MOBILE, Ala. – South Alabama men's basketball travels to the Buckeye State to face Akron in round two of the MAC-SBC Challenge on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 1 p.m. CT.
Game Information
South Alabama (16-8, 8-4) at Akron (17-5, 10-0)
Tip-off: Saturday, Feb. 8, 1 p.m. CT
Site: Akron, Ohio | James A Rhoades Arena
ESPN+ Live Stats
Last Time Out
The Jags played lights out the entire night, shooting 55.9 percent (33-59) from the floor, a season-high 53.6 percent from three-point range (15-28), to lead by as much as 38 points in the second half. After the Chanticleers rifled off an 18-0 run to cut the lead to 20 with 6:10 remaining, Corey knocked down three straight threes and a fastbreak layup to put the game further out of reach and secure an 84-59 win for South Alabama over Coastal Carolina.
Notes
- South has won four Sun Belt Conference games this season by 25 points or more. This marks the most 25-point victories by a USA squad in a season since 1998-99. That team made a run to the NCAA Tournament.
- The Jags have had their best start to Sun Belt play since 2008, as they've secured six double-figure conference victories. In conference play, South ranks first in field goal percentage defense (35.9), third in three-point percentage defense (29.7), second in assists (14.6), and second in scoring margin (+8.9).
- After shooting an average of 22.4 percent from behind the arc in the previous three games, South Alabama exploded from downtown, shooting a season-high 53.6 percent from three-point range and making the most threes in a game (15) since January 21, 2022.
- The Jags have committed to their zone defense this season and have eliminated any chance of driving in the lane for open shots. They have forced 60 percent of their opponents' shots to come from three-point range. The all-time NCAA record is 52 percent (per Kenpom).
- South Alabama ranks first in the Sun Belt and 15th in the country in steals per game with 9.5. Four Jaguars rank in the top 15 in the SBC in steals per game (John Broom 1.8, JJ Wheat 1.7, Myles Corey 1.3, and Dylan Fasoyiro 1.2). The Jags have totaled 228 steals this season and will surpass the single-season program record for steals (296) if they continue their current pace.
- Richie Riley's teams have been dominant in February since he took the reins of the program in the 2018-19 season. Riley owns a 35-15 record in the month, and last season, the Jags won six of their final eight games to end the year.
- Myles Corey has led the way for the Jaguars throughout this season. He ranks ninth in the Sun Belt in points (15.0) and assists per game (4.1). He's also sixth in field goal percentage (45.8) and sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8). Corey has scored double figures 17 times this season and logged his sixth 20-point game this year at Coastal Carolina after scoring 27 points while shooting 7-for-8 from three-point range.
Last Time in MAC-SBC Challenge
Trailing by 15 points at halftime and 22 points in the early second half, the Jags battled hard to pull within two points with under 2.8 seconds remaining after Judah Brown dropped back-back-back triples and Elijah Ormiston sank a floating layup in the paint. However, Central Michigan would break the Jags' press and ice the game with a pair of free throws to clinch a 74-70 win.
Series History
- Saturday's matchup is the first between these two teams in 43 years. The Jags lead the all-time series 2-0 and picked up a narrow victory in Mobile on January 11, 1982, winning 65-55.
About Akron
- Akron is currently on a nine-game winning streak to begin conference play. The Zip's winning streak is the fifth-longest.
- Nate Johnson leads the Zips in scoring (13.7) and steals (2.0). Nate is one of three Zips to average 10 or more points per game with Tavari Johnson (12.7) and Gray (10.6) rounding out the list. T. Johnson leads Akron in assists (4.2) while James Okonkwo leads the Zips in rebounds (7.8) and total blocks (23).
- Akron is currently scoring 84.0 points per game and has outscored its opponents by 11.1 points per game this season. The Zips are shooting .457 from the field while shooting .363 from beyond the arc and averaging 11.5 3's per game. The Blue and Gold hold a .756 ft percentage while averaging 40.8 rebounds, 18.4 assists,12.6 turnovers, 7.8 steals, and 3.7 blocks per game.
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
