Thursday, February 11
Jags Place Five in Double Figures as USA Captures 10th Win
MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women's basketball team placed five players in double figures Thursday night and picked up its sixth Sun Belt Conference victory with an 83-45 win over Georgia State at the Mitchell Center. The 10 wins now give the program its first 10-win season since 2012-13.
The 38-point win was the largest for the Jags in conference play since defeating Troy by 37 (63-26) in Mobile on Jan. 29, 2012. The 83-points were also a season-high for the club and the most since scoring 80 at Georgia Southern last season.
"I think that our kids were just locked into the scout, and our defense tonight was able to turn into some offense," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said. "It was an outstanding job in how we shared the basketball, I asked them 'How much fun is this?' when we were moving and sharing the basketball. I told them that if we would keep moving the ball, we would get easy shots."
The Jaguars (10-12, 6-7 SBC) will continue its three-game homestand Saturday afternoon when they welcome Georgia Southern to the Mitchell Center. The game versus the Eagles is set to start at 2 p.m. and will be aired on ESPN3. Live stats and web streaming for the contest versus the Eagles can be accessed at www.USAJaguars.com. Fans can also keep up with in-game updates by following action on the program's twitter account @SouthALWBB.
Marquita Daniels led all scorers with 18 points – her fifth double-figure outing in her last six games – while also notching six of USA's 12 steals. The six steals for Daniels were a new career-best for the sophomore.
Joining Daniels in double figures were LaNeetra Guillory (14), Colby Davis (12), Chyna Ellis (11) and Juliann Miller (10). Guillory – who had missed the last three games – carded a new career-best for the second straight game in which she has played. The Pearland, Texas, native was 6-for-6 from the field in 15 minutes of action and also added a pair of blocks.
"It was great to see LaNeetra Guillory — who sat out the last three ballgames after coming off a career high against Troy — come back and play the way she did," Fowler said. "It just gave us a boost because she provided another post option who can score. I'm excited about the confidence she is gaining. And the way we moved it [the ball] was a total team effort."
Davis finished one assists shy of matching a season best as she dished out six assists in the win. Redshirt freshman Genesis Perrymond also carded a career-high six assists to go along with her six points and career-best and game-high eight rebounds. As a team, South Alabama recorded a season-high 22 assists on its 29 made field goals. The 22 assists were the most by the Jags in a game since registering 21 against Spring Hill (12/4/12).
The loss for Georgia State (9-13, 4-9 SBC) was it's fourth in its last five outings and sixth in its last eight. Madison Newby led the club with nine points. GSU's leading scorer, Makeba Ponder, entered the game averaging 13.1 points per game, but was held to just six on 2-of-11 shooting. All six of her points came in the first quarter.
The Jaguars were 29-of-56 from the field for 51.8 percent – the second 50-plus shooting percentage this season in a game. USA was also 10-for-18 from long-range for 55.6 percent against the Panthers. The 10 three-pointers were the second-most for the club this season, just missing out on the 11 recorded earlier this year against Texas State.
The Panthers were just 17-for-52 from the field (.327) and 3-for-17 from beyond the three-point line (.176).
South Alabama forced Georgia State into 26 turnovers – the most by a Jag opponent this season – while limiting the Panthers to just five assists. USA also held a 27-10 advantage in the points off turnovers category. The game also marked the second-consecutive game that GSU has been held to 45 points. Georgia State entered play ranked third in the SBC in scoring offense, averaging 65.4 ppg.
"We've struggled scoring a lot of the season (with our defensive pressure), but tonight our defense put us in position to get some easy buckets," Fowler added. "We're talking a lot about the offense, but our defense held them to 45 points, it was outstanding. I was really proud of our effort on both ends of the floor."
