Game Notes

Game 21 • South Alabama Jaguars (9-12, 4-6) at Arkansas State Red Wolves (10-11, 6-4)
February 4, 2016 • 7:30 p.m. • Convocation Center (10,038) • Jonesboro, Ark.

THE COACHES
South Alabama
Matthew Graves (Butler, 1998)
Record at USA: 32-53 (3rd year)
Overall Record: Same
Record vs. ASU: 1-4

Arkansas State
John Brady (Belhaven, 1976)
Record at ASU: 120-120 (8th year)
Overall Record: 401-336 (25th year)

LAST GAME
South Alabama used a 22-3 run to start the second half to defeat Appalachian State 73-60. Arkansas State fell at home to Georgia Southern 71-66.

NEXT GAME
The Jaguars stay in Arkansas to take on league-leading Little Rock Saturday. Arkansas State hosts Troy.

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)

RANKINGS (through Feb. 2)
USA: #227 RPI, #257 Sagarin
ASU: #234 RPI, #235 Sagarin

THE SERIES
Arkansas State leads 23-18.

Current streak: Arkansas State, 1 win
USA's last win in the series: 81-76 (3/5/15)
Last meeting: Arkansas State 89, South Alabama 67 (1/2/16)
USA's last win at the Convocation Center: 81-76 (3/5/15)
ASU's last win the Convocation Center: 72-60 (1/11/14)
USA's record at the Convocation Center: 5-14
USA's record in Jonesboro: 5-15
USA's road streak: Won 1
USA's longest winning / losing streak in series: 5 / 5

Notes: South Alabama had a five-game win streak over ASU snapped in 2009-10 in Mobile, then ended a five-game Arkansas State streak in last year in Jonesboro… The Red Wolves had won the previous four meetings prior to USA's five-game streak and have won eight of the last 10 against the Jaguars… Arkansas State is 3-0 in games decided in overtime… The series dates back to the 1970-71 season… The Jags have scored more than 90 points just once in 38 games (91-78, 12/28/06).

OPENING TIP
South Alabama will be going for its first three-game win streak of the season Thursday.

After starting the season 0-10 (0-6 Sun Belt) when trailing at halftime, the Jags have won their last two.

The South Alabama defense held an App State team that was averaging 84.3 points in its last four outings to 31.8 percent shooting Saturday night and 60 points. At one point, the Mountaineers missed 12 straight shots during a 22-3 Jaguar run and went seven minutes without a point. Sun Belt leading scorer Frank Eaves was held to a season-low two points on 1 for 15 shooting.

The league's leading 3-point shooting team coming into the game at 37.4 percent, App State was held to 27.6 percent (8 for 29) from behind the arc after missing 19 of its first 21 attempts from deep. South Alabama ranks third in the Sun Belt in 3-point defense (.320).

USA's 22-3 run to start the second half was its best of the season. The Jags scored 12 straight at one point, tied for its second-best scoreless run in a game.

South Alabama's five 3-pointers vs. App State are its fewest in the last four games; the team was averaging 8.8 triples over that span. However, the Jaguars has a season-best 40 points in the paint and shot 54.5 percent from 2-point range.

Since a four-game stretch where the team was outrebounded by an average of 9.3 per game, South Alabama is plus-22 over the last two contests, including a season-best plus-16 Saturday.

John Brown scored 11 of his 13 points vs. App State in the second half, and at one point hit a 3-pointer on three-straight possessions. The 13 points are his second most this season, and tied for the second lowest by a USA leading scorer in 2015-16 (Williams, 12 at Denver).

Ken Williams dished out a game-high six assists Saturday, giving him 14 in the last two games, the most over a two-game stretch in his career. He has led the team in assists 12 times this year and ranks seventh in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (1.5).

Georgi Boyanov is averaging 14.3 points and 8.7 rebounds with a 55.2 shooting percentage in his last three outings. After his sixth double-double of the year at Troy (18 points, 10 rebounds), he had 12 points and eight boards Saturday. He is second in the SBC in field goal percentage at .561.

Arkansas State is the only school to have two players in the top eight in the Sun Belt in scoring. Devin Carter, who scored 20 points against USA in the first meeting this season, is sixth with 16.9 per game, and Anthony Livingston is eighth with 15.2 per contest.

Livingston had 22 points and 11 rebounds in the first meeting on Jan. 2, and is averaging 20.0 points and 11.0 rebounds with two double-doubles in three career games vs. the Jaguars.

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—