Game Notes
Game 18 • South Alabama Jaguars (7-10, 2-4) at Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (7-8, 3-3)
January 21, 2016 • 7:15 p.m. • Cajundome (11,550) • Lafayette, La.
THE COACHES
South Alabama
Matthew Graves (Butler, 1998)
Record at USA: 30-51 (3rd year)
Overall Record: Same
Record vs. ULL: 3-1
UL Lafayette
Bob Marlin (Mississippi State, 1981)
Record at ULL: 95-85 (6th year)
Overall Record: 320-216 (18th year)
LAST GAMESouth Alabama scored the last nine points in regulation to force overtime, then got a game-winning shot with 21.7 seconds left to defeat Texas-Arlington 88-85. Louisiana-Lafayette outscored Georgia State 52-23 in the second half to win 87-54.
NEXT GAMEThe Jaguars stay in state to take on Louisiana-Monroe Saturday. The Cajuns face Troy.
ON THE AIRRadio: 710 AM WNTM;
J.D. Byars (pxp)
On the web:
www.iheart.com/live/newsradio-710-wntm-1 (audio)
RANKINGS (through Jan. 19)USA: #251 RPI, #260 Sagarin
ULL: #180 RPI, #134 Sagarin
THE SERIESUSA leads 26-21.
Current streak: South Alabama, won 2
ULL's last win in series: 102-74 (3/2/14)
Last meeting: South Alabama 89, La.-Lafayette 85 (1/29/15)
USA's last win at the Cajundome: 89-82 (1/17/15)
ULL's last win at the Cajundome: 102-74 (3/2/14)
USA's record at the Cajundome: 11-11
USA's record on the road: 12-11
USA's road streak: Won 1
USA's longest winning / losing streak in series: 3 / 4
Notes: USA as won six of the last seven meetings… South Alabama had a four-game win streak in the series ended in 2013-14 with the largest loss ever to ULL (102-74)… The two teams traded wins in the 2008-09 (ULL) and 2009-10 (USA) seasons by the same 67-65 score… ULL has four wins vs. USA (three regular season, one SBC tournament) that were vacated due to NCAA penalties… The Ragin' Cajuns won the 2008-09 contest on a half-court shot by Randell Daigle… South Alabama's 88-64 win in 2012-13 broke a string of seven games in the series decided by six points or less, including two in overtime… Neither team has dominated the other for an extended period—the longest win streak by either school is four.
OPENING TIPSouth Alabama's current 6-1 run against Louisiana-Lafayette is its best seven-game stretch in the history of the series. The Jaguars swept the Cajuns last year, scoring 89 points in each game.
Saturday USA shot 44.7 percent (11-25) from 3-point land after combining to convert 20.8 percent (10-48) in its previous three outings. The 11 triples tied the team's season high.
All seven Jaguar wins have come when outshooting their opponent (7-1) and when leading at halftime (7-2).
The Jags have yet to win when allowing the other team to shoot 50 percent from the floor in either half. They are 0-2 when the opponent hits half their shots in the first half, 0-7 in the second and 0-5 for the game.
USA is 3-10 this season when trailing or tied with a minute left in regulation after losing its first 46 games in those circumstances under head coach Matthew Graves.
South Alabama is 2-0 in overtime this season after going 0-3 last season and 0-2 in 2013-14.
The Jags have rallied from deficits of nine or more to win three times this season.
After entering the UT Arlington game with the worst free-throw percentage in the conference, the Jaguars shot a season-best 78.1 percent (25-32), including 85.2 percent in regulation.
Georgi Boyanov went 13 for 14 at the stripe, career highs for him in both categories.
Boyanov scored a career-high 24 points Saturday, the most by a USA player this season. He also recorded his fifth double-double of the season with a game-high 11 rebounds. All five double-doubles have come in the last eight games. He is averaging 13.4 points and 9.1 rebounds since rejoining the starting lineup Dec. 14.
Boyanov shot 5 for 10 from the floor, marking the 13th time in 17 games he converted 50 percent or better in a game. He leads the Sun Belt in field-goal percentage (.560).
Ken Williams scored 23 points against UTA, tying his career high in both 3-pointers made (6) and attempted (11), and moved into third place on USA's career 3-point attempt list with 497, passing Chris Young (2002-04).
Williams' scoring output moved him up to 14th in school history with 1,033 points. He has three games with 22 points or more in his last five outings.
Nick Stover has scored double-digit points in each of the last four games, averaging 12.0 ppg during that stretch. He has shot 50 percent or better from the floor in every game over that span.
ULL's
Shawn Long is averaging 18.0 points and 12.7 rebounds in his career vs. USA with five double-doubles in six games. He had 22 points and 22 rebounds in Mobile last year.
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—
