Game Notes
Game 15 • South Alabama Jaguars (6-8, 1-2) at Georgia State Panthers (9-3, 2-1)
January 9, 2016 • 2:30 p.m. EST • GSU Sports Arena (3,800) • Atlanta, Ga.
THE COACHES
South Alabama
Matthew Graves (Butler, 1998)
Record at USA: 29-49 (3rd year)
Overall Record: Same
Record vs. GSU: 0-4
Georgia State
Ron Hunter (Miami [Ohio], 1986)
Record at GSU: 96-50 (5th year)
Overall Record: 370-269 (21st year)
LAST GAMESouth Alabama used strong defense and a late run to win at Georgia Southern 64-58. Georgia State held off Troy 72-68.
NEXT GAMEThe Jaguars go back home to host Texas State Thursday. The Panthers will also be at home against Louisiana-Monroe.
ON THE AIRRadio: 710 AM WNTM;
J.D. Byars (pxp)
On the web: www.iheart.com/live/newsradio-710-wntm-1 (audio); ESPN3.com (video),
http://es.pn/1MQF96YRANKINGS (through Jan. 7)USA: #246 RPI, #256 Sagarin
GSU: #42 RPI, #106 Sagarin
THE SERIESUSA leads 13-9.
Current winning streak: GSU, 5 wins
USA's last win in series: 70-66 (11/26/09)
Last meeting: GSU 79, USA 51 (2/19/15)
USA's last win at the GSU Sports Arena: 75-50 (1/29/82)
GSU's last win at the GSU Sports Arena: 79-51 (2/19/15)
USA's record at the GSU Sports Arena: 5-5
USA's road streak: Lost 4
USA's longest winning / losing streak in series: 10 / 5
Notes: The 2013-14 meeting in Atlanta was delayed two days due to snow… South Alabama's 10-game win streak in the series lasted from 1979 to 2003, when Georgia State won 88-56 in Atlanta… USA leads the series 7-5 in Sun Belt games… Georgia State's current five-game win streak is its longest in the series… The Jags' 70-66 win in 2009-10 was their closest win vs. GSU since the first meeting (78-77) on Feb. 16, 1976; the next closest win was nine (70-61) on Jan. 7, 1980… The Panthers' last win in Mobile prior to the 2013-14 victory, 73-63, was in 1977.
OPENING TIPSouth Alabama has lost the last four games in the GSU Sports Arena, a streak that dates back to 1982. Just one of those games was decided by fewer than 20 points (75-73 in 2012-13); the other three were 32, 20 and 28 points.
GSU has also won the last five meetings overall, all but one by double-digits.
USA is 0-8 this season when being outshot by its opponent and 6-0 when winning the shooting battle. Under head coach Matthew Graves, the Jaguars are 23-7 when outshooting their opponent and 6-42 (2-21 vs. Sun Belt schools) when not.
The Jaguars reversed a couple of trends in their first two Sun Belt losses: they scored 34 points in the paint after averaging just 21 in the two losses, and converted 17 of 31 (54.8%) from inside the arc after shooting just 23 for 72 (31.9%) in the two games prior.
USA went just 4 for 17 from 3-point range Thursday after totalling a season-best 19 in the previous two games.
The Jags set new season lows for opponent field-goal percentage and 3-point percentage, holding Georgia Southern to 26.9 percent (18-67) overall and 11.5 percent (3-26) from distance. The Eagles made just field goal in the final 4:31 — coming with 2.5 seconds left — and went 1 for 9 during that span. USA ranks fourth in the league in 3-point defense (31.0%).
After Thursday's win, South Alabama is now 1-7 when scoring fewer than 70 points.
USA shot a season-low 43.9 percent (18-41) from the free-throw line Thursday, and
Ken Williams was the only player to shoot better than 50 percent at the stripe (7-8). The last time the Jags shot lower than 50 percent at the line was Nov. 18, 2013 against William Carey.
Williams finished with a game-high 22 points — 14 in the second half — and led the team with three assists and two steals. After scoring three points each against Rice and Little Rock, he is averaging 22.5 points in his last two games, and has recorded back-to-back 20-point outings for the first time this season.
Williams currently has 990 career points, tied with
Kent Carson for 15th all-time at South Alabama. He would be the 15th player in school history to reach 1,000 career points.
Georgi Boyanov recorded his fourth double-double of the year with 10 points and 10 rebounds, the fourth double-double in his last five games. He is the program's active leader with seven, and has four of the team's five double-doubles this season. Boyanov is averaging 11.4 points and 10.0 rebounds in his last five games.
Boyanov shot 3 for 4 from the floor at Georgia Southern to retake the conference lead in field-goal percentage (.573).
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—
