnson, you've got the start of an extremely talented backcourt," Graves said. "You also have an experienced backcourt with a senior and a junior. Their whole team has a lot of experience and a lot of big, strong bodies, and that helps them play physically. It will certainly be a challenge for us to not over-penetrate, rebound the basketball and score around the paint. We have to do that if we want to have a chance of winning."

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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