Georgia State scored on its opening possession of the game, but the Panthers would hit just one of their next eight shots over a four-plus minute span. USA would take advantage of the GSU scoring drought and rattle off a 12-3 run. Daniels scored six points for the Jags during that time and capped off the run when she intercepted an inbounds pass and found Miller open for a fast break layup. Miller's bucket with just under five to go in the opening quarter put the Jaguars up by seven (12-5).
USA extended its lead out to double figures (17-7) two minutes later after a jumper by Ellis and a three-pointer from the right wing from Erin Autio, but the Panthers would quickly cut their deficit in half after a pair of free throws by Newby and a trey from Ponder with one minute, 38 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
South Alabama stretched its lead back out to double figures at 22-12 in the final minute. Guillory – seeing her first action after missing the previous three games due to illness – knocked down a turnaround jumper in the lane and on USA's next possession, Colby Davis drained a three from the left corner.
At the other end of the floor, Ponder connected from the top of the key just before the buzzer to trim the Jaguar lead to 22-15.
South Alabama set the tone for its first-half shooting during the opening 10 minutes of action as it shot 56.3 percent. USA also had nine assists on all nine of its made baskets.
The Jaguars exploded for 28 points in the second quarter and again shot over 50 percent to build its lead to 21 points. The 28 points in the second were the most points recorded by the Jags in a single quarter this season, besting the previous mark of 27 set against Texas State in the first quarter on Jan. 14.
Leading by seven (24-17), the Jaguars rattled off a 9-0 spurt and forced Georgia State into four turnovers during that same stretch. Of South Alabama's nine points during the run, six came at the foul line. USA was 14-of-18 at the stripe during the period. The Jaguars' one lone field goal during the run was a three-pointer from the right side of the arc by Davis – her second of the game.
Over the remainder of the quarter, South Alabama would continue to build upon its lead. With three minutes remaining before the half, Daniels found Perrymond open in the left corner for a three of her own to give USA a 42-22 advantage.
GSU would try to cut into the Jaguar lead in the final minutes, but USA would answer every score by the Panthers. Davis – who had 10 points in the first half – sent South Alabama into the locker room with a 50-29 lead when the junior sank a pair of free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining. Ellis (11) and Daniels (10) also recorded double figures in the first half for the Jags.
The 50 points in the first half were the most points recorded by USA in a half this season and the 55.6 field-goal percentage during the first 20 minutes of action was the most in the opening half this season, eclipsing the previous mark of 53.6 percent set against William Carey (12/15).
After a GSU bucket in the opening seconds of the second half, the Jaguars would gain even more breathing room as they rattled off a 10-0 run. During the next seven minutes, the South Alabama defense would force Georgia State into six turnovers and seven-straight missed shot attempts. Daniels capped off the 10-0 run for USA with a three from the left corner with two minutes, 40 seconds showing on the clock – one of her four in the game. Daniels' trey increased the South Alabama lead to 60-31.
On Georgia States next possession, Ashlee Cole ended the streak of misses and scored the Panthers first points in over seven minutes with a bucket.
However, over the final two minutes of the third, USA would close strong, outscoring the Panthers 10-2. The Jaguars capped off the run with their ninth long-range shot of the night, just before the horn to give USA a 35-point advantage (70-35).
For the third-straight quarter, South Alabama shot 50 percent in the game as it eight of its 16 shot attempts. GSU was just 3-of-12 in the period.
In the fourth, the Jaguar lead would grow to as much as 40 and Georgia State did not score its first points of the final quarter until six minutes in.
Seniors Lead Bobcats in Win Over Appalachian State
SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State women's basketball team regained its footing with help from its seniors Thursday night as it pulled away with a 87-76 victory against Appalachian State at Strahan Coliseum. Raven Burns and Ayriel Anderson combined for 40 points to help the 'Cats snap a four-game losing skid.
How It Happened:
After finding itself in a 9-2 hole in the first four minutes of the game, Texas State produced a 12-4 run capped by an Ayriel Anderson jumper to tie the contest at 13-13 with 2:38 to play in the first. Through the heart of the first quarter, the Bobcats used full court pressure that ultimately forced seven turnovers by the Mountaineers.
