Saturday, March 5
Jaguars Place Four in Double-Figures in Win over Texas State
SAN MARCOS, Texas – The University of South Alabama women's basketball team placed four players in double figures Saturday afternoon as the Jags picked up a 70-56 Sun Belt Conference road victory over Texas State at Strahan Coliseum.
"I thought we just did a great job of sharing the ball," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said after his team recorded 17 assists. "It started from the very beginning of the game and just carried over from there. I couldn't be more proud of our effort today and just the team camaraderie that we had out there. It was really fun to watch them play, especially at the defensive end of the floor."
The Jaguars (15-14, 11-9 SBC) will now prepare for their opening round game of the 2016 Sun Belt Conference Championships. South Alabama will open up against in-state rival Troy as either the fourth or the fifth seed. USA's seed will be determined by the outcome of the Trojans' game against UT Arlington later tonight. The Jags will earn the fourth seed with a Troy loss and be the fifth seed should the Trojans defeat the Mavericks.
USA will open play at the conference tournament on Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Lakefront Arena. Live stats and web streaming for the contest 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.
The Jags swept the season-series versus Troy, defeating the Trojans 75-71 in Troy on Jan. 26, and then rallying back to win 65-63 three weeks ago in Mobile. The Jaguars
"Going into the tournament, it's about taking the same kind of focus we had today and carry the momentum that we got from this win today," Fowler said. "It's tough to beat an opponent three times in a season, especially an in-state rival. We'll just have to get our players ready and follow the game plan."
South Alabama will enter the conference tournament as one of the hotter teams in the league, winners six of its last eight.
Colby Davis led the way offensively for South Alabama in the win as the junior guard recorded 15 points and dished out six assists. Davis was 4-of-7 from the field with a pair of three-pointers and hit five of her eight free-throw attempts. The double-figure outing was her fourth in her last five outings and eighth in her last 12.
Chyna Ellis posted her fifth double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds, hitting five of her nine shot attempts. Erin Autio came off the bench to record 12 points, while Marquita Daniels added 11.
As a team, South Alabama shot 53.3 percent (24-of-45) from the floor and knocked down 44.4 percent of its free throw attempts. USA was also 14-for-19 at the charity stripe for 73.7 percent.
The loss for Texas State (12-18, 7-13 SBC) was its sixth-straight and 10th in its last 12 contests. Playing their final home game, senior guards Ayriel Anderson and Raven Burns did their part for the Bobcats, combining for 36 of the team's 56 points. Anderson led the club with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while Burns had 17.
The Bobcats shot just 32.1 percent in the game (18-of-56) and was outrebounded 40-24. USA scored 30 points in the paint, compared to Texas State's 14. The Bobcats did force 26 South Alabama turnovers, leading to 21 points.
South Alabama scored the first six points of the game and held Texas State scoreless the first five-plus minutes to take the early lead. Colby Davis had four of the Jaguars' first six points.
Raven Burns ended the scoring drought for the Bobcats with a three-pointer and TSU later pulled within three at 9-6.
With three minutes to go, Autio provided a spark to the Jaguar offense as she scored the first five points of a 7-0 run to extend the South Alabama lead out to double figures. Autio began the scoring with a pair of free throws and then drained a trey from the top of the key. Daniels later capped off the run with a steal and went coast-to-coast for a layup to put USA up 16-6 with one minute, 24 seconds showing on the clock.
Anderson would hit a three-pointer for the Bobcats in the closing seconds of the first to trim the deficit to seven.
USA shot got off to a strong start shooting the ball during the first 10 minutes, knocking down 44.5 percent, while holding Texas State to 3-of-13 shooting in the period for 23.1 percent.
In the second, South Alabama would again extend its lead out to nine (23-14) four-and-a-half minutes into the quarter. Davis knocked down a trey from the top of the key and then Ellis and Taylor Jenkins worked a little high-low action as Ellis delivered a pass to Jenkins for a layup.
Anderson and Toshua Leavitt quickly cut the South Alabama advantage to 23-20 as the duo drained three-pointers for the Bobcats with just over three minutes to go on the clock. However, Genesis Perrymond came up big for the Jaguars as the redshirt freshman answered at the other end of the floor with a trey of her own, this one coming from the right corner.
With under a minute to go before the half, Ellis scored four-straight points for USA to extend the lead back out to double figures at 31-20. Texas State's De'Joinae Calloway scored for the Bobcats in the closing seconds thought to cut the deficit to nine.
