Game Notes

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama men's basketball team will attempt to win its third straight game and close out an unbeaten homestand Tuesday night against in-state rival Troy.

Tip-off 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.

"I feel like we have confidence, and winning two close games, especially on the defensive end needing and getting two stops, was really crucial and certainly helps our confidence as we move forward," USA head coach Matthew Graves said. "Troy is playing really well right now, winning two out of their last three games. It's certainly going to be a challenge."

Tuesday will be the Jaguars' third attempt at a three-game win streak, and it will come against a team the Jaguars have had success against lately, holding a 9-1 advantage in the last 10 games, and a 19-7 lead in the series overall.

On Saturday, South Alabama (11-13, 7-7 SBC) led by as many as 19 points midway through the second half, but saw that lead disappear as Georgia Southern rallied to tie the game at 76-76 in the final minute before righting the ship and scoring the final four points of the contest.

"I think we're starting to understand that we can win games with our defense," Graves stated. "By being able to get stops, you don't have to rely solely on outscoring your opponent. To get both wins in very similar fashion down the stretch, needing to get a stop in one of the last possessions to secure the win, it was really rewarding to see.

"Now guys are talking in the locker room about being able to get a defensive stop to win a game, and that's something, to be frank, we haven't heard, and it was really refreshing to hear them start to think in those terms."

Junior Georgi Boyanov (Lovech, Bulgaria) and sophomore Shaq Calhoun (Rome, Ga.) each scored 20 points in the win, with Calhoun coming off the bench for his output and setting a new career high with four 3-pointers.

Troy (8-17, 3-11) currently sits at the bottom of the league standings, but has won two of its last three games, including a 54-53 home win over Georgia State on Saturday. Both of the Trojans' last two victories have been by a point apiece.

"Troy is a very dangerous team because they have a couple of guys on the perimeter that are capable of scoring 20-plus on any given night," Graves said. "They have the ability to make a lot of 3s, in a similar fashion that Georgia Southern did, and also they have two post players in (John) Walton (III) and (Jordon) Varnado that are able to score around the rim and rebound the basketball. So Troy does have an inside-outside combination that, when they're rolling, can be difficult to guard on the offensive end."

2014-15 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Wesley Person leads a group of four Trojans in double-digit scoring at 16.6 points per game, sixth-best in the Sun Belt. He paced the team with 15 points in the first meeting and averaged 19.5 points against the Jaguars last season.

"Person, like a lot of great scorers, has the ability to make 3s and he can pull up and hit the mid-range (jumper), but what separates shooters from guys that can score the ball, is he gets to the free-throw line," Graves said. "He does a great job of getting fouled and getting to the free-throw line four or five times a game when he's playing well. To stop him, we've got to make him shoot difficult shots and we can't foul him."

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—