Wednesday, Nov. 19
Jags' Ellis Records First Double-Double as South Alabama Holds off Mobile
MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama freshman post player Chyna Ellis recorded her first career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds Monday night as the Jaguar women held off the Lady Rams, 71-67 to pick up their first win of the season at the Mitchell Center.
Ellis was one of four South Alabama players to finish the night in double digits as she was 5-of-11 from the field and 4-of-5 at the foul line. The 6-2 post player also added two blocks in her 27 minutes of action.
The Jaguars (1-1) will continue its five-game home stand on Sunday, Nov. 23, when they host Alabama State. Tip-off versus the Hornets is set for 2:05 p.m.
"When we scheduled this game right after the Southern Miss game, we knew it was going to be difficult because Mobile runs the Flex offense, and they know all the tricks of the trade of what you are trying to do to them," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said. "We knew it was going to be a struggle with one day of preparation. But I'm proud of the effort and the way we finished and was able to get a win.
"We scrapped; I thought defensively we played really well, although we let them get to the line to many times and had a couple of breakdowns on some threes. I was pleased with the effort, we cut our turnovers down. What we want to do is show continual progress. One thing about this group, nothing is going to be easy for us this year — if you're expecting this team to blow out somebody, that's not our makeup right now.
South Alabama played the game tonight without its leading scorer Breanna Hall who had 16 points in the season opener versus Southern Miss. Hall missed the game due to a foot injury and is listed as day-to-day.
"The injury to Breanna Hall slowed down our adjustments and rotations, things we wanted to see tonight," Fowler said. "We had to go with different lineups and then we got into foul trouble."
Joining Ellis in double figures was Amber Yelding, Taylor Jenkins and Colby Davis who each had 10 points apiece. Both Jenkins' 10 points and three blocks were career highs, while she also grabbed seven boards.
Freshman guard Marquita Daniels just missed double digits as she had nine points in 12 minutes of play.
After turning the ball over 29 times versus Southern Miss in its season opener, South Alabama turned the ball over 18 times and just eight over the final 27-plus minutes of the game.
South Alabama shot the ball well again versus the Rams, connecting on 25 of its 54 attempts for 46.3 percent. USA was also 17-of-25 at the foul line.
Mobile dropped to 1-2 on the season and was led by Kali Koenig's game-high 23 points. Koenig was 7-of-11 from the field and 6-of-8 from the free-throw line.
The Lady Rams shot 37.7 percent from the field in the game, but also managed to get to the line 30 times – converting 22 of those attempts.
With South Alabama holding an early 9-5 advantage seven minutes into the contest, Mobile was able to rattled off nine unanswered points to take its first lead of the evening. Koenig drained a trey from the left corner at the 13:04 mark and after a pair of buckets in the paint, Raven Lyons capped off the scoring and put the visitors out in front 14-9 with a pair of free throws with 11 minute, 35 seconds to go in the opening period.
The Jaguars trimmed the deficit to one (17-16) a little over a minute later when Daniels rattled home a three-pointer of her own from the left side of the arc, but the Lady Rams came right back and extended their lead back out to 22-16 after three free throws from Koenig and a turnaround jumper in the lane by Speed with just under nine minutes showing on the clock.
During the first 12-plus minutes of the half, turnovers plagued the Jaguars as they committed 10 during that time, but over the last seven minutes, South Alabama was solid with the ball, not committing a turnover during that time.
The Jaguar defense would spark the club as they held Mobile scoreless over a five-minute stretch.
Trailing by six, Juliann Miller followed a missed jumper by Daniels at the 8:28 mark. Miller's bucket would ignite a 15-0 run by South Alabama. On USA's next trip down the court, Daniels – celebrating her 19th birthday – threaded the needle and found Jenkins open for an easy basket. Ellis then followed another miss with a bucket of her own to tie the contest up at 22-22 with just over seven minutes remaining. Later in the run, Ellis capped off the scoring and gave USA a 31-22 advantage when she knocked down an 18-foot jumper at the 4:17 mark.
Daniels led South Alabama with eight first-half points, while Ellis and Jenkins each had seven points apiece.
