Game Notes
Game 30 • South Alabama Jaguars (13-16, 8-10) at Texas-Arlington Mavericks (20-9, 11-7)
March 3, 2016 • 7:15 p.m. • College Park Center (7,000) • Arlington, Texas
THE COACHES
South Alabama
Matthew Graves (Butler, 1998)
Record at USA: 36-57 (3rd year)
Overall Record: Same
Record vs. UTA: 3-2
UT Arlington
Scott Cross (Texas-Arlington, 1988)
Record at UTA: 173-137 (10th year)
Overall Record: Same
LAST GAMESouth Alabama rallied from down six at halftime to defeat Louisiana-Lafayette 83-70. Texas-Arlington won for the sixth time in eight games, defeating Texas State Tuesday 75-69.
NEXT GAMEThe Jaguars wrap up the regular season at Texas State Saturday. The Mavericks finish with 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 March 1)USA: #238 RPI, #249 Sagarin
UTA: #101 RPI, #105 Sagarin
THE SERIESUSA leads 8-2.
Current winning streak: South Alabama, 2 wins
UTA's last win in series: 99-87 (1/3/15)
Last meeting: South Alabama 88, Texas-Arlington 85 (1/16/16)
USA's last win at the College Park Center: N/A
USA's last win in Arlington: 87-79 (12/17/77)
UTA's last win in Arlington: 99-87 (1/3/15)
USA's record in Arlington: 1-2
USA's road streak: Lost 2
USA's longest winning / losing streak in series: 5 / 1
Notes: Before Texas-Arlington entered the Sun Belt before the 2013-14 season, the last game between the two schools was in 2003 and the one prior to that was in 1981… Eight of the 10 meetings have been decided by eight points or less… The Mavericks' last visit to Mobile prior to the 2013-14 season was for the 1981 NIT, a 74-71 Jaguar victory… USA and UTA have met twice on neutral floors: in 1972 in Statesboro, Ga. and in 2003 in Tampa, Fla.… The home team has won each of the four Sun Belt meetings, and the Jaguars are 4-0 overall in Mobile.
OPENING TIPSouth Alabama is coming off an 83-point performance Saturday against Louisiana-Lafayette, its most in regulation against a Sun Belt opponent this season.
Of those 83 points, a season-high 57 came in the second half. USA shot a season-best 66.7 percent (22-33) from the floor after halftime, including 75.0 percent (6-8) from 3-point land.
The Cajuns' shot just 13.3 percent from 3-point land, the second lowest by a USA opponent this season. The Jags are holding their last four opponents to 22.2 percent from distance.
USA is 12-2 when outshooting its opponent (1-14 when not), and 11-3 when scoring 70 or more.
After averaging 11.5 points and shooting 30.4 percent in his first two games against Texas-Arlington,
Ken Williams is averaging 23.3 points in the last three, while shooting 47.7 percent from the floor and 53.3 percent from 3-point land. He has tied his own career high in 3-pointers twice against the Mavericks, both coming in the last two games, and his personal best of 29 points came last year in Mobile.
Williams shared game-high honors with 25 points vs. ULL, and had 16 points in the second half alone, shooting 6 for 8 from the floor and 3 for 3 from beyond the arc. He also dished out five assists and recorded two steals.
Williams is averaging 20.2 points in his last six games, with three games of 25 or more.
Williams (1,235) needs four points to move into 11th on USA's career scoring list, and four field goals (400) to move into 13th. His third 3-pointer will give him 200 in his three years at South Alabama.
South Alabama is 6-1 (5-1 SBC) when Williams scores 20 points or more, and six of those games have come during league play.
The Jaguars tied their season high with nine blocks Saturday, getting a career-best four from
Don MuepoKelly, the highest by a USA player this season.
MuepoKelly is averaging 10.5 points and 7.0 rebounds, and shooting 64.3 percent from the floor in his last two games. The 21 total points are his highest total over a two-game stretch since late November.
Nick Stover snapped a three-game run of single-digit points Saturday with 13 off the bench. He enjoyed his best shooting night in four games, going 5 for 9 from the field and 2 for 4 from 3-point territory.
Barrington Stevens III tallied a career-high-tying seven assists vs. UL Lafayette with just one turnover to go along with nine points.
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—
