Game 29 • Texas State Bobcats (23-6, 12-4) at South Alabama Jaguars (13-15, 6-9)
March 2, 2019 • 7 p.m. • Mitchell Center (5,520) • Mobile, Ala.

THE COACHES
South Alabama
Richie Riley (Eastern Kentucky, 2005)
Record at USA: 13-15 (1st year)
Overall Record: 48-43 (3rd year)
Record vs. TXST: 0-0

Texas State
Danny Kaspar (North Texas, 1978)
Record at TXST: 97-94 (6th year)
Overall Record: 562-287 (28th year)

LAST GAME
South Alabama allowed 15 3-pointers in a 75-57 loss to UT Arlington. Texas State held Troy to a season-low point total in a 58-44 road win.

NEXT GAME
The Jaguars go to Coastal Carolina on Thursday. The Bobcats travel to UT Arlington on Saturday.

ON THE AIR
Radio: None
Web: ESPN+ (video); J.D. Byars (pxp), Bobby Champagne (color)

RANKINGS (through Feb. 28)
USA: #250 NET, #228 Sagarin
TXST: #116 NET, #130 Sagarin

THE SERIES
Texas State leads 7-2.

Current streak: Texas State, 2 wins
Last meeting: Texas State 72, South Alabama 69 (1/4/18)
USA's last win in the series: 72-67 OT (1/14/17)
USA's last win in the Mitchell Center:  72-67 OT (1/14/17)
TXST's last win in the Mitchell Center: 78-67 (1/14/16)
USA's record in the Mitchell Center: 2-2
USA's home streak: Won 1
USA's longest winning / losing streak in series: 1 / 4

Notes: The two schools have met just nine times in their history, all after Texas State joined the Sun Belt Conference starting in 2013-14… The Jaguars stopped a four-game losing streak in the series in 2016-17 at home in overtime… Texas State is 5-0 at home… USA is averaging 63.6 points in nine games vs. Texas State, with a high of 72 (in overtime).

OPENING TIP
Texas State has won six of the last seven meetings, with the lone South Alabama win coming at home in overtime in 2016-17.

A victory would give South Alabama its most home wins since 2007-08 when it went 17-1.

Since dishing out 18 assists vs. Georgia State on Jan. 19, the Jaguars have eclipsed that number just once since and are averaging 11.4 helpers in their last 10 outings.

After allowing UT Arlington to shoot 56.0 percent from the floor Thursday, South Alabama fell to 1-6 when the opposition converts better than 50 percent, and 1-11 when being outshot.

USA has converted 233 times from 3-point land this season, fifth-most in school history, and eight behind the 2013-14 squad for fourth.

Josh Ajayi recorded his 10th double-double of the year Thursday with 18 points and 10 rebounds. The 10 double-doubles are second in the Sun Belt and tie Georgi Boyanov (2013-17) for the most by a USA player in the last five seasons.

Ajayi is averaging 18.0 points in his last two games following a three-game average of 10.7 ppg.

Ajayi also led the team in assists (3) and steals (3), and is the second Jaguar this season to lead the team outright in points, rebounds and assists in the same game (Trhae Mitchell).

Ajayi has 591 career rebounds and will become the eighth player in school history to record 600. He needs two to tie Mychal Ammons (2011-14) and seven to tie Boyanov.

Trhae Mitchell was the other Jaguar in double-digit points Thursday with 17, and he tied his career high with three 3-pointers in six attempts.

Mitchell blocked two shots vs. UTA to give him 56 on the season and 123 in his career. The 56 rejections are the most by a Jaguar in a single season since Javier Carter had 72 in 2012-13.

Texas State leads the Sun Belt in scoring defense (63.2), scoring margin (+10.2), field-goal percentage defense (.402), 3-point defense (.293), rebounding margin (+5.9) and assists (15.1). The Bobcats are sixth in the nation in 3-point defense, 17th in scoring defense and 25th in field-goal defense.

The Bobcats are coming off a 58-44 road win at Troy Thursday, allowing the second-fewest points to a Division I opponent this season (Cal Poly, 42).

Nijal Pearson ranks in the top 10 in the Sun Belt in five different categories, including third in both 3-pointers per game (2.7) and 3-point percentage (.407).

QUOTES
Head coach Richie Riley on Texas State
On Saturday's game: "It's another tough game for us. They're No. 1 in the conference right now for a reason. They're very well-coached and disciplined team. They play well together and understand what makes them a good team. Any championship team understands what makes them win. They show up and are consistent with their effort. That's a testament to how well they're coached. I think Coach (Danny) Kaspar does a great job, I think they have really good players and I think they play the right way."

On similarities between UT Arlington and Texas State defenses: "They're very similar in their ball pressure. They're physical on the ball and try to make you uncomfortable. Their help defense is great and they flood to the ball. They're willing charge takers. Both teams are similar in that they care so much about winning that they guard every single possession for 40 minutes as hard as they can because they know they have to do that to win. It'll be very similar. Texas State has a veteran team and they make it hard for you to score. You have to embrace physicality. You're going to get fouled. We're going to get fouled and a lot of them aren't going to be called; you have to play through the physicality and find a way to produce."

On Nijal Pearson: "He's a really good player. Not only does he score but he makes them good in a variety of different ways. He makes so many winning plays. That's what makes him really good and what makes him a first-team, all-league guy. He embraces his role to do whatever he has to do to win. Some nights that's scoring 20-plus points, some nights that's getting other guys involved. On tape, he seems like a selfless kid that just wants to win. That's what makes him one of the best players in our league."

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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