Game 14,15 • Appalachian State (9-4) at South Alabama (7-6)
January 15-16, 2021 • 6,4 p.m. • Mitchell Center (10,000) • Mobile, Ala.

THE COACHES
South Alabama    
Richie Riley (Eastern Kentucky, 2005)
Record at USA: 44-32 (3rd year)
Overall Record: 79-60 (5th year)
Record vs. Appalachian State: 3-1

Appalachian State
Dustin Kerns (Clemson, 2002)
Record at Appalachian State: 27-19 (2nd year)
Overall Record: 58-56 (4th year)

LAST GAME
South lost a pair of games at Conway, S.C., against Coastal Carolina. Appalachian State swept its home games against Georgia Southern.

NEXT GAME
South Alabama will continue Sun Belt conference play in Mobile facing Georgia Southern next weekend on Friday and Saturday. The Mountaineers will return to Boone, N.C., with a third home conference series in four weekends as Georgia State comes to the Holmes Convocation Center next Friday and Saturday.

ON THE AIR
Radio: Sports Talk 99.5: J.T. Crabtree (pxp) Joe McNulty (color)
Web: http://sportstalk995.iheart.com/listen (audio)
ESPN+ (Internet Streaming): J.D. Byars (pxp) Pat Greenwood (color)

RANKINGS
USA: #202 Sagarin, NET #217
Coastal Carolina: #182 Sagarin, NET #208

THE SERIES
USA has a 9-2 advantage in the series with Appalachian State. The Jaguars have won eight of the last nine meetings but the lone Mountaineer win came last season in the Mitchell Center (Dec. 19, 2019). Four of the last six contests have been decided by fewer than nine points.

NOTES
The Jaguars return home after playing on the road for 30 days (Flagler, 12/16) for the home opener of Sun Belt Conference play against Appalachian State. South won its first conference game over Georgia Southern, but lost the following three which split the series with GS and was swept by Coastal Carolina. Appalachian State played its first two pair of conference games at home and also split the first conference pair of games losing the first contest. The Mountaineers bounced back winning the following three games earning a split with Troy and a sweep of Georgia Southern.

After facing the top scoring offense in the Sun Belt, Appalachian State comes to Mobile with the number 1 scoring defense in the SBC. Allowing 59.4 points per game, the Mountaineers are ranked ninth in the NCAA for points allowed.

All six Sun Belt Conference East teams split their opening series with all members taking a win and loss on the first weekend of conference play. In the second weekend, Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina both swept their home series to go to the top of the East standings with CCU on top by virtue of out of conference record. Troy and Georgia State did not play due to COVID cancellations. In the West division, Little Rock is the only team to go to 3-1 with every other member posting a .500 record with the exception of Arkansas State with an 0-2 conference record.

In a strength-versus-strength comparison, South has the top three-point field goal percentage in the league and Appalachian State has three-point field goal defending percentage. USA ranks 18th in the NCAA and App ranks 78th.

USA also completed its non-conference slate without any changes. The nine games without changes is the most in the nation, but in a four-way tie with Louisiana Tech, Toledo and UNC Wilmington. No other Sun Belt team has more than six, and one opponent, Auburn, also made the list with eight games.

South is 4-1 in conference home openers with the most recent win and only loss coming against App State.

Michael Flowers has continued to be one of the nation's most prolific scorers ranking 20th in points-per-game and fourth in total points. Flowers has averaged 22.2 ppg in SBC play with a 29-point outing that tied his season high in the most recent game.

KK Curry has started the last four games, with the first pair taking the place of Tyreke Locure and the second pair starting alongside him. Curry was just shy of a double-double in the Friday game with 19 points, 9 rebounds. It was the third time this year the sophomore was just one rebound short of a double-double. The Cleveland, Tenn., native was one point away from tying his career high.

Locure returned the Jaguar lineup against Coastal Carolina. The sophomore recorded double figures for the ninth time in 11 appearances and tied his career high with six steals.

Kayo Goncalves notched the first double-double on the season for South in game one against Georgia Southern. The 15-point, 10-rebound performance matched his season high in rebounds while falling three below his season-high 18 points at Southern Miss.

Jamal West set a single-game team-high with 12 rebounds in the second game against Georgia Southern. West ripped down six rebounds in his off-the-bench role. In the last six games, West has averaged six rebounds off the bench.

John Pettway is fifth in the Sun Belt in field goal percentage. With 59 makes on 98 attempts (.602), Pettway is the most accurate shooter from the field on the Jaguar squad. The redshirt senior is consistent in the midrange jumper and is capable of using his six-foot-three frame to effectively drive toward the basket. The 60.2 percent would rank 30th in the NCAA, but falls short of the requirements for rankings. Only one player on the Sun Belt ratings above Pettway qualifies for NCAA rankings, Georgia State's Eliel Nsoseme.

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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