Game Notes

Game 8 • South Alabama Jaguars (3-4) at Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (4-2)
December 5, 2015 • 5 p.m. • Murphy Center (11,520) • Murfreesboro, Tenn.

THE COACHES
South Alabama
Matthew Graves (Butler, 1998)
Record at USA: 26-45 (3rd year)
Overall Record: Same

Middle Tennessee
Kermit Davis (Mississippi State, 1982)
Record at MTSU: 255-167 (14th year)
Overall Record: 326-217 (18th year)

LAST GAME
South Alabama doubled up Spring Hill at halftime en route to a 79-50 win Monday. Middle Tennessee fell at home 62-56 to VCU.

NEXT GAME
The Jaguars take nine days off before hosting Southern Miss on Dec. 14. The Blue Raiders take on Auburn next Saturday in Nashville.

ON THE AIR
Radio: None
On the web: None

RANKINGS (through Dec. 3)
USA: #274 RPI, #240 Sagarin
MT: #73 RPI, #135 Sagarin

THE SERIES
Middle Tennessee leads 19-12.

Current winning streak: Middle Tennessee, 7 wins
USA's last win in series: 63-57 (1/2/11)
Last meeting: Middle Tennessee 68, South Alabama 67 OT (12/6/14)
USA's last win at the Murphy Center: 63-57 (2/19/09)
MT's last win at the Murphy Center: 65-55 (11/30/13)
USA's record at the Murphy Center: 5-7
USA's road streak: Lost 5
USA's longest winning / losing streak in series: 4 / 7

Notes: Middle Tennessee has won 12 of the last 14 meetings… MTSU has won seven straight in the series, the longest vs. the Jags in school history… South Alabama is averaging 55.6 points in the losing streak… The Blue Raiders won three straight games by 16 points or more until their four-point win in the 2012-13 season in Mobile, then won by 35 in Murfreesboro, the largest margin of victory by MTSU in the series… USA's last two wins have come by the same 63-57 score… The schools played just once from 1982-2001 before MTSU entered the Sun Belt… Middle Tennessee eliminated South Alabama in all four SBC Tournament meetings.

OPENING TIP
Middle Tennessee owns a five-game win streak over South Alabama in the Murphy Center, winning by an average of 22.2 points. The 2013 contest, a 65-55 MT victory, is the closest in the last five games; the next closest is 16, and three have been decided by 23 points or more.

The Blue Raiders own a six-game win streak overall in the series, winning by an average of 18.2 points while holding the Jags to 53.7 points. Only once has USA scored greater than 56 points during that span.

South Alabama has scored 78 points or more four times this season. Middle Tennessee hasn't allowed an opponent to score than many in a game, permitting a high of 76 in the season opener at Murray State.

The Jaguars have converted 50 percent or better in a half five times in the last three games, including a high of 55.6 in the first half vs. Spring Hill Monday.

Four of the Jags' last six opponents have shot 50 percent or better from the floor. However, Spring Hill's first-half shooting percentage of 33.3 is the lowest by an opponent this season.

The Jaguars have blocked 18 shots in their last three outings, and rank second in the Sun Belt in blocks per game (3.9).

USA has 19 steals in its last two games, recording 11 at Denver before tallying eight vs. Spring Hill.

Don MuepoKelly has a steal in every game this season and leads the team with 10, tied for 12th in the SBC.

Ken Williams scored his 900th career point — becoming the 21st player in school history to do so — Monday vs. Spring Hill, and needs 13 to tie for 19th place.

Williams is averaging 16.8 points in his last four games, shooting 53.8 percent from the floor. He led the team for the fourth straight game vs. Spring Hill with 17 points. Eight of his nine points came from the free-throw line, and he took just seven shots from the floor.

Georgi Boyanov was just behind Williams on Monday with 15 points, reaching the double-digit mark for the fourth time in the last five games. He didn't miss a shot, shooting 4 for 4 from the floor and 7 for 7 from the charity stripe.

Boyanov shared game-high honors in rebounding Monday with seven. He leads the team and is eighth in the Sun Belt with 7.0 boards per game.

Nikola Marijan also grabbed seven rebounds — a new career high — and added six points. His 13 points over the last two games are more than double his career total entering that stretch.

Shaq Calhoun has hit two 3-pointers in four of his last five outings. He is averaging 9.5 points while shooting 58.3 percent from the floor and 57.1 percent from distance in his last two games.