MOBILE, Ala. – The South Alabama men's basketball team will look to snap a two game losing streak in its' second consecutive game against ULM on Thursday, Jan.30 at 7 p.m. CT in the Mitchell Center. 

Game Information

South Alabama (14-7, 6-3) at ULM (5-17, 1-8) 

Tip-off:  Thursday, Jan. 30, 7 p.m. CT 

Site: Mobile, Ala. | Mitchell Center

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Last Time Out

The Jaguars struggled to get anything going offensively, shooting 34.3 percent from the field (24-70) and 25.6 percent from three-point range (10-39). ULM hit 11 three-pointers, knocked down 24-of-26 from the charity stripe, and pulled 44 rebounds compared to South Alabama's 35, giving the Jags their second straight loss. 

Notes you need to know 

- South Alabama has stood out as one of the most efficient defensive teams in the entire country this season.  The Jags have excelled at minimizing fouls and converting defensive stops into scoring opportunities. South ranks seventh in the country in fouls per game (13.1), ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.67), ninth in turnover margin (5.2+), sixth in turnovers per game (9.4), and 37th in fastbreak points (14.2). The Jags also sit at the top of the Sun Belt in all five of these categories. 

- The Jags have made a living this season by applying intense zone pressure schemes to opposing offenses. South Alabama has been ranked as the top Sun Belt defense this season, but they were dethroned earlier this week by App State and now rank second in scoring defense. They still rank seventh in the country in field goal percentage defense (37.5), 12th in scoring defense (62.5), and 15th in steals per game (9.7).  We want our calling card to be our defense. We want to play our zone with force and discipline."

-After leading the entire country in the fewest turnovers committed per game for two straight weeks, the Jaguars have faltered as of late. South Alabama has averaged 11.5 turnovers per game in the last four contests. In the two contests against Troy, the Jags logged their only two games with a negative assist-to-turnover ratio. 

- 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 is averaging 10.1 points per game while ranking second in the Sun Belt and 37th in the nation in three-point percentage (42.1). Brown has knocked down 56 total three-pointers this season and the Jags are 12-3 when he makes two three-pointers or more in a game. Brown surpassed his career-high against Mobile, logging 24 points on 7-of-9 shooting from behind the arc.

- The Jags are 13-2 when scoring 70 points or more this season and 1-5 when scoring less than 70 points.  For the first time this season, the Jaguars have lost two games in a row, scoring less than 70 points in back-to-back games. USA is also 12-6  when limiting their opponent to under 40 percent shooting from the field.

- South Alabama is off to its best start to Sun Belt play since 2008 with five double-figure conference victories. Since the start of conference play, South ranks first in field goal percentage defense (35.4), second in scoring defense (60.7), second in three-point percentage defense (28.0), and second in scoring margin (+9.1).  The Jaguars fell to third place in the Sun Belt Conference with back-to-back losses.

-  Head Coach Richie Riley has started 18 out of 21 games this season with the same starting five (Corey, Fasoyiro, Broom, Dunning Jr, Brady). The only time the Jags' lineup changed this season was when Elijah Ormiston filled in for three games when Randy Brady was sidelined with an injury.

All-Time Series History
- South Alabama leads the all-time series 18-16 over ULM. The Warhawks have taken two of the last three matchups, but the Jags own an 8-5 record at home and have won four in a row at the Mitchell Center.

- The Jags back-to-back matchups against Troy and ULM mark the first time the Jaguars will play consecutive games against the same two teams since the 2019-20 season.  The COVID-19 pandemic required each program to play its conference games in consecutive matchups that season.

About ULM

• The ULM men's basketball team (5-17, 1-8) plays its first road game since Jan. 11. 

•   The Warhawks secured their first Sun Belt Conference victory on Monday against the Jaguars in a 77-66 win. Coltie Young led the way with 27 points, which included five three-point shots. ULM also missed just two free throws, going 24-26 in the contest. 

• Patrick Richard will complete his 15th season as the head coach of ULM men's basketball. Richard inherited a program saddled with APR sanctions and guided the Warhawks to four postseason appearances in five years. Richard previously served as the head coach of Louisiana Tech from 1998-2007 and was an assistant at LSU from 2008-10 before being named ULM's head coach and has accumulated over 300 victories as a head coach.

• Coltie Young has been a sharpshooter from behind the arc this season for the Warhawks, as he owns the sixth most three-pointers in the conference this year. 

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