STATESBORO, Ga. ?The University of South Alabama women’s basketball team dropped a 54-48 decision to Georgia Southern Tuesday night at Hanner Fieldhouse.
The lose drops the Lady Jags record to 3-3 on the season, while GSU improves to 3-5. USA will next return home to face Southeastern Conference foe Florida at the Mitchell Center, Friday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m.
After falling behind 8-2 and missing its first eight shots from the floor during the first few minutes, Georgia Southern battled back and took its first lead of the night (14-12) on a Chequilla Jessie layup off an assist from Tiffany Brown with just under 12 minutes to play in the opening half. Over the next three minutes of the half, neither team was able to get on the scoreboard. USA broke the offensive drought and reclaimed the lead when Whitney Woodard and Amanda Leonard sank back-to-back treys to give the Jags and 18-14 advantage at the 8:20 mark. Over the final 12 minutes of the first stanza, the South Alabama defense stiffened and only allowed Georgia Southern two field goals. Shaniece Brunner gave USA its largest lead of the half at 24-17 with a jumper in the lane with one minute, 49 seconds remaining before halftime. The Lady Jags headed into the locker room with a 27-21 lead. Woodard and Valencia Boswell led South Alabama offensively in the first half with 10 and eight points respectively.
In the first period of play, Georgia Southern was just 9-of-34 from the floor for 26.5 percent.
Trailing by six at the intermission, the Eagles came out in the second half and tied the contest back up at 29-29 after two free throws from Carolyn Whitney with just over 16 minutes to play. With the game still tied up at 33-all, USA ran off five straight points, the first coming when Leonard found a slashing Cortney Brown for a lay up and then Leonard drained a three-pointer from the left wing to put the Jags up by five (38-33) at the 12:35 mark. Ashley Melson trimmed the GSU deficit to 40-39 three minutes later with a lay up of her own. Georgia Southern tied the contest back up at 44-44 after a free throw from Christa Waterman with four minutes, 40 seconds remaining in the game. The Eagles later took their first lead of the second half when Ashley Rivens put back a Whitney miss with just under a minute to play. GSU sealed the victory after two more Waterman makes from the charity stripe and a lay up from Rivens just before the horn.
The key stat of the night was in the second half for the Jags as they hit just 24 percent of their shots from the floor, including just one field goal the final eight minutes of the game.
Woodard and Boswell led USA on the night offensively with 12 and 10 points, respectively, but both were also held to just two points each in the second half. USA’s leading scorer Monique Jones was also held to a season-low two points on the night.
Shawnda Atwood and Whitney paced the Eagles with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
