MOBILE, Ala. – Fresh off a conference-opening win against ULM last Saturday, the App State Mountaineers (10-3, 1-0 SBC) will hit the road for their first true road game since Dec. 13, to face the South Alabama Jaguars (8-5, 1-0 SBC) at the Mitchell Center on Thursday. Thursday's contest kicks off a season-high four-game road trip for the Mountaineers. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT) and can be streamed on ESPN+.
With Saturday's win in the conference opener, the Mountaineers started the Sun Belt portion of their schedule 1-0 for just the second time in the Kerns era and the fifth time since 2010. App State has started 2-0 in conference play just once before under Coach Kerns and six times in the last 23 years.
Saturday's win also marked win No. 10 for the Black & Gold before the turn of the new year, which is the first time that App State has won 10 or more games before Dec. 31 since the 2006-07 season when Houston Fancher's squad won 11 games before the calendar flipped to the new year. App State is one of two teams in the Sun Belt with 10 wins before the new year (James Madison, 13).
Additionally, the Mountaineers' 10th win over ULM last Saturday made them just the fourth App State team since 1988-89 to win 10 of its first 13 games to open the season. The last time any App State team accomplished that feat came in 2006-07 when the Black & Gold won 12 of their first 15 contests to open the season.
The Matchup
- Who: App State at South Alabama
- Where: Mitchell Center // Mobile, Ala.
- When: Thursday, January 4 // 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT)
Tune In
- Watch: ESPN+
- Listen: 97.3 WKBC, 96.5/1450 WATA, 790/93.7 WETB, 1250/103.9 WBRM
- Live Stats: appstatesports.com
Last Time Out
The Mountaineers picked up a 67-55 win over the ULM Warhawks last Saturday, marking the second consecutive season that App State has claimed a victory in their conference home-opener.
Four Mountaineers recorded double-digit nights last Saturday, which was the most players to reach double-figures in a single contest since Dec. 5, when six players reached the 10-point threshold.
Donovan Gregory led the way with 17 points on an efficient 70 percent field goal percentage.
App State held the Warhawks to just 37 percent shooting from the floor and four made threes. Additionally, the Mountaineers held the Warhawks to just 55 points for the game, marking App State's fewest points allowed against a Division I opponent this season.
Scouting the Mountaineers
The Mountaineers enter their first conference road game of the season at 10-3 and have won nine of their last 10 games. The Mountaineers have already posted nine double-digit wins this season and five wins by at least 20 points. Both numbers lead the conference. Additionally, the Mountaineers have held at least a 10-point lead in all 10 wins this season.
App State plays a complementary style of basketball as they come into play on Thursday with the 28th-highest scoring margin in the country at 15.3. The Mountaineers pair the lowest-scoring defense in the conference with the fifth-highest scoring offense to get to that number. App State is one of just 32 teams in the nation to have a scoring margin of 15 points or higher.
Offensively, the Mountaineers boast a deep team that takes care of the basketball and scores at an efficient clip. Entering play against South Alabama, the Mountaineers carry the second-best team field goal percentage in the Sun Belt and the 16th-best assist/turnover ratio in the country at 1.66. Coach Kerns' squad averages just 9.6 turnovers a game, which is the lowest mark in the Sun Belt.
Defensively, the Black & Gold play stifling defense and block shots at one of the best rates in the country. The Mountaineers are currently ranked third in the country in both opponent field goal percentage and blocks per game, while two Mountaineers currently sit in the top three in the Sun Belt in blocked shots in
Justin Abson and
Tre'Von Spillers.
Scouting the Jaguars
The Jaguars are 8-5 coming into Thursday's contest with App State, which is the third best record in the conference coming into play. South Alabama won their conference opener last Saturday, overcoming a 22-point second-half deficit to come back and beat Old Dominion by two points on the road.
Seven players average at least eight points for head coach Richie Riley's squad coming into play on Thursday. Isiah Gaiter paces the Jaguar charge, scoring 15.1 points a game and has scored in double-figures in four contests this year.
Coach Riley leads an experienced group of players in his sixth season at South Alabama. During his career as the Jaguar head coach, Riley has guided the team to five straight seasons recording 17 or more wins and eight postseason victories, including a run to the Sun Belt Tournament championship game for the first time since 2009 last year.
Series History
App State and South Alabama are set to square off for the third time in the last calendar year and the 20th time ever on Thursday. The two teams met in the first round of last year's Sun Belt Tournament, which saw the Jaguars claim a 68-61 victory over the Mountaineers as part of their run to the title game. The Jaguars hold the edge in the all-time series 5-14, but the series has been close in recent years as both teams have won twice since 2022.
Four Mountaineers notched double-figure games at the Sun Belt Tournament last year against South Alabama with
Terence Harcum leading the way with 17. The Mountaineers haven't beaten South Alabama on the road in nearly two years, when the Mountaineers picked up a 72-64 win in their Sun Belt road opener on Jan. 6, 2022.
Coach Kerns is 4-6 in his career against Riley and the Jaguars.
Next Up
The Mountaineers will head 167 miles up the road to Troy, Ala., for their next battle against the Troy Trojans on Saturday. Tipoff is slated for 4:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. CT) and can be streamed on ESPN+.