Six-straight points to close out the first quarter by Whitney Apari, Anderson, and Kaitlin Walla lifted Texas State to a 19-15 advantage at the first break.
Texas State added to its lead by one after the second quarter, but it was the third quarter that propelled the Bobcats ahead of the Mountaineers.
The Bobcats recorded a season-high 31 points in the third quarter, a quarter that featured an 11-for-17 shooting effort from the floor and five 3's, two of which each belonged to Raven Burns and Ayriel Anderson.
Three of the five 3's in the third quarter fell in the span of just under two minutes to give Texas State a 16-point lead over the Mountaineers. Both of Anderson's 3's came within a minute and a half of each other.
In the third, Texas State took advantage of the three Mountaineer turnovers by converting seven points off of them. The Bobcats also outscored Appalachian State in second chance points as the 'Cats pulled down three offensive boards. In all, Texas State won the third quarter rebounding battle, 11-7.
Foul trouble in the fourth quarter by both teams put Appalachian State in a position to battle back against the Bobcats. Full court pressure much like the Bobcats applied in the first quarter along with 18 trips to the charity stripe lifted the Mountaineers to a 24-point fourth quarter. With 2:27 to play in the game, Appalachian State cut the Bobcats lead down to eight, the lowest since the start of the third.
Texas State held strong despite the fourth quarter surge by Appalachian by never letting its lead dwindle to any less than eight. Six of the final eight points scored by Texas State came at the foul line.
Who Stood Out: Seniors Raven Burns and Ayriel Anderson led the Bobcats in scoring as they combined for 40 points … Burns finished with a career-high 21 points with five 3's while Anderson finished with a season-high 19 and three made 3's … Whitney Apari also had a career-night for the Bobcats as she finished with 12 points … Ericka May led the Bobcats with 12 rebounds … Anderson also finished the night with nine assists, a mark that matches her career-high set against Arkansas State in 2014 … Texas State finished with a season-high six blocks, two each belonged to Taeler Deer and Ericka May … the 87 points scored tonight by Texas State marked a season-high.
What It Means: The Bobcats snap a four-game losing streak and improve to 11-12 overall and 6-7 in Sun Belt Conference play. Texas State also improves to 8-3 at home and the victory forces a season split against the Mountaineers. Since Appalachian State joined the conference in 2014, the home team has always won this match-up.
Trojans Halt Skid Behind Saunders', Beverly Kelley's Performances
TROY, Alabama – The Troy women's basketball team snapped a six-game losing streak behind a strong effort from its starting backcourt, beating Georgia Southern, 84-68, at Trojan Arena on Thursday night.
Troy (11-11, 6-7) was led by ArJae' Saunders who scored a career-high 26 points, thanks in large part to 6-of-8 shooting from deep, and Ashley Beverly Kelley who added 24 points with 5-of-15 from deep for her fourth straight 20-point game. Each guard added eight rebounds, Beverly Kelley had five assists and three steals and Saunders dished out four assists.
The third member of the starting backcourt, Amanda Mendoza, record a team-high six assists and just one turnover. Caitlyn Ramirez, with 11 points, and Casie Johnson, with a career-high 10 points, were also in double figures for Troy.
After starting slow, Troy closed the first quarter on a 9-0 run that was capped by a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Saunders. That gave the Trojans a 21-14 lead after 10 minutes, and they led the rest of the night. Saunders led all players with 13 points at halftime.
"I thought that ArJae' Saunders held the rope for us in the first half," Troy head coach Chanda Rigby said. "Not only with her shooting, but with her seven rebounds in the first half. That just showed how bad she wanted to come out and win tonight.
"In the second half she kept contributing, but Ashley Beverly Kelley really came through and kept the game out of reach. Ashley had some crucial rebounds down the stretch and they both hit big shots."
