MOBILE, Ala. – The South Alabama men's basketball team will close a six home stand with an in-state showdown against Jacksonville State on Sunday, Dec.8, in the Mitchell Center. Tip-off is at 3 p.m. CT, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN +. 

Game Information

South Alabama (5-3) vs. Jacksonville State (5-3) 

Tip-off: Sunday, Dec.8, 3 p.m. CT

Site: Mobile, Ala.  | Mitchell Center 

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Last Time Out

Richie Riley became one of the youngest head coaches to secure 150 career wins in a 74-65 victory over Alcorn State on Nov.29. The Jags outscored the Braves 14-6 in the final 5:31 seconds to tie the game at 61-61 and force overtime. In overtime, South Alabama rocketed out on a 13-4 spurt led by back-to-back layups from Corey and Elijah Ormiston and a flurry of free throws to claim the victory. 

South Alabama Notes

• South Alabama posted a 2-1 record last week at the Mitchell Center. The Jags shot 65.3 percent from the floor as a team to breeze past Incarnate Word 84-63 in game one of the Jaguar Classic on (Nov.25)  before falling in game two against Western Illinois 64-63 in a wire-to-wire battle one night later (Nov.26).   South closed out the weekend with a thrilling overtime morning victory over Alcorn State 74-65 on Friday (Nov.29).
• Graduate guard Myles Corey paced the Jaguars offensively throughout three home contests last week, averaging 20.3 points, 2.3 assists, 2.3 steals, and a rebound per game on 58 percent shooting from the floor (24-41) and 42.8 percent from 3-point range (9-21) to earn Sun Belt Player of the Week. 
• An Ontario, Calif., native, Corey scored 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting from the field, including 3-for-5 beyond the arc, with four assists and three steals in an 84-63 win over Incarnate Word in the first game of the Jaguar Classic on Nov. 25. He followed up that performance with 17 points against Western Illinois in game two of the tournament before closing out the weekend with 25 points including four triples, three steals, two rebounds, an assist, and a block in a 74-65 overtime victory against Alcorn State on Nov. 29.
• The Jags have been extremely efficient at creating scoring opportunities this season as they lead the conference and rank 27th in the nation in team assist-to-turnover ratio with a 1.60 (A: 123 TO: 67). 
• Additionally, they lead the Sun Belt and sit at No.35 in the country in turnover margin with a 4.00 (USA: 77; OPP: 109).
•  The Jaguars have prided themselves on their defensive effort this season. They currently rank second in the Sun Belt and 35th in the NCAA in field goal percentage defense at (38.4) 
• South also limits its opponents to the third-fewest points per game in the Sun Belt this season (65.1). 
• Corey leads the Sun Belt in points (19.3) and minutes per game (35.0), and 20-point games (3). He ranks third in the conference in field goal percentage (52.5) and fourth in assists per contest (4.5).
•  Graduate forward Judah Brown has been lights out from behind the arc since returning for his fifth year of college basketball and third year with the Jags.  Brown, a Bermuda Dunes, Calif. native, has put up 10 points or more in five out of eight games this season, knocking down 24 total three-pointers, which ranks him third in the SBC. Brown set a new season-high against Ole Miss with 16 points.
• John Broom has been on the boards this season for South Alabama. The redshirt freshman ranks fifth in the Sun Belt in rebounds per game (7.1). He pulled down a season-high ten rebounds against Mercer and has logged eight boards or more in six out of eight games this year.
•  In seven seasons at the helm of the Jaguar program, Richie Riley has led his teams to a dominant 74-29 record while playing at home in the Mitchell Center. The Jags sport a 4-2 record at home this season, winning four out of five in this six-game home stand.

Series History

• The overall series is tied 3-3 with Jacksonville State. South Alabama has won two of the last three in the series and has yet to lose to the Gamecocks at home. 
• The Jags own a 90-85 record over teams in Conference USA and an 81-68 record over teams in the state of Alabama.
•  First Matchup: 12/27/68 -- at L 66-74
•  Last Matchup: 11/30/23-- at L 52-70

About Jacksonville State

• Jacksonville State went 1-2 at the Boardwalk battle with losses to James Madison and Toledo and a win over East Carolina. They picked up a win over Columbia International in their last game at home on Monday, 89-59. 
• The Gamecocks have been led by redshirt senior guard Jaron Pierre Jr., who ranks third in the nation and first in Conference USA in points per game, averaging 24.1 per contest. 
• Jax State is one of the top rebounding teams in the country. The Gamecocks are ranked seventh in the NCAA in rebounding margin (11.3) and 15th in rebounds per game (42.3). 
• Michael Houge and Mason Nicholson are two of the top five rebounders in Conference USA. Houge pulls down 8.5 boards per contest, while Nicholson corralls 7.6 per game. 
• Head Coach Ray Harper has a record of 582-242 in 26 seasons of coaching. 

FOLLOW THE JAGS

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.