It will be a battle between Sun Belt opponents when the Appalachian State Mountaineers (6-19) welcome the South Alabama Jaguars (11-15) to Holmes Convocation Center. The game begins at 7:30 pm ET on Thursday, Feb. 18.
The Mountaineers got blown out by UT Arlington 91-60 in their last matchup. Griffin Kinney was the team’s leading scorer with 15 points. The Jaguars are coming off a 61-54 loss to Troy in their last outing. Don MuepoKelly posted eight points, 10 rebounds, and two steals.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Jaguars winning the first matchup 73-60. Georgi Boyanov was a standout player in the game, producing 12 points and eight rebounds.
The Mountaineers are hoping to improve on their records of 6-19 Straight Up (SU) and 13-10 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 7-3 ATS. Appalachian State’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the nation, allowing just 5.0 three-pointers per game.
In the other locker room, the Jaguars head into the game with records of 12-11 ATS and 11-14 SU. The last 10 games have really brought the worst out of the Jaguars on the defensive end. They allowed 80.3 points per game during that span, which is higher than their season average of 73.4.
In their previous meeting this season, South Alabama beat Appalachian State, bumping its SU record to 2-1. Furthermore, South Alabama holds the advantage ATS with a record of 2-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – USA, ATS Winner – USA
Notes
In its last game, Appalachian State lost by a margin of 31 points. South Alabama is 2-4 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Appalachian State has a 1-6 record in blowouts.
The Appalachian State Mountaineers average a field goal percentage of 40.8% this season. The South Alabama Jaguars have an underachieving record of 2-12 when opponents have a FG% of 40.8% or greater.
On average, Appalachian State attempts 22.0 three pointers and South Alabama attempts 20.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, both have losing records. The Appalachian State Mountaineers are 4-14 while the South Alabama Jaguars are 4-10.
The South Alabama Jaguars rank 61st in offensive rebounds. The Appalachian State Mountaineers rank 289th in the nation in defensive rebounds.
South Alabama has forced an average turnover percentage of 19.0% this season. Appalachian State has a poor 5-12 record when its TO% is 19.0% or higher.
