Game Notes

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama men's basketball team will attempt to snap a recent skid against a 6-3 Samford team Friday night at the Mitchell Center.

The contest will tip off at 7:05 p.m. Fans can listen on 99.5 FM or 995thejag.com/listen, watch on JagNationTV.com, and get updates via live stats on USAJaguars.com or on Twitter at @SouthAlaMBK.

South Alabama has dropped three in a row entering Friday's contest.

"I'm glad that we're going to get another opportunity here a couple of days after the Denver game to not only play, but play at home," USA head coach Matthew Graves said. "We need to understand that we have to play better and get back on the winning track at home."

The Jaguars lead the series with the Bulldogs 17-2 and have won 14 in a row, dating back to 1972. It is tied for the longest active streak against an opponent; USA has also won 14 straight against Spring Hill, Monday's opponent.

South Alabama's four seniors continue to lead the team in scoring. Ken Williams (Houston, Texas) tops the charts with 14.1 per contest, and has moved up to fourth in the Sun Belt Conference in free-throw percentage at .838 after making 23 of his last 24 attempts.

Georgi Boyanov (Lovech, Bulgaria) and Don MuepoKelly (Fontana, Calif.) rank third and fifth in the league, respectively, in field-goal percentage with 62.7 and 58.2 percent, making the Jags the only team with two players in the top seven. Boyanov recorded his first double-double of the year Tuesday with 10 points and 10 rebounds, and MuepoKelly tallied 11 points. Boyanov is averaging 12.2 points and MuepoKelly is averaging 11.0 points per outing.

Nick Stover (Los Angeles, Calif.) is fourth with a 9.1 points-per-game average.

Samford has won three straight games and four of its last five, after defeating Miles College 92-73 on Saturday. The Bulldogs are in the top half of the Southern Conference in scoring at 76.6 per game, and are hitting 8.1 triples per contest.

"They're extremely well coached," Graves said. "Coach (Scott) Padgett does a great job with them offensively. They have several guys that can stretch you on the floor and really shoot the 3-pointer. They have two guards that are capable of getting inside the defense with their athleticism. Their 5-man is in the top five in the nation in getting double-doubles.

"He has a really good roster with guys that know how to play. Their record shows it."

The Bulldogs have three players in double-digits, led by Demetrius Denzel-Dyson's 15.0 per-game average, which ranks sixth in the Southern Conference, buoyed by his 52.2 percentage from behind the 3-point line. Wyatt Walker works inside, leading the SoCon in rebounding (11.7 rpg) while pouring in 13.8 points per game. He has seven double-doubles on the year.

Alex Thompson is averaging 11.9 points per game.

"They are a group that we need to be aware of," Graves noted. "We can't allow Walker to get inside position and get to the offensive glass; we need really to box him out. Denzel-Dyson is really good at scoring in the open floor – getting to the rim in transition – or running to the 3-point line. He's a very good catch-and-shoot guy with his feet set.

"Their two point guards in Christen Cunningham and Josh Sharkey do a great job of setting them up and finding guys in the open floor."

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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