Game 15 • Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (7-6, 1-0) at South Alabama Jaguars (8-6, 1-0)
January 5, 2019 • 3 p.m. • Mitchell Center (5,520) • Mobile, Ala.

THE COACHES
South Alabama
Richie Riley (Eastern Kentucky, 2005)
Record at USA: 8-6 (1st year)
Overall Record: 43-34 (3rd year)
Record vs. Coastal Carolina: 0-0

Coastal Carolina
Cliff Ellis (Florida State, 1968)
Record at CCU: 220-153 (12th year)
Overall Record: 754-490 (41st year)

LAST GAME
South Alabama rallied from an early deficit to defeat Appalachian State 79-73. Coastal Carolina downed Troy 88-75 behind 15 3-pointers.

NEXT GAME
The Jaguars head out on the road for the first time in over a month, going to Arkansas State Thursday. The Chanticleers host Texas State.

ON THE AIR
Radio: 99.5 FM The Jag; J.T. Crabtree (pxp)
Web: 995thejag.com/listen (audio); ESPN+ (video); J.D. Byars (pxp), Pat Greenwood (color)

RANKINGS (through Jan. 3)
USA: #301 NET, #237 Sagarin
CCU: #178 NET, #158 Sagarin

THE SERIES
CCU leads 4-2.

Current winning streak: Coastal Carolina, 1 win
USA's last win in series: 60-57 (1/18/18) in Mobile
Last meeting: Coastal Carolina 72, South Alabama 70 (2/17/18)
USA's last win at the Mitchell Center: 60-57 (1/18/18)
Coastal Carolina's last win at the Mitchell Center: 81-77 OT (2/20/17)
USA's record at the Mitchell Center: 1-1
USA's record at home: 2-1
USA's home streak: Won 1
USA's longest winning / losing streak in series: 1 / 3

Notes: The two schools split the first two meetings, with South Alabama winning in 1988-89, and Coastal Carolina winning in 1989-90, but the Chanticleers won the first Sun Belt meeting in 2016-17 in overtime, then won in the first round of the Sun Belt Tournament… The 1988-89 meeting in Mobile took place in Jag Gym.

OPENING TIP
Coastal Carolina head coach Cliff Ellis posted a 171-84 career record in nine seasons at South Alabama from 1975-1984, and had South Alabama head coach Richie Riley on his staff as an assistant from 2009-11 at CCU.

Thursday's comeback win over Appalachian State was South Alabama's largest rally of the season, and first victory when down double digits since March 4, 2017 against Arkansas State.

A win Saturday would be the program's 199th all time at the Mitchell Center. The Jaguars are 198-91 (.685) in 20 seasons.

The Jags are averaging 19.8 assists in their last five games and have assisted on 63.4 percent of their field goals over that span, including a season 83.3 percent (25 of 30) Dec. 19 vs. Alabama A&M.

South Alabama has also put together a run of five straight games with a positive assist/turnover ratio, a first for the program since January 2001.

As a team, the Jaguars rank third in the Sun Belt in assists per game (15.8) and fourth in assist/turnover ratio (1.1).

USA saw its run of seven straight halves shooting 50 percent or better snapped Thursday, but still shot 51.9 percent for the game, thanks to a 59.1 percent effort in the second half. In their last five games, the Jags are shooting 56.6 percent after halftime.

The Jaguars have converted 50 percent or better in five straight games, the longest streak by the team since at least 1995-96.

South Alabama is 8-1 this season when leading at the half and when outshooting its opponent.

Josh Ajayi came up two assists shy of a triple-double on Thursday with 15 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists. He now has five double-doubles on the year, one shy of his career high set last season, and the team is 5-0 in 2018-19 when he records a double-double (7-0 when any player records a double-double).

Ajayi leads the Sun Belt in field-goal percentage (.538) and is third in rebounding (8.4 rpg).

Trhae Mitchell tallied his third double-double of the year Thursday with 16 points and 10 rebounds, giving the Jags a pair of double-doubles in the same game for the first time since 2013-14.

Mitchell was credited with one block vs. Appalachian State, giving him 99 for his career, sixth in USA history. He is second in the Sun Belt and 31st in Division I with 2.3 per game.

Rodrick Sikes bounced back from a three-game scoring slump with 21 points and four 3s. He hit the 20-point mark for a team-best fifth time this season.

Coastal Carolina's Zac Cuthbertson is fourth in the league in scoring (19.8 ppg), second in rebounding (9.0 rpg), third in field-goal percentage (.521) and ninth in assist/turnover ratio (1.4). He averaged 11.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in two games vs. South Alabama last season.

PREVIEWING SATURDAY
Head coach Richie Riley on Coastal Carolina
On opening Sun Belt play: "It's great to be 1-0. I was proud of a lot of things our team did Thursday. We got down early and showed some resiliency to fight back, which is something we've struggled with. I like seeing that out of our team; it's really encouraging. We were able to build a lead and hold on at the end. We'd like for it to be a little cleaner at the end, but at the end of the day, the main thing is we found a way to win, which is important for this group. I'm excited about Saturday; it's another really good team coming in here. We're going to have to play our best basketball to have a chance to win."

On Josh Ajayi and Trhae Mitchell: "It's huge because they bring two things to our offense that other guys don't. Josh can score on the interior, is probably the best guy we have getting to the foul line and he's a good offensive rebounder when he wants to be. Our other guys don't really do that. Trhae is our best driver. We talk about points in the paint all the time; it's critical to how we play. With those two guys, they can get you points in the paint and get to the free-throw line. They've both shown that they can create for other guys. Both have had high assist games this season and with how we play, that's important. They bring a different dimension, where our other guys can really shoot the 3-ball and space the floor that way. When we get production from those two guys, when they can combine to do what they did against Appalachian State, it makes us a really good offensive team."

On Coastal Carolina: "Zac Cuthbertson is one of the best players in the league. He can really score the ball and plays with a great motor. He can step out and shoot the '3' and can also drive you, especially to his right. They have shooters all around. Thursday they had 15 3s against Troy on the road, which is extremely impressive. We've got to find a way to keep them from getting those opportunities and limit their open shots from 3 while containing Cuthbertson. It'll be a chore; they'll be coming in here ready to play. Coach (Cliff) Ellis is the first guy to hire me in Division I when I was 25 years old. We have a great relationship and know each other pretty well so there won't be a ton of new things, but we have to do take away their strengths, that's for sure."

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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