The Jaguars shot the ball extremely well during the first 20 minutes of action, knocking down 11 of their 22 shot attempts. However, USA committed 17 turnovers during the first two quarters of play, leading to 10 Bobcat points. South Alabama also controlled the glass in the first half, outrebounding TSU 22-10.
South Alabama would see its lead grow to as much as 18 in the third quarter, following a 7-0 run midway through the period. Autio ignited the scoring with one of her three treys on the afternoon. Davis and LaNeetra Guillory then followed with layups to extend USA's advantage out to 48-30 at the 4:10 mark. The run was part of a stretch in which the Jags hit seven-straight shots. For the quarter, South Alabama was 8-of-11 from the field for 72.7 percent.
The Bobcats answered back and cut the South Alabama lead to single digits with 43 seconds remaining in the period as Anderson hit one of two at the line. Anderson's free throw capped off a 10-2 Bobcat run over a three-minute stretch.
The Jaguars entered the fourth and final quarter leading by double figures and pushed its lead out to as much as 14 (60-46) with less than seven to go after another three from Autio.
Over the next several minutes though, Texas State would continue to battle, getting as close as 62-53 after a jumper from Kaitlin Walla at the 2:45 mark, but that was as close as the Jaguars would let the Bobcats get.
Over the next two minutes, USA would regain momentum and stretch its lead back out to 16 (70-54) before taking the 14-point win.
Warhawks Close Out Season With Second Consecutive Win
MONROE, La. – Four Warhawks reached double figures in scoring, and the ULM women’s basketball team ended its season with an 82-68 win over Georgia State on Saturday afternoon.
“I’m certainly excited for our seniors to go out like that,” head coach Jeff Dow said. “They were going to start playing full court and we had the double-digit lead. I told our team that if we just kept defending and rebounding, things would take care of themselves.”
The game began with Aundrea Davis taking the tip-off and tossing it out-of-bounds to her sister, Adriane, courtside and promptly walking off the floor to an ovation. Davis tore her ACL and meniscus on Feb. 18 at Texas State.
“It meant so much to me that I was going to be able to start and put on my uniform on the home floor,” Davis said. “Words can’t describe how much it meant to me for my coaches to let me do that.”
The Panthers (10-19, 5-15 SBC) went on a 12-2 run that spanned the third and fourth quarters, getting within 58-54 before ULM called a timeout with 6:32 left. Lauren Marker, a walk-on in the fall, made her biggest shot of the season with a triple that put ULM ahead by seven again.
The Warhawks went up by a dozen with 3:45 left after Alayshia Hunter hit a jumper.
There were nine lead changes in the first half, with the last coming on Daja Chase’s jumper at the with 1:51 left before intermission. She also added two free-throws on the next Warhawk possession.
Chelsea Tieuel upped the Warhawks’ lead midway through the third quarter. Her deep three-pointer from the top of the key and fastbreak, pull-up jumper over a minute’s time were her first field goals of the game and made it a 44-36 contest. Hunter also added two makes for a 10-point ULM advantage.
“I’m just trying to hold tears back,” Hunter said. “I’m really gonna miss it.”
The Warhawks (12-17, 6-14 SBC) took their first 14-point lead of the day when Ashley Aune knocked a free-throw down with 1:43 left in the third.
“It went faster than I realized going through it,” Aune said. “It still hasn’t hit me, and probably won’t for a while. I’ll probably help little kids and play some intramurals [at pharmacy school].”
Troy Women Win Fifth Consecutive Ahead of Sun Belt Tournament
ARLINGTON, Texas – The Troy women's basketball team led wire-to-wire and won its fifth straight game, beating UT Arlington, 80-70, at the College Park Center in Saturday's regular season finale.
Troy (17-12, 12-8) has won seven of its last eight games and will now turn its attention to next week's Sun Belt Championships. The Trojans will open the tournament on Wednesday as the No. 4 seed in a quarterfinal against South Alabama.
On Saturday against UT Arlington, Ashley Beverly Kelley led the way for Troy with 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including 4-of-8 from deep. The Sun Belt's leading scorer also dished out a team-high four assists in her final regular season game.
ArJae' Saunders added 20 points, marking her sixth 20-point game in the last nine for Troy, while Caitlyn Ramirez added 15 points and a game-high seven rebounds.
Troy came out and stymied UT Arlington (15-15, 10-10) on the Mavericks' first five possessions, opening up a 7-0 lead after UTA turned the ball over twice and air-balled two 3-pointers, along with another miss. Beverly Kelley hit three of her 3-pointers as part of an 11-point first quarter and Troy took a 22-17 lead after the first 10 minutes.
