Box Score
STATESBORO, Ga. – Behind four with double-figure points, the University of South Alabama women's basketball team (17-11, 10-7 SBC) survives in overtime against Georgia Southern (5-23, 2-15 SBC), 81-74, on Thursday in Statesboro.
 
Trailing by seven with 6:11 left in the game, the Jags went on a 9-0 run to take a two-point lead with 1:42 to go. After holding the Eagles scoreless for nearly six minutes, Nicola Franks made a layup and a free-throw on an and-one to put Georgia Southern up by a point with 21 ticks remaining. Antoinette Lewis was fouled at the other end and made 1-of-2 at the free-throw line to tie it up. The Jags held down the Eagles to force overtime.
 
In the extra period, South Alabama scored 11 of the 15 points to take the game by a seven-point margin.
 
Shaforia Kines led all scorers with 23 points, a career-high, on an 8-of-12 shooting night, including 4-for-7 from three-point range. The sophomore also collected three rebounds, had three takeaways and assisted on a shot.
 
Chyna Ellis scored 20 points and collected 10 rebounds for her 11th double-double of the season. The senior center went 8-of-10 from the field, making one three-pointer, and blocked six shots, tied for the most by an opponent at Hanner Fieldhouse.
 
Lewis and Savannah Jones rounded out the Jags in double-figures with 12 points each. Lewis went 4-of-7 from the field, 4-of-6 from the charity-stripe, grabbed eight boards and rejected a shot in the win.
 
Jones scored her 12 making 4-of-10 shots and going a perfect 4-for-4 at the free-throw line. The redshirt freshman guard also brought down a career-high eight rebounds and assisted on three made buckets.
 
The Eagles are three players with 10 or more points, led by 19 from Nakol Franks of the bench and 18 from Alexis Brown.
 
 
GAME FACTS
- South Alabama led by as much as three with 2:23 left in the first quarter, but trailed Georgia Southern by two at the end of the opening quarter.
- USA outscored GS 23-13 in the second quarter to take a 39-31 lead into halftime.
- The Jags made their last four field-goal attempts to close out the second quarter.
- Kines scored 11 points in the second quarter.
- South Alabama struggled from beyond-the-arc in the second-half making just one of 10 attempts in the third and fourth quarters.
- Georgia Southern outscored USA 39-31 in the final two quarters.
- In overtime, the Jags gave up the first two points, but scored 11 of the final 13 points in the extra frame to take the game.
- USA outrebounded GS 46-43.
- Georgia Southern went 19-of-20 from the charity-stripe, 95 percent is the highest free-throw percentage by an opponent this season.
- South Alabama took points-in-the-paint 32-24.
- The Jags rejected 11 shots to the Eagles' 4.

NOTES
- This is the first time South Alabama has won 10 conference games and had 17 victories since the 2012-13 season.
- Tonight was the first career-start for both Lewis and Jones.
- USA had two players score 20 or more points in a game for teh first time since a win over UNC earlier season on Nov. 19.
- Kines recorded her first game with 20 more points and her fourth straight in double-figures.
- Jones finished with 10 or more points for the third time in the last four games, and was her game in double-figures without a three-point bucket.
- Lewis collected her fifth game in double-digit points in her last seven contests.
- Ellis scored 20 or more points for the seventh time this season.
- USA is 12-0 when outrebounding its opponent.
- The Jags are one win away from 600 in program history.
- USA had four players in double-figure scoring for the fourth time this season.
- Today was the first road-win for USA since Jan. 27 at ULM.
- After going 116 games without overtime, South Alabama has played in the extra period in two of their last five games.
 
THEY SAID IT
USA head coach Terry Fowler
Opening statement: "Give our kids credit. We fought and came back. At times we were down five, six, and at most seven. We told them to just keep playing. We finally started to get some calls. We went out, shot faked and got them in the air. We were able to get a couple and-ones and got to the basket. We got them into the bonus early in the fourth quarter and was able to finish the game off."
 
On Kines' big night: "She got off to a great start. She shot it well at shootaround today and I thought it carried over into the game."
 
On the game: "I thought we played well for the most part we had spots. They went 19-of-20 from the line. They just make free-throws. We sent them to the line too many times, and gave them and-ones. To our credit we were able to fight them off and get a "W"."
 
Sophomore G Shaforia Kines
On what she was thinking as the Jags were came back in the fourth: "I wanted to help us not have another losing streak. We have been losing lately. I was just thinking win, win, win."
 
On her career-high 23 points: "My teammates gave me the ball and kept telling me to shoot. It gave me confidence and I was able to find success tonight."
 
Senior C Chyna Ellis
On coming back and forcing overtime: "I knew we needed to get a win. In my senior speech I said, 'Let's go take what belongs to us.' There was no way we were losing this game. We went out and executed like we were supposed to and got the win."
 
On Kines: "She played great. She shot the ball well. She facilitated the ball well and she just had an all-around good night tonight. That's what we needed. We needed people to step up down the stretch and she did that."
 
On what the team needs to do to finish the season strong heading into the conference tournament: "We need to stay together and execute. We need to defend better. We were getting beat off the dribble, but we know what we have to do and we are going to go out and do that Saturday.
 
UP NEXT
The Jaguars finish up the regular season with a matchup against Georgia State in Atlanta on Saturday at 11 a.m. (C.T.).
 
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).

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—USA—