Troy led by 15 points after three quarters, 59-44, but turned the ball over five times early in the fourth quarter as Georgia Southern (7-15, 4-9) began to come back. The Eagles cut the lead down to seven points twice, but Saunders and Beverly Kelley responded with 3-pointers to bump the lead back to 10 points each time.
Beverly Kelley really iced the game with 14 points in the fourth quarter, including including three of her 3-pointers and stretch where she scored 11 of Troy's final 16 points.
The Trojans tied a season-high with 12 3-pointers against Georgia Southern's zone, hitting 12-of-34 from deep. Georgia Southern, on the other hand, made just 3-of-20 from long range.
In all, Troy shot 41.9 percent (31-of-74) from the field after making just 15-of-40 (37.5 percent) in the first half. Georgia Southern also struggled in the first half at just 9-of-33 (27.2 percent), but answered with 16-of-27 (59.2 percent) in the second half.
Patrice Butler led the Eagles with 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting, while her sister, Sierra Butler, added 13 points and 14 rebounds. Troy held Angle McGowan, who entered averaging 15.5 points per game, to 2-of-13 shooting and six points, but she did have a game-high seven assists.
Troy forced the Eagles into 21 turnovers and committed 16 itself, outscoring the Eagles in points off turnovers, 23-13. Troy also outscored Georgia Southern in fastbreak points, 19-8, but that advantage was 15-2 entering the fourth quarter as Troy scored well in transition.
The Trojans assisted on a season-high 74 percent of its baskets, posting 23 assists on 31 made field goals.
Troy now turns its attention to Georgia State who visits on Saturday for the Trojans' annual Play 4Kay game. Troy will wear pink uniforms and donations will be taking at the door for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. The Panthers come to Troy after an 83-45 loss at South Alabama on Thursday night. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.
A-State Uses late Run to Close out Ragin' Cajuns
LAFAYETTE, La. (2/11/16) – The Arkansas State women’s basketball team held Louisiana-Lafayette scoreless for the final 3:58 and ended the game on a 12-0 run as the Red Wolves defeated the Ragin’ Cajuns 74-62 to extend its winning streak to 13 games.
A-State also matched the best start in school history with a 19-3 overall record and has a four-game lead in the Sun Belt Conference standings over the Louisiana-Lafayette with a 13-0 league mark. The Ragin Cajuns’ fell to 16-6 on the year and are now 9-4 in the conference.
Aundrea Gamble led the charge for A-State with 30-point performance, which marked the fifth time in her career that she has crossed the 30-point milestone. She also added 11 rebounds for her third double-double of the year.
Louisiana-Lafayette took a 60-59 lead after a Keke Veal knocked down a 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter, but the Red Wolves answered with a trey by Khadija Brown-Haywood to go up two. Sylvana Okde tied the game with a layup on the other for the Ragin’ Cajuns, but A-State would go on a 12-0 from that point to close out the game.
Brittney Gill sparked the run with a layup and Gamble followed with a layup of her own to go up 66-62 with 2:15 remaining. Brittany Fowler provided the dagger with a 3-pointer with 1:40 to make a seven point game.
“Today is one of those where the experience of maturity level of your team gets tested and this team was certainly was up to the test,” A-State head coach Brian Boyer said. “Just to see how this team handled going down late in the fourth quarter and then you get Khadija knocking down a 3-pointer on the other end and that just shows how this team doesn’t panic.”
Brown-Haywood finished with 13 points and eight rebounds, while Gill added 10 points.
Thursday’s game featured six ties and 11 lead changes, seven of which came in the second quarter. Gamble scored 22 points in the first half and helped A-State to a nine point lead in the second period when she took over and went on a 10-0 run.
She hit a pair of free throws to put Arkansas State ahead 31-30 with 3:40 left until halftime and then knocked down a 3-pointer in transition after Lauren Bradshaw collected one of her three blocks in the half.
