Game Notes

Game 23 • South Alabama Jaguars (10-12, 3-6) at Troy Trojans (12-11, 4-5)
February 4, 2017 • 4:15 p.m. • Trojan Arena (5,200) • Troy, Ala.

THE COACHES
South Alabama
Matthew Graves (Butler, 1998)
Record at USA: 47-72 (4th year)
Overall Record: Same
Record vs. Troy: 5-2

Troy
Phil Cunningham (Campbellsville, 1990)
Record at Troy: 42-72 (4th year)
Overall Record: Same

LAST GAME
South Alabama rallied back from a 16-point deficit but fell short in an 83-80 loss to Georgia State. Troy fended off a Georgia Southern comeback attempt, defeating the Eagles 83-76.

NEXT GAME
The Jaguars continue their road trip at Louisiana-Monroe next on Saturday. The Trojans travel to Louisiana-Lafayette.

ON THE AIR
Radio: 99.5 FM The Jag; J.D. Byars (pxp)
On the web: http://www.iheart.com/live/995-the-jag-mobile-7117/ (audio); http://es.pn/2jt1lPe (video)

RANKINGS (Through Feb. 2)
USA: #222 RPI, #233 Sagarin
Troy: #194 RPI, #177 Sagarin

THE SERIES
USA leads 20-8.

Current winning streak: USA, 1 win
Troy's last win in series: 61-54 (2/16/16) in Troy
Last meeting: South Alabama 76, Troy 75 (1/2/17)
USA's last win at Trojan Arena: 66-58 (1/26/16)
USA's record at Trojan Arena: 3-1
USA's record in Troy: 8-3
USA's road streak: Won 2
USA's longest winning / losing streak in series: 5 / 2

Notes: South Alabama has won 10 of the last 12 meetings... Despite the in-state rivals being separated by about 170 miles, the two schools have met just 28 times; all but two of the meetings came after Troy joined the Sun Belt in 2005... South Alabama won the two pre-Sun Belt clashes in 1993 and 1995... The Jaguars won the first five games in the series and seven of the first eight... A buzzer-beating shot gave USA a 69-67 victory in Mobile on Jan. 16, 2010... Freddie Goldstein set a new school record with nine 3-pointers in the 2011- 12 season at Troy... USA leads the series 2-1 in games played at the Sun Belt Tournament, including an 87-81 victory in 2011-12 in the first round... Troy snapped a five-game skid in 2013-14 in Troy and a four-game slide last year in Mobile.

OPENING TIP
South Alabama's six Sun Belt losses have come to teams with a combined 37-17 record in league play, with four defeats coming to the three teams tied for first with a 7-2 mark.

The Jags have trailed at halftime in six of their last seven games and are now 2-9 when behind at the break.

USA is 0-4 in Sun Belt Conference road games.

The Jaguars committed a season-low six turnovers — tying the team's fewest in a game since Dec. 28, 2008 — on Jan. 2 vs. Troy, and won the turnover battle 19-6. USA remains the Sun Belt leader and is 11th in the nation in turnovers forced (17.0), and is second in the conference and 25th in Division I in turnover margin (+3.23).

South Alabama had 15 assists and 18 turnovers Monday, dropping its record to 2-10 this year when posting a negative assist/turnover ratio. The team has recorded a positive ratio three times in nine Sun Belt games, after doing so seven times in 13 non-conference contests.

USA shot just 2 for 7 (28.6%) from the foul line in the first half vs. Georgia State but went 17 for 20 (85.0%) in the second for a .704 overall percentage. The Jags have converted 70 percent or better in each of the last three games, tying its longest streak of the season.

Troy is second in the league in free-throw percentage (.713) while USA ranks tied for eighth (.652).

Ken Williams went 3 for 3 from the floor in the last 16.7 seconds Monday and accounted for USA's last 12 points. He recorded 21 points, with 17 coming in the second half, for his fourth 20-point performance of the year, and his highest output since Nov. 26 at Eastern Illinois.

Williams has scored in double-digits in his last seven games, the longest active streak on the team.

Josh Ajayi has recorded 10 points or more eight times in the last nine games, averaging 14.2 points over that stretch. He has shot 5 for 10 from the floor in each of the last three games.

After compiling double-digit minutes just three times in the first 14 games of the year, Trhae Mitchell has played 16 minutes or more in each of the last four games, including 21 or more in the last three, all starts.

In his last four outings, Mitchell is averaging 4.5 points and 3.8 rebounds, while shooting 6 for 9 from the floor and 3 for 4 from 3-point land. He set a new career high in blocks (3) vs. Georgia Southern and assists (5) against Georgia State.

Georgi Boyanov's team-high eight rebounds Monday are his most since pulling down 10 on Dec. 13.

Troy's Wesley Person averages 18.4 points in his career vs. South Alabama, with two games with 25 points or more. He had 10 earlier this year, his lowest output in five games. He averages just 14.5 ppg at home.

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—