The Trojans then held UT Arlington to 2-of-9 shooting in the second quarter and extended the lead to 14 points at halftime, 40-26. The Mavericks did make 8-of-12 free throws in the first half to stay within striking distance.
UTA had the lead down to seven, 51-44, with 3:56 to go in the third quarter, but Troy closed on a 7-0 run, capped by a Saunders buzzer-beating 3-pointer, to get back up by 14 points, 58-44, with 10 minutes to go.
Saunders then converted a 3-point play to open the fourth, and Troy took its biggest lead of the night, 61-44. However, Amara Wainwright hit three 3-pointers in four possessions and got the Mavericks back within single digits, 63-55, with 7:45 still to go.
Troy, however, was excellent at the free throw line for the second straight game and hit 12-of-13 in the fourth quarter to keep the Mavericks from getting any closer than seven points down the stretch. Overall, Troy made 20-of-23 free throws on the night, just 48 hours after hitting 28-of-33 at Texas State.
The Trojans also outrebounded their eighth straight opponent, but just by one board, 31-30, over a UTA team that entered with the best rebounding margin in the conference. The Mavericks also entered with the Sun Belt's second best scoring defense, allowing just 55 points per game, but Troy surpassed that mark with Saunders' third-quarter buzzer-beater.
There weren't many rebounds to be had as each team shot well. Troy hit 46 percent (26-of-56), including 8-of-22 from deep, while UT Arlington shot 47 percent (25-of-53) with 6-of-13 from deep. The Mavericks made 17-of-31 (55 percent) in the second half after the poor second quarter, but Troy never let UTA get closer than within seven points in the final 20 minutes.
Rebekah VanDijk led the Mavericks with 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting, but the 6-foot-5 sophomore grabbed just three rebounds. Wainwright finished with 20 points, including 4-of-6 from long range.
Troy will now prepare for next week's Sun Belt Championships, looking for revenge against their in-state rival, South Alabama. The Jaguars won both of this season's meetings, but by just a combined six points, including Troy's only loss in its last eight games.
The Trojans and Jaguars will play in Wednesday's 2 p.m. quarterfinal at Lakefront Arena with the winner moving on to face the winner of regular-season champion Arkansas State and Appalachian State in a Friday semifinal.
Cajuns Clinch No. 3 Seed with Win over Eagles
LAFAYETTE -- The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team secured the No. 3 seed in next week's Sun Belt Conference Tournament with a 56-47 win over Georgia Southern on Senior Day at the Cajundome Saturday.
The win improved the Cajuns' record to 20-9 and 13-7 in Sun Belt Conference play. The Cajuns ended the regular season with a 11-3 mark at home.
"It's [back-to-back 20-win seasons) a great feat and the kids we have right now that have helped get this program to where it is today is the proud thing for me," Ragin' Cajuns head coach Garry Brodhead said. It's a lot of hard work and you have to go through the bad and the good times, and now we are reaping those benefits."
Seniors Keke Veal (17 points) and Kia Wilridge (12 points) finished the day as the Cajuns leading scorers. Wilridge moved into sixth place on UL's all-time scoring list with 1,204 points, passing Alyson Habetz.
"Kia [Wilridge] has worked extremely hard on her game from Day 1 and she's been like that since high school," Brodhead said. It's great to see her reap some of those benefits. She is such a team player and it's important to have those types a kids when you're trying to build a winning culture. She really worked hard at her offense has always been a good defensive player. She has contributed in so many categories for this program."
Louisiana led for all but 1:32 of the contest and never trailed. Their largest lead stood at 25 points (49-24) with 57 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
The Cajuns led by four points on two separate occasions in the first quarter. After Simone Fields' jumper made it 6-2 with nearly 4 ½ minutes remaining, Georgia Southern evened the score at 6-6 following four straight points by Patrice Butler.
A low-scoring affair in the opening quarter saw the Cajuns leading 9-6. Louisiana started off with a slow shooting performance, hitting just 4-of-15 shots (26.7%).
Their lead ballooned to as many as 11 points in the second quarter, courtesy of a pair of three-pointers by junior Sylvana Okde and a trey from Wilridge.
Angel McGowan sank a three with 2:02 left in the second to cut the Cajuns' lead to single digits at 26-18, but Wilridge scored the final five points of the half and put Louisiana ahead, 31-18 at the intermission.
