LONG ISLAND, N.Y, ? The South Alabama women’s basketball team will make its first ever trip to the “Big Apple” this weekend when it competes at the LIU Turkey Classic. USA will open up tournament action when the Jaguar women take on the College of Charleston on Friday at 3 p.m. (Central) at the Wellness, Recreation and Activity Center.
SCOUTING THE LADY JAGS...
The Lady Jags enter the LIU Tournament this weekend coming off a 92-71 victory over NAIA foe Belhaven College on Monday night at the Mitchell Center.
The visiting Blazers led by as many as nine points in the first half before USA rallied to head into the lockerroom with a nine point lead of its own. Monique Jones recorded 20 of her 22 points in the first frame. The Lady Jags came out of the intermission and only allowed BC to get as close as seven points before eventually stretching the lead out to as many as 23 points. Whitney Woodard provided the offense in the second stanza leading the way with 17 of her game high 24 points.
The Jag offense thus far this season is led by the trio of Jones, Woodard, and Valencia Boswell. Jones leads the club with 17.0 ppg, while Woodard and Boswell come in at 16.0 ppg and 9.3 ppg, respectively. Woodard also has two double-doubles on the season and tops the club in rebounding with 8.3 boards per game.
SCOUTING COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON...
The College of Charleston enters the match up versus the Lady Jags with a 1-2 overall record. In their last game, the Lady Cougars dropped a 70-56 decision to Coastal Carolina at the John Kresse Arena. Costal Carolina took a 33-21 lead into the intermission and went on to take the 14 point victory. Alisha Dill led all scorers with 26 points for Coastal Carolina, while the Cougars had a pair of players in double figures, led by Melissa Chambers 14 points.
College of Charleston is expected to see the return of two starters this weekend. Preseason all-conference guard Jade Hughes and senior guard Jill Frustenburg have missed the last two contests, but are expected to be back for the game against the Jags.
Nikki Williams and Chambers have provided the offense thus far for the Lady Cougars, averaging 11.3 and 10.0 ppg, respectively. Williams leads the team in field goal percentage, coming in at 52 percent from the floor.
SERIES INFO VERSUS THE LADY COUGARS...
Both South Alabama and College of Charleston have never met.
THE LADY JAGS VERSUS THE SOUTHERN CONFERENCE...
The meeting between USA and the College of Charleston on Friday will be the 13th time the Jags have taken on a team from the Southern Conference. South Alabama is 7-5 versus current members of the SoCo all-time (Appalachian State 1-1, Chattanooga 0-1, Georgia Southern 3-3, UNC-Greensboro 2-0 and Western Carolina 1-0). USA has never faced College of Charleston, Davidson, Furman, Elon or Wofford in its history. Head Coach Rick Pietri is 3-0 against Southern Conference members (Georgia Southern 2-0 and Appalachian State 1-0).
SCOUTING LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY...
Long Island University (1-3) enters its home tournament after picking up its first win of the season over Siena, 78-46, at the Alumni Recreation Center. The Lady Blackbirds were led on the night by freshman Valerie Nainima who netted a game-high 30 points on 10-for-16 shooting. The Blackbirds shot a red-hot 66 percent in the first half to put the game out of reach early. The big run of the night came when LIU rattled off a 23-6 run that put the Saints in a 49-21 hole at halftime.
LIU is led offensively this season by Nanima who is averaging 19 ppg and has led Long Island in scoring every game this season. Also averaging double figures for the Blackbirds is senior forward Marquita Thompson. The Garland, Texas native comes into the tournament at 11.3 ppg.
Long Island returns two starters and nine letterwinners from a team that advanced to the NEC semifinals a year ago. Last season, the Blackbirds paced the NEC in field goal percentage (.426) and three-point percentage (.363), while ranking second in free throw percentage (.719). Long Island also finished the year second in the league with 174 three-pointers. This season, LIU is again having a productive year offensively, averaging 39.6 percent from the floor and nearly 33 percent from beyond the arc. Opponents however are fairing even better coming into the tournament shooting 48 percent from the floor and 43 percent from long range.
SERIES INFORMATION VERSUS THE LADY BLACKBIRDS...
Both South Alabama and Long Island University have never met.
THE LADY JAGS VERSUS THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE...
Should Long Island and USA meet in the second round of the tournament on Saturday, it will mark the first in the series and just the fourth time the Lady Jags have faced a team from the Northeast Conference. South Alabama is 1-2 versus current NEC opponents all-time (St. Francis (N.Y.) 1-1 and St. Francis (Pa.) 0-1. USA has never faced Central Connecticut St., Fairleigh Dickinson, Long Island, Monmouth, Mount St. Mary's, Quinnipiac, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart or Wagner. Head coach Rick Pietri is 1-0 all-time against the NEC, defeating St. Francis (N.Y.) 61-54 in the second round of the BankNorth Classic in Burlington, Vt., back during the 2003-04 season.
SCOUTING CLEVELAND STATE...
Cleveland State (1-3) comes into the LIU Tournament after capturing its first win of the season Tuesday night, a 70-65 victory over Colgate. Trailing 39-33 at the break, the Lady Vikings rallied back and finally went ahead 59-57 on a Chenara Wilson jumper at the 5:56 mark. After Colgate tied the contest up again at 63-63, Wilson answered back with another basket and Nicole Thomas stole the ensuing inbounds pass, was fouled and finished off the three-point play to put the Vikings up by five. Cleveland State sank its free throws down the stretch en route to the five point win.
Nicole Thomas led the Vikings with 17 points and seven rebounds, while Brittany Korth knocked down four three-pointers en route to scoring 14 points. Wilson added 10 points and six boards and Angel Roque dished out a game-high seven assists with no turnovers.
Thomas is one of three players averaging double figures on the season offensively and is also the best shooter on the club, knocking down 26 of her 40 attempts from the floor. The 6-2 senior is also cleaning up on the glass, as she averages a team-best 11.5 rebounds per game.
LAST TIME THEY MET (Jan. 3, 1989 in Miami, Fla.)...
The last time the two clubs met was back during the 1988-89 season in the opening round of the Florida International Tournament held at Sunblazer Arena in Miami, Fla. After holding a five point lead at the break, the Lady Jags went on to take a 70-57 victory. USA was led by former All-American Ella Williams. Williams recorded 30 points and 10 rebounds on the night for USA. Cleveland State was led by former Lady Viking Tracy Kinton who finished with 16 points and 16 rebounds.
THE LADY JAGS VERSUS THE HORIZON LEAGUE...
Should South Alabama and Cleveland State meet in the second round of the LIU Tournament, the meeting will mark just the second time the two clubs have ever met and the fifth time the Jags have taken on a team from the Horizon League. USA is 0-4 all-time versus current schools from the league (UW-Green Bay 0-1, Illinois-Chicago 0-2 and Detroit 0-1). South Alabama has never faced conference members UW-Milwaukee, Butler, Wright State, Loyola, Youngstown State or Cleveland State. Jaguar head coach Rick Pietri is 0-1 versus Illinois-Chicago, falling 51-31 to UIC back during the 2000-01 season at the UIC Thanksgiving tournament in Chicago, Ill.
