Game 21 • South Alabama Jaguars (9-11, 2-5) at ULM Warhawks (11-7, 4-2)
January 26, 2019 • 2 p.m. • Fant-Ewing Coliseum (7,000) • Monroe, La.

THE COACHES
South Alabama
Richie Riley (Eastern Kentucky, 2005)
Record at USA: 9-11 (1st year)
Overall Record: 44-39 (3rd year)
Record vs. ULM: 0-0

ULM
Keith Richard (ULM, 1982)
Record at ULM: 104-165 (9th year)
Overall Record: 254-282 (18th year)

LAST GAME
South Alabama fell on two late 3-pointers at Louisiana, 88-84. ULM downed Troy 75-69.

NEXT GAME
The Jaguars start a three-game homestand next Saturday against Troy. The Warhawks go to Coastal Carolina on Thursday.

ON THE AIR
Radio: 99.5 FM The Jag; J.T. Crabtree (pxp)
Web: 995thejag.com/listen (audio); ESPN+ (video); Graham Doty, Mike Vining

RANKINGS (through Jan. 23)
USA: #298 NET, #240 Sagarin
ULM: #139 NET, #145 Sagarin

THE SERIES
ULM leads 13-11.

Current winning streak: ULM, 2 wins
USA's last win in series: 66-63 (2/11/17)
Last meeting: ULM 66, South Alabama 62 (2/22/18)
USA's last win at Fant-Ewing Coliseum: 66-63 (2/11/17)
ULM's last win at Fant-Ewing Coliseum: 83-74 (1/27/18)
USA's record at Fant-Ewing Coliseum: 7-6
USA's road streak: Lost 1
USA's longest winning / losing streak in series: 3 / 7

Notes: ULM's seven-game win streak from 2014-2016 was the program's longest against South Alabama… The Warhawks' 100-68 win in 2015-16 in Monroe was their biggest in the series, one point shy of the Jaguars' 90-57 win in 2008-09… ULM leads the series 9-4 in the last 13 meetings… Four consecutive meetings from 2009-10 to 2012-13 were decided by a combined 12 points… ULM broke a seven-game losing streak to South Alabama during the 2009-10 season in Monroe 61-58, and won again in Mobile the next season 67-65… USA's average margin of victory in its seven-game win streak was 15.3 points… Freddie Goldstein tied his own school record with nine 3-pointers in USA's 88-86 win in Monroe in the 2011-12 season, to end a two-game skid to the Warhawks… The two schools played four times in 1975 and 1976 but didn't resume the series until 2005.

OPENING TIP
Since winning 10 of the first 14 games against ULM, South Alabama is 1-9 in the last 10. The lone win came Feb. 11, 2017 in Monroe (66-63).

The Jaguars have had a 20-point scorer in every game this season but two and have a current 12-game streak, all by Trhae Mitchell, Josh Ajayi and Rodrick Sikes.

In USA's current five-game losing streak, four of the five were by four points or fewer, including one in overtime. The team is 0-5 this season in games decided by five points or fewer.

South Alabama started the season 9-1 when outshooting its opponent but has lost its last three.

The Jags won the battle of the boards on Thursday 36-29 for the first time since Jan. 3 vs. Appalachian State, thanks in part to Ajayi and Mitchell's 12 rebounds each.

In that Appalachian State game, the Jaguars shot 40.9 percent from 3-point land, the third time in four games the team converted 40 percent or better from distance. Since then, South Alabama is shooting 29.2 percent from behind the arc, including 28.6 percent (6-21) Thursday at Louisiana.

Mitchell and Ajayi have put up a double-double in each of their last two outings. Mitchell set a new career high with 31 points and added 12 rebounds, and Ajayi tallied 23 points and 12 boards. The last set of teammates to have double-doubles in the same game twice in the one season was Augustine Rubit and Mychal Ammons in 2013-14.

Ajayi has a Sun Belt-best eight double-doubles this season and Mitchell has six. Ajayi's double-double Thursday was his first this season and second in the last two years on the road. He moved up to ninth in school history with 17 in his career, one away from John Mallard in eighth.

Ajayi's 23 points came on 6-of-11 shooting; the 54.5 shooting percentage is his lowest in six games – he was converting 70.5 percent from the field in his previous four outings and leads the Sun Belt at .572

Not only was Mitchell's 31 points vs. Louisiana a new career high, it was the most by any Jaguar this season. He scored 23 in the first half alone, also a new team season high. Mitchell is the second Jaguar to eclipse 30 points in a game this season (Sikes, 30 vs. Southeast Missouri).

John Pettway tied his career high of 14 points at Louisiana that was set one game prior against Georgia Southern, giving him 28 points in his last two games. He scored 36 points total in his previous 18 outings.

Herb McGee tallied 10 points Thursday for his second consecutive double-digit performance. He has five games with 10 points or more this season; the previous three came in November, capped off with back-to-back 16-point outings vs. Chattanooga and Jacksonville.

Rodrick Sikes is averaging 28.5 points in two games vs. ULM, including a career-high 38 on seven 3-pointers in Monroe last season.

ULM ranks second in the Sun Belt in both 3-pointers per game (9.7) and 3-point percentage (.392). In league games, ULM has the top scoring offense (84.5 ppg).

Of the five players in the conference averaging 20 points or better this season, South Alabama has faced three of them in the last five games and will take on another one in Daishon Smith, who is fourth at 20.8 ppg. He poured in 42 points at Little Rock on Jan. 3, the second most by a Sun Belt player this season.

Smith leads the league in free-throw percentage (.879) and 3-pointers (3.5 pg), is second in 3-point percentage (.433) and third in steals (2.1 spg).

PREVIEWING SATURDAY
Head coach Richie Riley on ULM
On trying to reverse a four-game skid: "This is another tough road game for us. It doesn't get any easier and that's the way basketball goes sometimes. When you're struggling it gets harder and harder, and that's certainly the case now. ULM is arguably the best team in our league. Texas State may be in first but ULM has shown they can beat anyone in our league. They're really good and experienced. We have to find a way to play a complete 40 minutes. We're doing a pretty good job of scoring the ball, but there are loose balls and box outs – winning plays – that separates these games. Four of our league losses are by one, two, three and four points, so we've got to find a way to win some of these close games."

On Daishon Smith: "He's electric. I actually saw him a lot when he was in junior college at Tallahassee and I knew he was going to be good. He went to Wichita State and for whatever reason it wasn't the right fit for him. He can really shoot it and can score off the deck. He's quick to the rim and plays with a burst. He can score in a variety of different ways and has had 40 this year. We've got to do a good job of getting the ball stopped in transition on his pushes, and you have to pick him up early because he's got deep range."

On ULM: "They're balanced. Any time you have a team like them with multiple guys that can score 20 points, you're dangerous offensively. Michael Ertel is extremely crafty and can really shoot it from the 3. He can score at all three levels. Travis Munnings is a little underappreciated because I think he's as good as anybody in our league, with the motor he plays with and his versatility to score. They've scored over 90 multiple times. Obviously at home, everybody shoots well and plays a lot better. It's hard for us with our depth and being shorthanded to go out and score 84 like we did against Louisiana, so we have to string together more stops."

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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