Game 30 • South Alabama Jaguars (19-10) (9-7) vs. Little Rock Trojans (8-18) (3-11)
March 3, 2022 • 2 p.m. (CST) • Pensacola Bay Center • Pensacola, Fla.
 
THE COACHES

South Alabama        
Richie Riley (Eastern Kentucky, 2005)
Record at USA: 73-49 (4th year)
Overall Record: 108-77 (6th year)
Record vs. Little Rock: 2-3
 
Little Rock
Darrell Walker (Arkansas, 1983)
Record at Little Rock: 50-64 (4th year)
Overall Record: 95-82
Record vs. South Alabama: 3-2

LAST GAME
South Alabama took down UTA 62-52 at home on Friday. Little Rock fell to Coastal Carolina 68-55 at home.

NEXT GAME
The winner will take on No. 4 seed Troy in the quarterfinals at 2 p.m. on Friday at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Fla.
 
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): Matt Stewart (pxp), Nate Ross (color)

RANKINGS
USA: #141 Sagarin, NET #131
Little Rock: #305 Sagarin, NET #326

THE SERIES
Overall: USA leads the series 31-23
Longest USA streak: 6
Longest Little Rock streak: 4
Current Streak: Little Rock - 1
First Meeting: 1/16/92, 85-74, L
Last Meeting: 2/10/22, 77-46, W

NOTES
- USA has won two of the last three meetings against Little Rock and is 4-1 all-time against the Trojans on a neutral court.
 
- South Alabama is 7-1 all-time against Little Rock in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, including a 3-1 record in the opening round.
 
- The seven wins over Little Rock in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament are the most against any team by the Jags in the tournament.
 
- The 31-point victory on Feb. 10 is tied for the biggest win against Little Rock in series history. The Jags previously beat the Trojans by 31 points, 79-48, on March 1, 1998.
 
- The Jags set a season-high by shooting 60 percent (30-50) from the field against Little Rock on Feb. 10.
 
- South is 3-2 overall and 2-0 in the opening round in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament under Richie Riley.
 
- The Jaguars have held opponents under 55 points in five of the past seven games.
 
- The Jags are 12-1 this season when leading at the half.
 
- USA finished the season 13-2 at home at the Mitchell Center. The 13 wins are tied for the second-most in Mitchell Center history, only trailing the 2007-08 team's 17 wins.
 
- South's 19 wins are the second-most since the 2008-09 season, Riley's 2019-20 team finished with 20 victories.
 
- USA has had a winning record in the Sun Belt in three straight seasons under Riley. Riley is the first head coach to achieve three straight winning seasons in the Sun Belt since Cliff Ellis did it from 1979-81.
 
- South is 11-0 this season when shooting at least 50 percent in the first half.
 
- The Jaguars are 14-1 this season when scoring at least 70 points.
 
- South is ranked 25th in the NCAA in scoring defense, giving up 62.8 points per game. That figure would be the fifth-best in program history.
 
- The Jags lead the Sun Belt with 4.9 blocked shots per game and rank 25th nationally in blocks per game.
 
- South Alabama is ranked in the top 3 of the Sun Belt in scoring offense (71.4), scoring margin (8.6), scoring defense, field-goal percentage (45.7), field-goal percentage defense (39.9), blocked shots per game, free throw attempts (516), three-point field goal defense (30.2), turnover margin (2.2) and turnovers per game (12.6).
 
- South Alabama's Charles Manning Jr. and Jay Jay Chandler were both named to all-Sun Belt second team. Javon Franklin was voted to the third team. This is the first time three South Alabama players were named all-Sun Belt since 2008-09's Brandon Davis, Domonic Tilford and DeAndre Coleman received the honors.
 
- USA features two of the top seven scorers in the Sun Belt. Manning Jr. is fourth, averaging 15.7 points per game. Chandler is seventh, averaging 15.2.
 
- The Jaguars are just one of two teams in the Sun Belt to have multiple players win SBC POTW. Chandler and Manning Jr. both have won the weekly award once each this season.
 
- Diante Smith is shooting 17-for-29 (58.6 percent) from beyond the arc over the past six games. Smith has knocked down a triple in 10 straight games. He also grabbed a career-high nine rebounds and tied a career-best with four steals in the 62-52 win over UTA on Friday. In the previous game against Little Rock, Smith went 4-of-6 from three.
 
- Franklin finished the regular season third in the Sun Belt in double-doubles, with six. In Sun Belt play, Franklin averaged 12.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
 
- Kayo Goncalves ranks fourth in the Sun Belt with 63 three-pointers this season. He eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for his NCAA career earlier this season. Over 75 percent of his scoring has come from beyond the arc. Goncalves is tied for 10th all-time at South Alabama with 144 made three-pointers in his two seasons with the program.
 
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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—USA—