MOBILE, Ala. – South Alabama men's basketball returns to the Mitchell Center to open up Sun Belt play against James Madison on Saturday, Dec.20. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN+. 

Game Information

South Alabama (7-4) vs. James Madison (6-5)

Tip-off: Saturday, Dec.21, 1 p.m. CT 

Site: Mobile, Ala. | Mitchell Center 

Live Stats   ESPN +   Game Notes

Last Time Out

Barry Dunning Jr set a new career-high with 17 points and was the only Jaguar to finish with double figures. However, it wasn't enough as South Alabama couldn't find consistency offensively and scored seven points in the final 11 minutes of the game to fall 58-49 to the TCU Horned Frogs in Fort Worth on Monday. 

Jaguar Notes You Need to Know

• The Jags have won six of their last eight games. South is coming off a two-game Texas road trip. They defeated East Texas A&M 81-72 and fell to TCU 58-49. 
• South Alabama has stood out as one of the most efficient defensive teams in the Sun Belt this season. The Jags have excelled at minimizing fouls and converting defensive stops into scoring opportunities. South ranks fourth in the country in fewest fouls per game (12.3), 11th  in turnovers per game (9.3), 18th in turnover margin (+5.2), and 21st in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.66). The Jags also rank 31st in the country with 15.5 fastbreak points per game while sitting at the top of the Sun Belt in all five of these categories.
• Through 11 contests, Myles Corey has shown he's one of the premier players in the Sun  Belt and the country. He leads the Sun Belt and ranks 55th in the country in points (18.4) per game. Corey ranks second in the conference in minutes (34.1), third in field goal percentage  (46.3), third in assists per game (4.4), and ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.7). The Ontario,  Calif., native won Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week on Nov.30 after averaging 20.3 points and 2.3 assists on 58 percent shooting throughout three home contests. Corey finished with a  season-high 28 points against Mercer, and a double-double 20-point 11 assist stat line in the season opener versus Central Michigan. 
• In seven seasons at the helm of the Jaguar program, Richie Riley has led his teams to a dominant 76-29 record while playing at home in the Mitchell Center. The Jags sport a 5-2 record at home this season, winning five out of six in the homestand. 
• Nine out of 11 games this season have been decided by 10 points or less.  
• The Jags are 7-1 when scoring 70 points or more this season and 0-3 when scoring 70  points or less. Additionally, they are 4-2 when limiting their opponent to under 40 percent shooting from the field and 5-2 when holding their opposition to 70 points or less. 
• The Jaguars have prided themselves on their defensive effort this season. They currently rank third in the Sun Belt and 51st in the NCAA in field goal percentage defense at  (39.7)  - South also limits its opponents to the second-fewest points per game in the Sun Belt and 55th in the country this season (65.9).  
• Dunning Jr. has had an impressive last five games, averaging  13.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. The Mobile native set a new career-high with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the floor and 3-for-6 behind the arc against TCU.
• South leads the Sun Belt in assists per game, contributing 15.36 per contest. Three players average three or more assists per game-- Myles Corey (4.4), Randy Brady (3.5),  and JJ Wheat (3.0).    

Series History

• South Alabama holds a 4-3 advantage over James Madison. As Sun Belt rivals, the Jags have won two of the last three matchups.
• James Madison cruised to an 89-55 win over the Jaguars last season in Harrisonburg on Jan.11. 
• In the last 20 seasons, the Jags own a 9-11 record in Sun Belt Conference opening games. 

About James Madison

• Preston Spradlin leads the Dukes in his first season after spending the last six seasons as head coach at Morehead State, which included an NCAA Tournament appearance last season. 
• After playing in eight games last year at Texas A&M, redshirt freshman guard Bryce Lindsay is second on JMU in scoring (13.5) while playing an average of 26.3 minutes off the bench for the Dukes.
• The Dukes suffered a 75-58 loss to Wake Forest on Tuesday, Dec. 17. Before that they defeated Utah Valley and ETSU. 
• James Madison is one of the top three-point shooting teams in the Sun Belt. Like the Jaguars, JMU averages 9.6 triples per game which leads the conference. 

For complete coverage of South Alabama men's basketball, follow the Jags on social media @SouthAlabamaMBB (Twitter), /SouthAlabamaJaguars (Facebook), @southalabamambb (Instagram), or visit the official home of South Alabama athletics at usajaguars.com