Game Notes
Game 28 • South Alabama Jaguars (13-14, 6-8) at Texas-Arlington Mavericks (21-6, 11-3)
February 25, 2017 • 4:30 p.m. • College Park Center (7,000) • Arlington, Texas
THE COACHES
South Alabama
Matthew Graves (Butler, 1998)
Record at USA: 50-74 (4th year)
Overall Record: Same
Record vs. Texas-Arlington: 3-4
UT Arlington
Scott Cross (Texas-Arlington, 1988)
Record at UTA: 198-145 (11th year)
Overall Record: Same
LAST GAME
South Alabama lost a 16-point lead in an 81-77 overtime loss to Coastal Carolina. Texas-Arlington won 81-71 at Georgia Southern.
NEXT GAME
The Jaguars head to San Marcos Monday for a clash against Texas State. The Mavericks host Troy.
ON THE AIR
Radio: 99.5 FM The Jag; J.D. Byars (pxp)
On the web: www.iheart.com/live/995-the-jag-mobile-7117/ (audio); Mavericks All-Access (video)
RANKINGS (Through Feb. 23)
USA: #222 RPI, #235 Sagarin
UTA: #34 RPI, #72 Sagarin
THE SERIES
USA leads 8-4.
Current winning streak: Texas-Arlington, 2 wins
USA's last win in series: 88-85 OT (1/16/16)
Last meeting: Texas-Arlington 89, South Alabama 83 (1/16/17)
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: 92-79 (3/3/16)
USA's record in Arlington: 1-3
USA's road streak: Lost 3
USA's longest winning / losing streak in series: 5 / 2
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… Nine of the 12 meetings have been decided by eight points or fewer… 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 six of the seven Sun Belt meetings, and the Jaguars are 5-1 overall in Mobile.
OPENING TIP
Texas-Arlington owns the longest active win streak in the Sun Belt Conference at five, and has won 14 straight at College Park Center dating back to last season.
UTA is 3-0 at home vs. USA since joining the Sun Belt and is averaging 95.5 points in the last two. The Mavericks have scored 85 points or more in the last five games overall in the series while averaging 91.2 points per game.
South Alabama has been outrebounded in 11 of its 14 conference games. The Jaguars lost the battle of the boards 51-40 on Monday, giving up a season 51 rebounds and 20 offensive boards. UTA is fourth in the SBC in rebounding margin (+4.0), and Kevin Hervey is second in the league at 8.3 rpg. The Jags are 11th in rebounding margin (-2.6).
The Jaguars have shot 50 percent or better from 3-point land in two of their last four games, but 29 percent or fewer in the other two games, including 28.6 percent Monday.
Both teams rank in the Sun Belt's top three in steals. UTA is second at 7.3 and USA is third at 7.2. South Alabama is 17th in the nation in turnovers forced (16.22 pg), 35th in turnover margin (+2.7) and 60th in steals (7.2 pg).
Ken Williams recorded the first double-double of his career Monday with 17 points and a personal-best 10 rebounds. He has scored 10 or more points in 12 consecutive games, the longest streak by a Jaguar this season.
Williams made four field goals Monday to pass Roger Webb and move into eighth on USA's career list with 529. He needs five more to tie Andy Denny in seventh, and five 3-pointers to tie Derek Turner's school record of 249.
Williams is averaging 18.3 points vs. Texas-Arlington in his career and shooting 46.0 percent from 3-point land on 4.1 triples per game. He had 13 points earlier this year, his lowest total since his freshman year. That broke a string of three straight games with 22 points or more.
Georgi Boyanov is averaging 12.5 points and 8.0 rebounds, and shooting 69.2 percent from the floor in his last two games. He scored 17 points total in his previous six outings.
Boyanov has moved into ninth at South Alabama in career rebounds with 584, and is nine away from Mychal Ammons.
Don MuepoKelly has reached double-digit points four times in his last five games, and is averaging 11.4 points with a 56.4 shooting percentage in that span. He had 11 points on a career-high seven free throws Monday.
MuepoKelly has at least one block and steal in each of his last seven games. He ranks third in the league in blocks (1.2 bpg) and ninth in steals (1.3 spg).
Trhae Mitchell set a new career high vs. Coastal Carolina with 13 points and tied his personal best with three blocks.
The 2017 Sun Belt Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championships are scheduled for a week of March Madness in the Big Easy. New Orleans will once again be home to the two championships that will take place at Lakefront Arena from March 7-12 and ticket books can now be purchased from your school's ticket office. For more information, visit the Sun Belt Conference's championship central websites - Men's Championship – Women's Championship – and be sure to follow the #FunBelt on social media - @SunBelt.
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—