The Cajuns received 10 bench points in the second quarter.
Georgia Southern was unable pull closer than 15 points in the third quarter. The Cajuns' lead stood at as many as 25 (49-24).
The fourth quarter was much similar to the third quarter, as the Cajuns maintained a comfortable, double-digit advantage for the majority of the stanza. The closest Georgia Southern closed the gap was nine points at 55-46 with 1:06 to go.
The Cajuns were limited to seven points in the fourth , receiving two points each from Veal, junior Gabby Alexander and freshman Jordan Alexander.
The Cajuns held a 35-30 advantage in rebounds and came up with nine steals on the defensive end. They parlayed 18 Georgia Southern turnovers into 18 points. The Cajuns' bench chipped in 18 points on the evening.
The Cajuns hold the No. 3 seed and will play No. 6 seeded UT Arlington next Wednesday, March 9 for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off at Lakefront Arena in New Orleans. The game can be watched on ESPN3.
A-State Ties School Record for Wins with 83-74 Victory over Mountaineers
BOONE, N.C. (3/5/16) – The Arkansas State women’s basketball matched the school record for victories in a single season at with a 83-74 victory over Appalachian State Saturday afternoon at the Holmes Convocation Center.
With the victory the Red Wolves finished the regular season with a 25-4 overall record and a 19-1 mark in Sun Belt Conference play. The 25 victories are the most since the 1992-93 when Arkansas State finished 25-8. The 19 league victories are also the most in league history.
“There were a lot things that were frustrating about this game, but when you look back at things we just won our 25th game and finished 19-1 in conference and what run this group has had,” A-State head coach Brian Boyer said. “This was a hard game today, but when you look at the final score and put another check in the win column it makes it all worth it.”
Khadija Brown-Haywood led the way for A-State with a career-high 31 points. She also added 12 rebounds for her 12th double-double of the season. Aundrea Gamble added 20 points and nine rebounds, while Amanda Lawson finished with 11 points.
Appalachian State led the Red Wolves by four with 4:44 to go in the third quarter, but Jessica Flanery sparked a 17-2 with a 3-pointer in the near corner. Brown-Haywood followed with a trey from the same spot to put Arkansas State ahead 52-50 and free throws by Lauren Bradshaw and Brittney Gill on consecutive offensive possessions pushed the lead to five.
A-State continued its run with a pair of free throws by Dominique Oliver and capped the run with back-to-back 3-pointers by Gamble and Brown-Haywood to go up 63-52 with 1:51 left in the period. It was the first double-digit lead for either team in the game.
The Red Wolves outscored the Mountaineers 31-21 in the third quarter, which marked the third time this season that A-State has scored 31 points in a quarter.
A-State ended the third quarter and started the fourth by draining five consecutive shots from the field, to build a 13-point edge. The Mountaineers got the deficit down to seven points twice in the final period, but A-State had an answer for each run and closed out the game by going 5-of-6 from the free throw line the final minute to close the game.
“We’ve been a team of runs all year, but I didn’t know if it was coming today,” Boyer said. “In the bigger picture we were not very good early on, but when we got in that third quarter we defended pretty well, which led to opportunities to get some points out in transition for us.”
A-State and the Mountaineers produced almost identical shooting numbers in the first half, with the Red Wolves taking a 36-35 advantage into the locker room. Brown-Haywood scored 15 points, 13 of which came in the first quarter, and grabbed nine rebounds to pace her team. Gamble also added 13 points and eight rebounds as Arkansas State shot 14-of-35 (40 percent) from the field.
A 2-for-9 start from the field but A-State behind early in the first quarter, but the Red Wolves responded with a 10-0 run that included back-to-back 3-pointers by Brown-Haywood to put her squad up 15-10.
Appalachian State continued to battle however, and scored five quick points to start the second the quarter to take a 26-23 lead. A-State appeared out of sync and committed nine turnovers in period as the Mountaineers pushed their advantage to 30-23 with 6:37 to go.
Gamble took over the game and helped the Red Wolves get within 32-30 when she converted on an and-1 opportunity and Amanda Lawson tied the game at 34-34 with less than three minutes left. Following an Appalachian State free throw, Gamble scored a runner in the lane with 50 seconds to go to set the score at 36-35 at halftime.
Arkansas State will open play in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, March 9 at Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, La. The Red Wolves will have the No. 1 seed in the tournament and will begin play at 11:30 a.m. against the No. 8 seed on Wednesday.