Game Notes

Game 28 • South Alabama Jaguars (9-18, 7-9) at Georgia Southern Eagles (18-6, 11-4)
February 21, 2015 • 7:30 p.m. EST • Hanner Fieldhouse (4,358) • Statesboro, Ga.

THE COACHES
South Alabama
Matthew Graves (Butler, 1998)
Record at USA: 20-38 (2nd year)
Overall Record: Same
Record vs. GS: 0-1

Ga. Southern
Mark Byington (UNC Wilmington, 1998)
Record at GS: 33-25 (2nd year)
Overall Record: 40-29 (3rd year)

LAST GAME
South Alabama suffered its worst loss of the season at Georgia State, falling 79-51. Georgia Southern dropped a 65-62 home decision to Troy.

NEXT GAME
The Jaguars host Louisiana-Monroe Thursday. The Eagles travel to Appalachian State.

ON THE AIR
Radio: 710 AM WNTM; J.D. Byars (pxp)
On the web: www.iheart.com/live/newsradio-710-wntm-1 (audio); ESPN3.com (video), Matt Stewart (pxp), Bob Donewald (color)

RANKINGS (through Feb. 19)
USA: #301 RPI, #296 Sagarin
GS: #129 RPI, #146 Sagarin

THE SERIES
South Alabama leads 6-2.

Current streak: GS, 1 win
Last meeting: Georgia Southern 81, USA 73 (1/10/15)
USA's last win in series: 70-57 (12/19/11)
USA's last win in Hanner Fieldhouse: 68-58 (12/18/10)
GSU's last win in Hanner Fieldhouse: None
USA's record in Hanner Fieldhouse: 3-0
USA's road streak: Won 3
USA's longest winning / losing streak in series: 4 / 1

Notes: The two school's met in a home-and-home series in 2010-11 and 2011-12, both Jaguar victories… The 2010-11 game was the first between the two schools since 1980… Three of the five games in Mobile have taken place in Jag Gym… USA has not lost in Statesboro, winning all three games by an average of 13.3 points, putting up 81.0 points per game… The first five games in the series took place between Jan. 12, 1978 and Feb. 12, 1980.

OPENING TIP
USA is averaging 84.0 points in SBC wins and 61.4 points in losses and is averaging 52.8 points in its last six defeats.

South Alabama is allowing 39.6 points in the second half this year, and 52.5 in the last two games. Georgia Southern scored 50 in the second half in its 81-73 win in Mobile.

After scoring 97 points against Texas-Arlington, their second-highest total of the season, the Jaguars scored just 51 Thursday at Georgia State, their second-lowest total of the year. The 46-point drop is the biggest of the season.

South Alabama was held to 54 points by Georgia State in Mobile on Feb. 7, but rebounded to score 71 their next time out in a road win over Troy.

USA is averaging 17.5 turnovers in its last two games, which has led to 29.5 points, including a season-high 32 last week vs. UT Arlington.

The Jaguars have committed more turnovers than their opponent seven times in the last eight games.

Freshman Taishaun Johnson is averaging a team-best 17.3 points in his last four games, scoring at least 16 points in each game. It's the best four-game run in his young career and he has moved into first on the school's freshman scoring average category (13.3 ppg). He needs nine points to move into third in the record books for total points and 14 for second.

Johnson has gone 32-for-41 from the free-throw line in the last four games, including 16 attempts in each of the last two. He went 14-for-16 on Thursday to set a new career high for free throws made and rank in a tie for eighth in school history for a single game.

Johnson holds the South Alabama freshman record for free throws made (122) and attempted (156) in a season. His free-throw percentage (.782) is third.

Freshman Abdul Lewis recorded his seventh double-digit rebound game of the season—and second in a row—with 10 Thursday. He is averaging 8.8 boards in his last four games, and 6.8 for the season, which ranks seventh in the Sun Belt.

Senior Dionte Ferguson failed to block a shot for the first time in six games Thursday, but remains third in the conference with 1.4 per game.

Sophomore Ken Williams was held to nine points at Georgia State, tied for his lowest output since Jan. 5, but had 23 points on four 3-pointers against Georgia Southern in January. He ranks seventh in the league in scoring (15.1), third in 3-pointers (2.6 pg) and seventh in 3-point percentage (.367).

Georgia Southern's Jelani Hewitt is in the Sun Belt's top five in five different categories, including first in steals (2.6) and 3-pointers (3.1) and third in with 18.6 points per contest.