Game 18 • Little Rock Trojans (11-6, 5-1) vs. South Alabama Jaguars (10-7, 3-3)
January 11, 2020 • 4:30 p.m. • Jack Stephens Center (5,600) • Little Rock, Ark.

THE COACHES
South Alabama 
Richie Riley (Eastern Kentucky, 2005)
Record at USA: 27-24 (2nd year)
Overall Record: 62-52 (4th year)
Record vs. Little Rock: 0-2

Little Rock
Darrell Walker (Arkansas, 2012)
Record at LR: 10-22 (2nd year)
Overall Record: 55-40 (4th year)

LAST GAME
South Alabama returned home and placed three players in double figures as the Jags defeated Arkansas State, 75-59 Thursday night. Little Rock fell, 76-71 at Troy.

NEXT GAME
The Jaguars return to Mobile to welcome Georgia State on Thursday. Little Rock continues its road swing with the third of four games at Troy.

ON THE AIR
Radio: 99.5 FM The Jag; J.T. Crabtree (pxp)

RANKINGS (ratings through Jan. 9)
USA: #193 NET, #172 Sagarin
LR: #163 NET, #159 Sagarin

THE SERIES
South Alabama leads 29-22.

Current streak: Little Rock, 2 wins
South Alabama's last win in the series: 73-56 (2/8/18)
Last meeting: Little Rock 73, South Alabama 68 (2/9/19)
USA's last win at the Jack Stephens Center: 72-69 (1/5/15)
Little Rock's last win the Jack Stephens Center: 91-62 (1/12/19)
USA's record at the Jack Stephens Center: 4-5
USA's record in Little Rock: 10-13
USA's longest winning / losing streak in series: 6 / 4

Notes: Little Rock has won six of the last seven meetings in the series with South's lone win during that stretch coming during the 2017-18 season in Mobile … The winning team has scored 70 or more points in five of the last six meetings … The series dates back to the 1991-92 season … Dating back to the 2011-12 season, the two clubs have eclipsed the 80-point mark just once in those 15 contests.

OPENING TIP
From the 1996-97 season to the 2010-11 season, South Alabama won 18 of the 24 meetings in the series. Little Rock has won each of the last two and six of the last seven in the series.

On Thursday, South Alabama got off to a quick start, scoring the first seven points of the game and building a 14-3 lead five minutes into the contest as the Jags defeated Arkansas State (75-59) Thursday night. The win was the third in the last four games for South and the fifth in the last six meetings with the Red Wolves.

USA improved 9-0 when outshooting its opponent, and 9-1 when tying or outrebounding its opponent, and is 3-0 in both categories in Sun Belt play..

Herb McGee helped the Jaguars get off to a great start as he knocked down three first-half treys and tied a season high with 12 points in the win Thursday.
The three 3-pointers also tied a season high.

USA got to the charity stripe a season-best 35 times converting 25 of those attempts Thursday night and were led by Josh Ajayi and Trhae Mitchell who went a combined 15 for 16 at the free-throw line vs. ASU. South holds a  season percentage of .744, but that still leads the Sun Belt and is fourth-best in school history.

Mitchell has alternated double-digit scoring games in his last eight outings.

Ajayi recorded his sixth double-double of the year with a game-high 20 points and 11 rebounds against the Red Wolves. The double-double was Ajayi's second-straight and third in his last four outings.

The six double-doubles for Ajayi are tied for second most in the league. It was also the 10th double-double with 20 points in his career which is tied with Rick Sinclair for third in program history.

South Alabama is 6-0 this season when Ajayi records a double-double, and 5-0 when he scores 20-plus points.

With his 7 for 7 performance at the foul line against Arkansas State, Ajayi  passed Kent Carson for fifth in program history in free throws.

Ajayi moved up the career ladder in three categories in Monday's road win over UT Arlington passing Andy Denny for eighth at USA in career field goals (539), Ken Williams for sixth in career free throws made (367) and Rory White for third in school history in career rebounds (744).

Chad Lott recorded double figures for the third straight contest with his 16-point outing Thursday.

Lott and Ajayi, who were both 6 for 10 from the floor, enter the weekend tied for the conference lead in field-goal percentage (.580).

A game after setting a new season high with 10 points, John Pettway followed up that performance with nine points and a career-best five steals against the Red Wolves. He entered the week with 13 points total this season, but has had 19 in his last two outings.

Since moving into the starting lineup against Mobile (Dec. 28), Pettway has averaged 6.4 ppg.
South Alabama won points in the paint 32-22 against the Red Wolves. The last five opponents are averaging just 15.6 points in paint.

Little Rock comes into Saturday's game ranked 12th in the league in three-point field-goal percentage defense (.369) and but first in rebounding defense (31.1). Marques Nowell ranks second in the SBC in scoring with 18.8 ppg, but did not play against Troy on Thursday.

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—