South Alabama 2, Arkansas State 1

FOLEY, Ala. – Junior Morgan Cross scored twice in the final five minutes and 39 seconds as the University of South Alabama soccer team overcame Arkansas State, 2-1, to win the Sun Belt Championship Sunday afternoon at Foley Sports Tourism.

The Red Wolves will conclude the 2020 campaign with a respectable 10-2-1 record and a Sun Belt regular-season champion title. South Alabama will finish the season 10-3-1 (9-2-0) as it claimed the Sun Belt tournament championship.

In the 48th minute, Abigail Miller sent a ball over the top to find an off-balance Hailey Cloud. Cloud then controlled the ball, turned, and took a beautiful shot at the net, sending the ball through the bottom left side. Cloud finished the match with four shots and a goal.

The Jaguars were an offensive threat the entire game, but it had appeared that the Red Wolves had solved USA's attack. South took 18 shots, with eight on goal in the first 84 minutes of the game and were unable to crack the scoreboard. Freshman Kailey Littleford created a space by shifting around two defenders, and driving the end line before poking the ball through a gap in the defense to a wide-open Cross as she turned the pass into the top of the net, and erased the Arkansas State lead. The junior from Dunfermline, Scotland, finished the comeback after junior Tilly Wilkes sent a pass to Cross around the midfield stripe with the Red Wolves up in attack. The winger had one defender to beat, took her off the dribble and sent a rolling shot past the keeper into the bottom left corner of the net.

The Red Wolves had one of the best defenses in the Sun Belt entering the match. Allowing just three goals prior to the match, it was a struggle as the back line and Arkansas State Goalkeeper Megan McClure marshaled the defense into a compact unit after taking the lead in the 47th minute.

Sun Belt All-Tournament Team
Jimena Cabrero, Georgia State
Hailey Cloud, Arkansas State
Morgan Cross, South Alabama
Ana Helmert, South Alabama
Allison Luckhardt, South Alabama
Megan McClure, Arkansas State
Brenna McPartlan, South Alabama
Gwen Mummert, Louisiana
Olivia Smith, Arkansas State
Sarah Sodoma, Arkansas State
Olivia Wilkes, South Alabama

Sun Belt Tournament Most Outstanding Player
Morgan Cross, South Alabama