Game 8 • South Alabama Jaguars (5-2) vs. Texas A&M-Commerce Lions (3-0)
November 29, 2021 • 7:00 p.m. (CST) • Mitchell Center • Mobile, Ala.
 
THE COACHES
South Alabama
Richie Riley (Eastern Kentucky, 2005)
Record at USA: 59-41 (4th year)
Overall Record: 94-69 (6th year)
Record vs. Texas A&M-Commerce (0-0)
 
Texas A&M-Commerce           
Jaret von Rosenberg (Hartford, 2009)
Record at Texas A&M-Commerce: 74-37 (5th year)
Overall Record:  Same
Record vs. South Alabama: 0-0
 
LAST GAME
South Alabama defeated Hawaii 72-69 in the championship game at the Las Vegas Classic. Texas A&M-Commerce outlasted Ouachita Baptist 86-76 in overtime.

NEXT GAME
USA will play Southern Miss on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. at the Mitchell Center.
 
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 (NET reflects end of 2020-21 season)
USA: #149 Sagarin, NET #203 (last year)
Texas A&M-Commerce: N/A Sagarin, N/A NET
 
THE SERIES
This is the first meeting between the two schools.  

NOTES
- South Alabama has won four straight games and are 3-0 at the Mitchell Center this season.
 
- With Thursday's victory over Hawaii in the Las Vegas Classic championship, the Jaguars won their the first regular-season tournament title for since the Red Diamond Roundball Classic during the 2016-17 season.
 
- South Alabama is ranked 35th in the NCAA in scoring defense, giving up just 58.9 points per game.
 
- The Jags lead the Sun Belt in scoring defense (58.9), scoring margin (18.6), turnover margin (7.3), and total rebounds (273).
 
- USA has forced 15 or more turnovers in six out of seven games this season.
 
- Charles Manning Jr. set a career-high with 25 points and seven rebounds in the championship game vs. Hawaii. Manning Jr. averaged 23 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists during the tournament.
 
- Jay Jay Chandler and Manning Jr. both finished with 21 points in the opening round against San Diego. This was the first time South Alabama had two 20-point scorers since Tyreke Locure (22) and Michael Flowers (20) vs. Coastal Carolina on Feb. 5, 2021.
 
- Chandler has led the team in scoring in four out of seven games this season; he also tied a career-high with 5 steals and dished out a season-best four assists vs. the Toreros on Thursday.
 
- The Jaguars are among the lowest percentage of minutes returning in the country for the 2021-22 season. USA brings back just 28.6 percent of minutes played from last season, which ranks as the eighth fewest in the NCAA. Only UT-Martin, Creighton, Missouri, Duquesne, Iowa State, Robert Morris and Boston College return fewer. Newcomers have accounted for 86.9 percent of the scoring in South Alabama's first seven games. The top five scorers are newcomers.
 
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 the 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—