South Alabama men’s basketball will host Georgia State in a Sun Belt Conference game on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. CT at the Mitchell Center in Mobile, Alabama.
The Jaguars come into the matchup with a 15–6 overall record and a 6–3 mark in conference play. Their most recent game saw them overcome a nine-point halftime deficit to defeat Coastal Carolina 53–48 at home. South Alabama managed just 15 points in the first half but rebounded with a strong second-half performance, shooting 56 percent from the field after halftime and holding Coastal Carolina to under 29 percent shooting for the game.
Adam Olsen led South Alabama with 16 points and eight rebounds, including 14 points scored in the second half.
Georgia State enters the contest with a 9-13 record (6-4 SBC). The Panthers recently lost to Louisiana, ending their run of five wins in six conference games. Jelani Hamilton was named Sun Belt Player of the Week on Jan. 27 after averaging over 30 points per game across two contests against Southern Miss and Arkansas State. Malachi Brown is another key player for Georgia State, ranking second on the team in three-point scoring and coming off a career-high performance against Louisiana.
The Panthers are among the top teams nationally in free throw shooting percentage, making nearly 80 percent of their attempts.
Georgia State leads the all-time series between these programs, winning seven of their last ten meetings against South Alabama. However, South Alabama won their last encounter by a score of 77-51 in Atlanta.
Jayden Cooper has contributed double-digit scoring efforts for four straight games for South Alabama, averaging nearly 13 points while shooting efficiently during that stretch.
South Alabama has distinguished itself defensively this season. The Jaguars lead Division I basketball in fewest fouls committed per game and rank fourth nationally in field-goal percentage defense, limiting opponents to just under 38 percent shooting. They have also held teams below forty percent shooting from the field in fourteen out of twenty games played so far this year.
Defensively, South Alabama forces opponents into taking one of the highest rates of three-point shots nationwide — over sixty-two percent of opposing field-goal attempts come from beyond the arc — while holding those teams to about thirty-one percent accuracy from long range.
A win on Saturday would give head coach Richie Riley his ninth consecutive season with fifteen or more victories as a head coach. In his eight seasons leading South Alabama’s program, Riley’s teams have compiled an impressive home record inside Mitchell Center.
This season alone, South Alabama holds a strong record at home and has performed well in close games decided by ten points or fewer.
For more information about South Alabama men’s basketball or upcoming events, fans can follow @SouthAlabamaMBB on X (formerly Twitter), /SouthAlabamaJaguars on Facebook, @southalabamambb on Instagram or visit usajaguars.com.
