Game 27-28 • Georgia State (11-5) (5-4) at South Alabama Jaguars (16-8) (10-5)
February 26-27, 2021 • 8,6 p.m. • Mitchell Center (10,000) • Mobile, Ala.

THE COACHES
South Alabama
Richie Riley (Eastern Kentucky, 2005)
Record at USA: 53-36 (3rd year)
Overall Record: 88-64 (5th year)
Record vs. Georgia State: 1-4

Georgia State
Rob Lanier (St. Bonaventure, 1990)
Record at Georgia State: 31-18 (2nd year)
Overall Record:  89-88 (6th year)

LAST GAME
South Alabama escaped Boone, N.C., with a pair of two-point victories over Appalachian State after making defensive stands in the final Mountaineer possession of both games. In the most recent outing, the Jaguars won 56-54 after holding the Mountaineers to no field goals in the final 4:15 seconds. The Panthers swept Troy winning both games by double digits, and defeated App State 85-71 on Tuesday.


NEXT GAME
All Sun Belt members will travel to Pensacola, Fla., for the postseason Sun Belt Conference tournament. The round one games will begin March 5, but both teams are still in play for first-round byes.

ON THE AIR
Radio: Sports Talk 99.5: J.T. Crabtree (pxp) Joe McNulty (color)
Web: http://sportstalk995.iheart.com/listen (audio)
Friday: ESPN2 (TV and Internet Streaming): Chris Cotter (pxp) Mark Wise (color)
Saturday: ESPN+ (Internet Streaming): J.D. Byars (pxp) Pat Greenwood (color)

RANKINGS
USA: #196 Sagarin, NET #201
GSU: #142 Sagarin, NET #138

THE SERIES
USA won in Atlanta over Georgia State for the first time since Jan. 29, 1982 earlier in the season on a Tuesday COVID-makeup game, Feb. 9, by the score of 70-67. Prior to that, GSU had controlled the recent history winning five straight over South and 13 of the last 15 in the series.

NOTES
South Alabama is on an eight-game win streak and has control of the top spot in the Sun Belt East division. The eight games won matches the streak that closed out USA's season last year. With Georgia State as one of the potential teams that can catch South Alabama in the standings, the Jaguars and Panthers can settle the potential top spot in the East division on the court. With the pair of games in Atlanta between the sides postponed, South travelled midweek to face GSU and claimed its first win in Atlanta over the Panthers this millennium, but more importantly the first game in what is now a three-game series.
Aside from the pair of teams, Coastal Carolina is still in play for one of the top two spots that would earn a first-round bye. Potentially both teams playing in Mobile this weekend can earn the top two positions, but it depends the results from CCU and Troy for that to happen, which will take place in Trojan Arena. A win by USA or a loss by CCU and GSU clinches the top spot in the East Division for the Jaguars.

The Jaguars under Richie Riley have won 17 of 21 games played in the month of February, including the last 14 in a row. The average margin of victory in February under Riley is 5.9 points-per-game. The last loss in the shortest month of the year was a 75-57 defeat to UT-Arlington on Feb. 28, 2019.

While posting a home record of 10-3 this season, the current eight game streak is split with four wins at home and four on the road, including the last three. Of the win streak, four games were decided by a single possession.

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.

The Jaguars rotated in new offensive components after losing 84.5 percent of their scoring after last season. Michael Flowers was the biggest addition, directing the offense as point guard and first choice offensive weapon. Kayo Goncalves has been a three-point threat since the outset of the season, and first-year Sun Belt player and junior-transfer Sam Iorio has added an impact to scoring. John Pettway and Tyreke Locure are returners from last year's squad but have increased responsibility and are both averaging double figures per game.

The Western Michigan transfer has been in the top 10 for scoring in division I all season. Currently posting 497 points, Flowers is closing on the top 10 spots for single-season scoring in program history. Depending on how the rest of the games play out, the senior is fifth in the single-season points-per-game category with 20.7. On top of the scoring accolades, Flowers leads the team with 83 assists.

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.

After a 6-for-16 performance from behind the arc, Goncalves has edged Flowers in three-point shooting percentage as the top spot on the squad. The pair are ranked 54 and 55 in the NCAA for accuracy behind the arc. The Brazilian has 76 field goals on the year and 10 have come from inside the three-point line. Of the 228 points scored, 198 have come from made threes. Goncalves is the only Jaguar this season to record multiple double-doubles, both of which occurred on the road.

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 the last time the teams met. The transfer from American has become more comfortable and confident within his role according to head coach Richie Riley and has paced the team in rebounds three times this season, all in conference play. Against the Trojans on Feb. 11, Iorio added six blocks to his season tally. Feb. 13, Iorio ripped down 15 rebounds setting the team-wide season high in both categories.

Improved offensively and defensively, Locure has been the second choice of the offense and is approaching the top 10 of steals in a single season for the Jaguars. Locure's offense has been primarily through three-pointers and driving layups to an average of 14.5 points-per-game, which is eighth in the Sun Belt.

John Pettway earned his first career double-double in a 10-point 10-rebound effort against the Chanticleers on Feb. 6. As one of the most consistent shooters on the Jaguar squad, Pettway achieved his first time as top scorer for the Jaguars against Troy (2/13), tying Goncalves with 14 points.
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.

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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