Game 24 • South Alabama Jaguars (13-8) (7-5) at Troy (10-11) (4-7)
February 13, 2021 • 4 p.m. • Trojan Arena (5,200) • Troy, Ala.

THE COACHES
South Alabama    
Richie Riley (Eastern Kentucky, 2005)
Record at USA: 50-36 (3rd year)
Overall Record: 85-64 (5th year)
Record vs. Troy: 5-0

Troy    
Scott Cross (UT-Arlington, 1998)
Record at Troy: 19-33 (2nd year)
Overall Record: 244-194 (14th year)

LAST GAME
USA defeated rival Troy in a thriller with the teams separated by three points, 73-70. The Jaguars took the lead with 69 seconds left after a three from Michael Flowers, and made a defensive stand with Sam Iorio blocking a potential game-tying three by the Trojans.

NEXT GAME
The Jaguars make the trek to Boone, N.C., to face Appalachian State next weekend in the standard Friday-Saturday Sun Belt Conference series. Troy hosts Georgia State midweek as a COVID-makeup game then travels to Atlanta for a pair of game at the GSU Sports arena against the same opponent.

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): Barry McKnight (pxp) Jerry Miller (color)

RANKINGS
USA: # 199 Sagarin, NET #206
Troy:  #139 Sagarin, NET #278

THE SERIES
South Alabama holds a 26-to-11 advantage in the all-time series with rival Troy with multiple five-game win streaks. With Thursday's result, USA is riding a five-game win streak over the Trojans, tying the longest win streak in series history for the third time.

NOTES
Coming out of Thursday, the Jaguars have won five straight, but the short bench was clearly showing its effects as South struggled from behind the three-point line, going 3-of-16 before hitting their final two attempts. The Trojan defense kept Flowers below his scoring average, but crucial scoring did enough to push USA past rival Troy for South's fifth-straight win. The Trojans dropped their second straight but have won four of the last six.

While South enters on short rest with a COVID-makeup game Tuesday, the Trojans are staring down that gauntlet following Saturday's contest with the same five games but in a shortened period that South is about to complete. The Jaguars are one game away from finishing five games in eight days. Both squads needed to make up games against Georgia State.

The Jaguars have won the previous four games by a combined 16 points.

Four of South's five wins came at the Mitchell Center with a Saturday win over Georgia Southern followed by a home sweep over Coastal Carolina and Thursday's win over Troy. The Jags have posted a 10-3 record at home this year, with two losses coming in Sun Belt play.

USA 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.

With the completion of the regular season series against Georgia Southern, USA has played the same opponent four times in the same season for the first time in program history. While that will potentially be commonplace at the conclusion of the schedule, the first time was set over the course of 23 days.

Michael Flowers has been one of the most prolific scorers in the nation, floating in the top five of the total points and points-per-game categories in the NCAA division I, trailing Iowa's Luke Garza, who has maintained a lock on the top position of both categories for the Majority of the season.

Flowers was named the Mid-Major Conference Player of the Week for the Sun Belt Conference by College Sports Madness on Feb. 8.

While scoring 32 points against Georgia Southern, the Senior etched his name on a couple South Alabama single-game records. The effort tied the record of three-point attempts with 17, equaling a record held by Michael Gerren set against USF on Feb. 10, 1983. Flowers also put up 29 field goal attempts which tied the second-place position, which was set by Eugene Oliver against Southern Miss on Feb. 14, 1974, however, the record of 30 attempts in a game was set in the previously mentioned USF game in 1983 by Gerren.

In addition to the NCAA rankings and despite the shortened non-conference schedule, Flowers could potentially shake up the single-season record book at USA with a pace to make the top 10 in points, points-per-game and made three-point baskets. While the percentages have a chance to drop, Flowers could also etch his name in the field-goal percentage and three-point field-goal percentage categories.

Sam Iorio led the Jaguars and game in scoring for the first time since donning a South Alabama jersey with 18 points against the Panthers in Atlanta on Tuesday. The transfer from American has become more comfortable and confident within his role according to head coach Richie Riley and has lead the team in rebounds in two of the last three games. Against the Trojans on Thursday, Iorio added six blocks to his season tally, setting the season high and tying his career high in the process.

Joining Flowers in various three-point offensive categories is Kayo Goncalves. Standing at six feet eight inches, Goncalves has sank over 50 threes on the year, with an accuracy in the top 50 of division one NCAA men's basketball. The 50 made threes was third in the Sun Belt to Flowers' 58 and UL's Cedric Russell entering this week. The pair are top 12 in the Sun Belt for accuracy with Flowers connecting with 43.3 percent of his attempts and Goncalves trailing with 41.8 of his attempts going in.

Stepping into a bigger role, Tyreke Locure has become the second option behind Flowers, scoring 14.8 points per game (sixth in the Sun Belt). Scoring 20 on Friday against the Chanticleers, Locure equaled his career high with 22 points on Saturday in the four-point win over the CCU. Locure led the game in scoring for the fourth time in his career with the 22-point effort. The sophomore has eclipsed 250 points on the season following the 42-point performance over the weekend.

John Pettway earned his first career double-double in a 10-point 10-rebound effort last Saturday against the Chanticleers. Entering the contest, Pettway was one of the most accurate shooters from the floor connecting on almost 55 percent of his attempts, the senior set a new career high with the 10 rebounds. Thursday, Pettway sank seven of his nine field goals putting himself into double-digit scoring for the third time in five games.

Adding another accolade likened to Josh Ajayi, Jamal West pulled down 13 rebounds in the Jan. 15 contest against the Mountaineers with a total of 23 after both games concluded. The 13 boards equaled the single-game high last year set by Ajayi against Pikeville and equaled in conference play against UT-Arlington. West started the first four games this season, becoming the first freshman to start the first four games since the aforementioned Ajayi. The freshman has also grabbed 10 or more rebounds in four Sun Belt Conference contests; two against Appalachian State in back-to-back days, a 12-rebound performance against Georgia Southern on Jan. 2 and against the Chanticleers last time on the court.

KK Curry has fallen short of a double-double four times this season. The sophomore has fell one rebound shy of a double-double with three of the four efforts coming in Sun Belt Conference play and two of the three resulting in Jaguar wins. Stepping up his production in against SBC competition, Curry is averaging 10.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in his first six appearances in conference play. While a presence on the post, the sophomore sank 19 free throws after earning 25 trips to the charity stripe over the same span.

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