01/14/06– FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

USA'S WOODARD LEADS THE WAY AS LADY JAGS DEFEAT NEW ORLEANS 69-53
CONTACT: Kevin Beasley

Box Score

MOBILE, Ala. - Behind Whitney Woodard’s 20 points, the University of South Alabama women's basketball team (8-7, 2-1 SBC) defeated New Orleans (2-14, 0-4 SBC), 69-53, Saturday night in Sun Belt Conference action at the Mitchell Center.

"I thought tonight's game was typical for us from the standpoint that we played well in segments," said South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri. "Fortunately, we hit the right gear when we trailed in the second half and finished the game in the right gear."

The Lady Privateers came out of the gates and knocked down its first two shots of the game to grab an early four point lead, before USA responded with a 9-2 run to take the lead on a JoAnna Williams three-pointer at the 15:50 mark. The Jags stretched the lead out to six (13-7) two and a half minutes later on a Cortney Brown lay up. The Lady Privateers kept battling though and cut the lead to one on three occasions over the next five minutes before retaking the lead (21-20) on a Talisha Young jumper with seven minutes, 18 seconds to play in the first stanza. The New Orleans advantage didn't last long as Valencia Boswell helped South Alabama reclaim the lead on a lay up at the 4:30 mark. Whitney Woodard ignited an 8-0 run to give USA a nine point lead run just before the half with a lay up. Jada Frazier drained a three-pointer at the 1:32 mark to cut the lead to 35-29.

Over the first five minutes of the second half, the Lady Jags kept the lead at around eight points before New Orleans reeled off nine unanswered points. The Privateers retook the lead at 40-39 on a Le'Della English jumper with 13:16 to play. The lead was short-lived though for the Privateers as Williams knocked down back-to-back treys to give USA a five point (45-40) lead with just under 12 minutes to play. Three minutes later, USA stretched the margin out to 11 (53-42) on a Woodard lay up. New Orleans was able to get as close as six points 57-51 on an English bucket from behind the arc with seven minutes remaining in regulation, but that was as close as they got the rest of the way. Over the final seven minutes, the Jags outscored the Privateers 12-3 to take the 69-53 victory.

USA was led by Woodard's game-high 20 points, while Williams had 13 and Boswell had 14. UNO was paced by Frazier's 17 and English's 15.

South Alabama was very efficient at the charity stripe on the night, finishing 19-of-21.

South Alabama will continue Sun Belt Conference action at the Mitchell Center by taking on Middle Tennessee (Jan. 19) before heading to Bowling Green, Ky., to take on Western Kentucky (Jan. 21).