Game 26 • South Alabama Jaguars (12-13, 5-7) at Georgia State Panthers (17-8, 8-4)
February 15, 2019 • 6 p.m. CST • Georgia State Sports Arena (3,854) • Atlanta, Ga.

THE COACHES
South Alabama
Richie Riley (Eastern Kentucky, 2005)
Record at USA: 12-13 (1st year)
Overall Record: 47-41 (3rd year)
Record vs. Georgia State: 0-1

Georgia State
Ron Hunter (Miami [Ohio], 1986)
Record at GSU: 164-93 (8th year)
Overall Record: 438-312 (24th year)

LAST GAME
South Alabama tried to rally from 17 down but came up short in a 75-65 loss at Georgia Southern Wednesday. Georgia State defeated Troy 77-63.

NEXT GAME
The Jaguars return in a week for a road game at Troy. The Panthers go to Appalachian State on Thursday.

ON THE AIR
Radio: 99.5 FM The Jag; J.T. Crabtree (pxp)
Web: 995thejag.com/listen (audio); ESPN+ (video), Sam Crenshaw (pxp), Rodney Turner (color)

RANKINGS (through Feb. 12)
USA: #260 NET, #219 Sagarin
GSU: #135 NET, #127 Sagarin

THE SERIES
USA leads 15-14.

Current winning streak: Georgia State, 2 wins
USA's last win in series: 86-64 (12/29/17)
Last meeting: Georgia State 69, South Alabama 66 (1/17/19)
USA's last win at the GSU Sports Arena: 75-50 (1/29/82)
GSU's last win at the GSU Sports Arena: 90-75 (3/3/18)
USA's record at the GSU Sports Arena: 5-8
USA's road streak: Lost 7
USA's longest winning / losing streak in series: 10 / 6

Notes: Georgia State had a six-game winning streak in the series — its longest vs. South Alabama — snapped in the 2015-16 season in Mobile… The 2013-14 meeting in Atlanta was delayed four days due to snow… South Alabama's 10-game win streak in the series lasted from 1979 to 2003, when Georgia State won 88-56 in Atlanta… USA leads the series 10-9 in Sun Belt games, but is only 2-8 since the Panthers rejoined the league in 2013-14… The Jags' 70-66 win in 2009-10 was their closest win vs. GSU since the first meeting (78-77) on Feb. 16, 1976; the next closest win was nine (70-61) on Jan. 7, 1980… The Panthers' last win in Mobile prior to the 2013-14 victory was in 1977… The Jags' 86-64 victory on Dec. 31 was their biggest in the series since 1982.

OPENING TIP
South Alabama hasn't won a road game at Georgia State since February 1981, dropping seven in a row. The Jaguars also lost two neutral-site games at the Georgia State Sports Arena in 2012-13.

Wednesday's game at Georgia Southern was USA's second Sun Belt game decided by double digits.

USA is 1-10 when scoring fewer than 70 points and 0-6 in games decided by five points or fewer. The lone win was a 66-57 decision over Florida A&M in December.

Georgia Southern converted 55.8 percent from the floor Wednesday, becoming the second opponent in the last four games to hit the 50-percent mark. South Alabama is 1-5 when allowing 50 percent from the field.

Herb McGee led the team with 18 points Wednesday, shooting 6 for 11 from the field and 3 for 6 from 3-point land. He has led the team in scoring twice in the last three games.

In the last seven games, McGee is averaging 14.3 points and converting 47.1 percent overall, 40.9 percent from long range and 81.8 percent from the free-throw line. He has scored double-figure points six times in that span.

Josh Ajayi continued his double-digit scoring streak Wednesday to 20 games with 13 points. He leads the Sun Belt in field-goal percentage at 55.6 percent and is third in rebounding (8.2 rpg).

Ajayi needs 15 points to tie Virgil Stanescu for 13th at USA in career points and three rebounds to tie John Jimmerson for 11th in career rebounds. Ajayi has 1,111 points and 572 rebounds entering Friday.

John Pettway was held to four points at Georgia Southern, his fewest in the last seven games. In that span, he is averaging 12.3 points and 2.1 steals per game while shooting 64.2 percent from the floor and 81.0 percent from the stripe.

Rodrick Sikes' next 3-pointer will break a tie with Jeff Hodge for seventh at South Alabama for career 3s. Sikes has 145 in just 57 games.

Georgia State is the Sun Belt's top team in turnover margin (+2.68) and is second in steals (7.6 spg).

The Panthers are second in the league in 3-pointers per game (9.7) and third in 3-point percentage (.389). GSU went 8 for 20 (40.0%) from distance in Mobile, led by Devin Mitchell's 5-for-10 performance.

D'Marcus Simonds is averaging 21.8 points in four career games vs. USA, eclipsing 20 points three times. He had 18 on 6-of-14 shooting in January in Mobile.

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).

Join the South Circle, the unrestricted giving option of the University of South Alabama Athletics. Contributions to South Circle directly support all 17 sports in addition to various support programming. For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/give
 
—USA—