Game Notes

MOBILE, Ala. – With the end of the regular season looming, the University of South Alabama will try to close it out on a high note, starting Thursday night against Little Rock.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Fans can listen on 99.5 FM or 995thejag.com/listen, watch on JagNationTV.com, and get updates via live stats on USAJaguars.com or on Twitter at @SouthAlaMBK.

"It'll be great to be back at home in front of our fans, and this will be an opportunity to get back on track and gain some momentum heading to conference tournament play in New Orleans next week," USA head coach Matthew Graves said.

The Jaguars (13-16, 6-10 Sun Belt) will face the Trojans on the heels of a three-game losing streak after two double-digit road losses to Texas-Arlington and Texas State.

"Certainly you want to be playing your best basketball heading into the tournament," Graves noted. "In the last few games we've really struggled, starting with the second half of the Coastal Carolina game. Before that, we were playing pretty well, so we've got to just gain some confidence. At this time of year, basketball is about playing with a lot of confidence. We need to see the ball go through the net a little bit, but getting that 'W' would certainly go a long way in getting our guys some confidence."

Little Rock comes into Thursday with a 14-15 overall record and a 5-11 mark in the Sun Belt Conference. Despite a second-place finish in the preseason poll, the Trojans have dropped 10 of their last 13 games, but is coming off a win over Georgia Southern on Monday.

"They had a very good win at home on Monday night and present some matchup problems for us defensively," Graves stated. "I'm impressed with their physicality and they make it tough for you to score. When they're at their best, they're physical and aggressive on the defensive end of the floor. We're going to have to take care of the basketball, which we've done the last few games, but now we have to take it a step further and convert at a higher percentage.

"Defensively, we have to get back to defending in transition. We've really struggled to defend in transition the last few games and that's hurt us."

Neither of Little Rock's top two scorers, Marcus Johnson Jr. (13.5 ppg) or Jalen Jackson (10.3 ppg), rank in the league's top 10, but they combined for 38 of the team's 73 points vs. the Jags in Little Rock earlier this year. Johnson had 22 on three 3-pointers, and Jackson had 16 and a team-high eight rebounds off the bench.

"They both have a lot of experience and are good athletes that can make you pay from the 3-point line and they're strong enough to drive the ball and get to the rim and create free-throw opportunities," Graves said. "Both of those guys, with their versatility to score at all three levels, make them a challenge to defend."

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).

Join the Jaguar Athletic Fund (JAF) Priority Fund, the unrestricted giving option of the University of South Alabama Athletics.  Contributions to the Priority Fund directly support all 17 sports in addition to various support programming. For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/sports/2013/3/13/Gridiron%20Club.aspx?id=22

—USA—