Molly Speed ended Mobile's scoreless streak with a three from the right wing, but the Jags didn't allow the visitors to gain any momentum as Brittany Webb knocked down a trey of her own on the ensuing possession.
With one minute, 34 second to go before the half, Yelding connected with South Alabama's third three-pointer of the period to give USA a 39-30 lead. The Jags would take the nine-point lead into the break.
In the second half, South Alabama pushed its lead out to double figures with a bucket on its first possession and later led 49-39 a little more than five minutes into the final stanza after a Yelding basket.
Over the next three minutes, the Rams would quickly make it a one-possession game as they trimmed the deficit to two (51-49) with under 12 to play with a 10-2 scoring spurt. Koenig – who had 15 second-half points – scored the final seven points of the UM run.
Mobile had a chance to tie the contest up on its next possession, but Ellis blocked a shot and then at the other end of the floor the freshman converted an and-one play. On USA's following trip down the court, Simonne Potts found Daniels streaking down the court for a layup to put the Jags back up by double figures, 61-51.
The Lady Rams would not go away though and continued to battle back. With under four to play, UM attempted to rally back. Koenig drained her third trey of the night with three minutes, 35 seconds to play to cut the Ram deficit to 68-64, but that would be as close as Mobile would get.
In the final minutes, South Alabama was able to come up with enough defensive stops to pick up the four-point victory.
Mountaineers Come From Behind to Defeat Bucs
JOHNSON CITY, TENN. - Appalachian State University women's basketball got its first win of the 2014-15 season on Wednesday night against East Tennessee State, 76-70.
The Mountaineers (1-1, 0-0 Sun Belt) trailed the Bucs (2-1, 0-0 Southern) for the majority of the game but were able to get their first lead with 8:54 left to play to come behind and win in thrilling fashion.
The Buccaneers' Serena Clark scored two points just 15 seconds into the game to give ETSU its first lead, but the Mountaineers would tie the score at six with a layup from Joi Jones.
From there ETSU would take a 10-6 lead and would not let the Apps pass them until late into the second half. The Bucs continued the score, finding points from both their post players and their guards to lead 21-15 with 8:18 left in the first half.
Despite trailing ETSU for most of the game, Appalachian did not let them out of their reach, never trailing by more than six points. With 4:16 left in the first half Bria Huffman would hit a jumper to put the Mountaineers within three points for a score of 27-24.
Appalachian tied the score at 29 off a three-pointer from Katelyn Doub with 2:28 in the first, but the Bucs would enter the half with a 34-29 lead.
Katie Mallow and Maryah Sydnor each notched nine points in the first half to lead the Mountaineers while the team shot 36.4 percent from the floor.
ETSU was led by Destiny Mitchell's 10 points as the team recorded a 42.9 field goal percentage.
Appalchian came out in the second half with vengeance, scoring the first three points of the half from Sydnor. Despite only trailing by two points the Mountaineers continued to struggle to take the lead as the Bucs found points from behind the arc from Shamauria Bridges.
Ashley Bassett-Smith got her first minutes of the game in the second half, immediately coming out to score four points, putting the Apps down by three points with 15:50 to play.
The rest of the game would be a battle as a team would score and the other would immediately respond. Appalachian found points but it seemed like they would not be able to catch up to the Bucs until free throws from KeKe Cooper and Mallow would give the Mountaineers their first lead with a score of 55-54 and 8:54 to play.
From there the Mountaineers would take charge, as Mallow and Sydnor collectively scored 16 of Appalachian's next 18 points to lead the Bucs, 72-64 with a 1:32 to play.
The Mountaineers would hold on to the game, thanks to two free throws from Cooper with 30 seconds left, to get the 76-70 win over ETSU.
Sydnor led the team with 25 points, while Mallow added a career-high of 21 points. Sydnor also led the team on the boards, tallying eight rebounds and Mallow added a game-high six assists.
The Mountaineers shot 43.3 percent from the floor on the night, while grabbing 34 boards and turning the ball over 21 times.
ETSU was led by Serena Clark's 18 points and 10 rebounds, while the team recorded a 40.4 field goal percentage, notching 45 rebounds and 24 turnovers.
The Mountaineers return to action on Saturday, Nov. 22 for their home opener vs. UNCW at 2 p.m.