MOBILE, Ala. ? A second half offensive drought and a 14-0 Florida International run midway through the period proved to be the difference as the South Alabama women’s basketball team dropped a 66-51 Sun Belt Conference decision Thursday evening at the Mitchell Center.
“In the second half Florida International just took it to us,” South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri said. “We had no response and just gave no resistance. In the second half, this game was clearly more important to FIU than it was for our team. Our team continues to flounder when things aren’t going we’ll and we’re missing that leadership aspect of having someone step up when things aren’t going right and right the ship for us.”
USA (12-5, 3-3 SBC) will travel to Little Rock, Ark., to take on UALR Saturday afternoon at the Jack Stephens Center. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m. With the win, FIU improves to 7-10 on the year and 3-3 in the Sun Belt.
Karina Sproal led the Jaguar women with a career-high 13 points. Sproal was 4-of-5 from three point range in the loss. Shakira Nettles was the only other player for South Alabama to finish in double figures as the sophomore guard recorded 11 points. FIU placed four players in double-digits against the Jags, led by LaQuetta Ferguson’s game-high 23. Of Ferguson’s 23 points, 21 came in the second half.
The telling stat of the game was on the glass as Florida International out-rebounded South Alabama 47-27.
Like last year’s meeting in Miami, the Lady Jags jumped out to the early advantage reeling off 11 of the first 13 points of the game, the final six of the run coming on back-to-back treys from Monique Jones and Sproal. With USA leading by nine (14-5) after another Sproal trey at the 13:32 mark, FIU’s Fanni Hutlassa led an 8-0 run scoring six of her nine first half points during that stretch. Amanda Leonard ended a four and a half minute offensive drought for the Jags and the Golden Panther run with a three-pointer from the left win with just under nine minutes left in the first period of play. On USA’s next trip down the floor, Leonard put South Alabama back up by six at 19-13 with a one-handed runner in the lane.
Florida International again responded with another run and Liene Jekabsone gave the Golden Panthers their first lead of the night (21-20) when the freshman laid the ball off the glass at the 5:03 mark. The lead was short-lived though for FIU as Sproal knocked down her third trey of the half to put USA back up 23-21. The game remained close for the remainder of the half and Jessica Starling drained a three-pointer from the top of the key with five seconds on the clock to send the Lady Jags into the locker room with a 28-25 advantage.
In the second half, Florida International opened the period with the first six points and took a 31-28 lead on a Ferguson bucket with just over two minutes played in the half. South Alabama did not help its cause much as the Lady Jags began the second stanza hitting just one of their seven attempts from the floor. Asha Neal later gave FIU its largest lead of the night (36-30) to that point with a basket of her own at the 16:10 mark.
USA was able to trim the deficit to two (44-42) after back-to-back baskets with under 11 minutes left in the game from Patriece Brunner and Nettles. Starling drove the lane and found Brunner underneath the basket and then Nettles drove the lane with a finger roll layup. After Nettles’ basket, Ciglar ignited a 14-0 run for the Golden Panthers when she knocked down a 12-foot baseline jumper at the 9:57 mark. Ferguson then continued her hot second half shooting, recording seven of FIU’s 14 points during the run. During the Florida International run, South Alabama was unable to knock down a field goal until another Nettles basket at the 3:44 mark. The Nettles bucket ended a six minute drought for the Jags. South Alabama had no answer the rest of the way and went on to drop the 15-point decision.
