Game 8 • South Alabama Jaguars at Ole Miss Rebels
December 9, 2017 • 1:00 p.m. (C.T.) • The Pavilion at Ole Miss • Oxford, Miss.

THE COACHES
South Alabama
Terry Fowler (Lane [Tenn.], 1986)
Record at USA: 44-81 (5th year)
Overall Record: 251-259 (18th year)

Ole Miss
Matt Insell
(Middle Tennessee, '07)
Record at Ole Miss: 65-69 (5th year)
Overall Record: 65-69 (5th year)
 
LAST GAME
South Alabama fell to Jacksonville 60-58.

NEXT GAME
The Jaguars return to the Mitchell Center to begin a five-game home stand on Monday against Southern. Opening tip is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

ON THE AIR
On the web: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3228664/south-alabama-vs-ole-miss
On the air: 99.5 FM The Jag; JT Crabtree on play-by play
Livestats: http://www.olemisssports.com/gametracker/launch/gt_wbaskbl.html?event=1566938&school=ole&sport=wbaskbl&camefrom=&startschool=&
 
RANKINGS (Through Dec. 3)
USA: #68 RPI
OLE MISS: #44 RPI

THE SERIES
USA is 2-5 all-time against the Rebels. Ole Miss has won the last three meetings with the Jags last victory coming in 2010, the program's last victory over an SEC program.
 
OPENING TIP
- The Jaguars had a four game-winning streak snapped in a heartbreaking home loss to Jacksonville, 60-58.
- The 5-2 start is the best under head coach Terry Fowler.
- The Jags capped off November with an .833 winning percentage, their best winning percentage in November since the 2008-09 season.
- USA had its first four game-win streak since 2015-16.
- The Jags had four-double digit scorers against Southern Mississippi, the first time this season.
- USA has had four 20 or more point scoring efforts this season, Ellis has had two including a career-high 24 points against Southern Mississippi.
- The same starting-five has been used in all seven games.
- Ellis has three double-doubles this season and has led South Alabama in scoring in six of the seven games.
- Ellis has had double-digit points in six games, while recording double-digit rebounds in four.
- Savannah Jones has scored in double-digits four times this season, while Shaforia Kines, Erin Autio and Genesis Perrymond have had two double-digit scoring efforts each.
-  Perrymond's 14 points against Jacksonville was a season high for the senior guard.
- South Alabama has six scorers averaging seven or more points per contest, Ellis (15.4), Jones (13.2), Perrymond (8.4), Antoinette Lewis (8.1), Kines (7.9) and Erin Autio (7.6).
- USA has had three players record three blocks in a game this season, Ellis four-times, Lewis twice and LaNeetra Guillory once.
- USA is shooting 41.0 percent from the including 34.4 percent from the three-point arc, this season.
- Ellis needs 112 more points to reach 1,000 for her career.
- Ellis is one block away from taking sole possession of second all-time in Sun Belt Conference history in the category.
- South Alabama is 1-1 in games decided by single digits.
- The Jags have only trailed at halftime twice this season, at North Carolina State (Nov. 19) and at home against Jacksonville (Dec. 3).
- USA is 3-1 on the road and 2-1 at home.
- A win on Saturday would be the first time since the 1986-87 season South Alabama has beaten two Power-5 conference teams in the same season and would be the first time defeating two Power- 5 conference teams on the road in the same season.
- Ole Miss is 7-1 this season.
- The Rebels last time out they defeated SBC foe Arkansas State 74-48 at The Pavilion at Ole Miss.
- Ole Miss played in the WNIT last season, falling to Grambling State in the opening round.
- The Rebels have four players averaging double-digits this season, including Madinah Muhammad who is averaging 21.1 points per game.
- Muhammad also leads her squad in steals (15) and is second in assists (31).
- Promise Taylor averages 12.1 points per game, while leading the Rebels in rebounds (56) and blocks (26).
- Ole Miss outscores its opponents by 18.9 points per game and shoots 46.4 percent from the field.
- The Rebels play tight defense holding opponents to 33.3 percent from the field and 28.5 percent from beyond the three-point arc.

THEY SAID IT
Head Coach Terry Fowler
On the matchup against Ole Miss: "Ole Miss is a very talented, athletic and physical team. They have great size and length on the inside. It's a team that really gets after you defensively and tries to create a lot of offense from their defense."
 
On Ole Miss' Promise Taylor: "Promise Taylor presents different problems. She's 6'5. She moves pretty good for her size. With shot blockers, you have to try to get into their body and take away their space. We'll try to attack her and get her into foul trouble, but she presents problems around the paint and she's a great rim protector.
 
On problems Madinah Muhammad presents: "We have played against some really good guards this year. Paris Kea at North Carolina and Randi Brown against UNO, and Madinah Muhammad presents another challenge for us. She can shoot the ball and is extremely quick. She seems to a be a competitor and brings it every night. We have to be prepared to defend her. It's not going to be a one-person effort guarding her, it's going to take a team effort."
 
On still being in the game against Jacksonville despite not having their best game: "That's the positive out of the game, we didn't play our best, but we were still within a shot from winning the ballgame. We have to learn from every time we are out on the court and we'll take it and move forward. It's one we wish we had back, but it is what it is and we have to move on."
 
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Jaguar Athletic Fund (JAF) Priority Fund, the unrestricted giving option of the University of South Alabama Athletics. Contributions to the Priority Fund directly support all 17 sports in addition to various support programming. For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/give
 
—USA—