Gamble followed with a mid-range jumper to give A-State a six point advantage and hit her fourth trey of the half after an offensive foul by the Ragin’ Cajuns turned into points for the Red Wolves. She finished the half 4-of-5 from beyond the arc and also grabbed six rebounds.
Louisiana-Lafayette jumped out to an 11-4 lead with 4:55 to go in the first quarter after the Red Wolves faced early foul trouble with Jessica Flanery going to the bench. Khadija Brown-Haywood, who scored 10 points in the first half, also played much of the second quarter with two fouls and was forced to sit for offensive-defensive substitutions in the half’s final minutes.
The Ragin Cajuns’ enjoyed a strong effort from the field and spent much of the opening 20 minutes above 50 percent from the field and finished the half 13-of-27 (48.1 percent)
A-State held a 40-33 lead at halftime break, but Louisiana-Lafayette opened the third quarter on a 10-3 run to tie the game at 43-43 with 6:32 to go in the period. The Ragin’ Cajuns took a 47-46 late in the quarter, but Gamble knocked down a pair of free throws to put A-State back in front and Aaliyah Warren followed with a layup on the next trip down to push the lead to 51-47.
A-State will continue its four-game road swing Saturday, Feb. 13, with a 2 p.m. contest at Louisiana-Monroe.
Little Rock Downs ULM for Sixth Consecutive Victory
MONROE, La. – The Little Rock women's basketball team had three double-digit scorers and got its sixth consecutive victory on Thursday at Fant-Ewing Coliseum, downing ULM by a 53-37 score.
Kaitlyn Pratt had 12 points off the bench in the first half on 6 of 7 shooting, and the junior finished the evening with 20. Sharde' Collins got 13 points and Shanity James earned a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The Trojans (11-11, 9-4 Sun Belt Conference) are now back up to .500 overall on the season for the first time since the team was 2-2.
Little Rock's defense had another excellent game, holding ULM (9-13, 3-10) to just 30.2 percent shooting. The Warhawks had just 15 points at halftime and shot just 7.7 percent in the third quarter.
The win was Little Rock's ninth straight against ULM and sixth straight overall. Little Rock is now tied for second place in the Sun Belt Conference standings with Louisiana. The Trojans and Ragin' Cajuns are set to play for sole possession of second place at the Cajundome on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Thursday's contest was decided in the very early going. The Warhawks scored just four points in the first quarter, going nearly seven full minutes without a basket in the middle of the quarter. Little Rock only managed 11 points in the period and missed its final seven shots of the quarter but the team still managed a 7-point lead heading into the second.
Little Rock's lead grew in the second quarter, and the Trojans held a 29-15 lead at the break. Pratt had a team-high 12 points at the break and would add 8 more in the second half.
In the third quarter, the Trojans extended their lead all the way to 26 points as they outscored the home team 17-6. ULM missed 12 consecutive field goals in the quarter as Little Rock's defense locked down the Warhawks.
ULM managed a 10-0 run in the fourth quarter, but they were unable to make a significant dent in the deficit as the Trojans won by 16.
Monique Townson had a team-best five assists, and James added four of her own. Townson scored just 1 point, but she managed six rebounds. Pratt had seven rebounds to finish second on the team in that category.
Alayshia Hunter was the only Warhawk player to do significant damage on offense, scoring 13 points in the first half on 6 of 7 shooting. But in the third quarter, Little Rock allowed her to make just one free throw as she missed her only two field-goal attempts. Hunter finished the night with 16 points.
During the night, Kaitlyn Pratt reached 400 career rebounds. Sharde' Collins also earned her 100th career defensive rebound.
Little Rock has a huge game coming up on Saturday as it travels to Lafayette to take on Louisiana with second place in the Sun Belt Conference potentially on the line. The Trojans and the Ragin' Cajuns are set for a 2 p.m. tipoff at the Cajundome.