MACOMB, Ill. ? Senior guard Jessica Starling’s eight points during a pivotal 13-2 run late in the second half helped the South Alabama women’s basketball team pick up a tough 55-49 road victory over Western Illinois Saturday afternoon at Waste Management Court at Western Hall.
Starling led the way with 14 points, 10 of which coming in the second half, while Shakira Nettles also chipped in with 12. Shaniece Brunner led USA to a season-high 10 blocks as a team. The senior recorded six, three of which coming down the stretch. Western Illinois was paced by Amanda Walker’s 13 points.
“We have had difficulty on the road on two occasions wiring in psychologically because we think we are better than the team that we are playing,” South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri said. “Fortunately tonight, we were able to record from the hole that we dug ourselves and make enough plays to win the game.”
USA (8-2) will now return home to open Sun Belt Conference play on Wednesday when the Lady Jags host Western Kentucky. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m. at the Mitchell Center. With the loss, the Westerwinds drop to 2-8 on the season.
The Lady Jags fought through a tough 29 percent shooting night and used their defense to spur on the win. Along with its 10 blocks, South Alabama also forced 22 turnovers and recorded 11 steals, four of which coming from Siedah Banks.
Trailing by five coming out of the intermission, Western Illinois outscored 13-5 over the first six-plus minutes of the second half to pull out in front 29-26 with 13:38 left on the clock. On USA’s next trip down the court, Karina Sproal tied things back up for the Lady Jags when the senior drove the lane and muscled in a shot. Sproal was fouled on the play and her bonus shot tied things up at 29. Two minutes later though Western Illinois went on another run, this one a 9-0 spurt that gave the Westerwinds their largest lead to that point at 38-29.
Coming out of a 30 second time out with under 10 minutes to go, the Lady Jags turned up the intensity and erupted for the 13-2 run. During the scoring spurt, Starling recorded eight of her second half points. The Tallahassee, Fla., native drained a pair of treys during the run and her rebound off a pair of missed free throws proved to be instrumental in the victory.
“Jessica Starling stepped up for us tonight,” Pietri said. “Western Illinois made a great run at us with intensive energy to give themselves a nine-point lead. The good news for us was that we fought back with the same kind of energy to go ahead and take it back from them. Starling made a pivotal play for us on the two missed free throws when she dove on the floor and saved the possession for us. That is indicative of the effort we need to win games like this.”
Nettles capped of the run and put the Jaguar women up for good with a10-foot baseline jumper at the 5:53 mark. Over the final nine minutes, South Alabama’s defense held the Westerwinds to just two made field goals from that point on. WIU’s only points during that stretch came at the charity stripe.
Western Illinois got as close as one on three occasions down the stretch, the last coming with just over four minutes remaining on a Lindsay Wutt free throw. Wutt had a chance to tie the contest at 45, but she could not hit her second attempt at the line.
After the missed free throw, Brunner recorded a layup and Nettles drained a pair of free throws to give the Jags some breathing room at 49-44. USA was able to hit a majority of its attempts from the stripe down the stretch and held on for the six-point victory.
Nettles came out strong to start the game, knocking down three of her first four shots, but like the Memphis game got into early foul trouble and picked up her second foul of the period.
USA held the momentum early on, but at the 12:28 mark, WIU took its first lead of game at 12-10 on Anneloes Kodde three-pointer from top of key. USA didn’t let things sit there long as it quickly tied the game back up on the Jags’ next trip down the floor on Tashley Gaines put back.
From the 11:50 minutes mark until Starling’s layup with four minutes, 25 seconds remaining in the opening half, both clubs struggled to find the range. Brittney Rutledge’s three-pointer during that stretch was the lone field goal by either team.
Starling later drove the lane and found Vontrice Dennis open under the basket for an easy layup that gave South Alabama its largest lead of the half at 19-13 with just over three minutes left. WIU’s leading scorer Amanda Walker ended a nearly 10 and a half minute offensive drought a minute later for the Westerwinds when she knocked down her first field goal of the game and cut the Jag lead to three.
With under 10 seconds remaining, Banks’ sank a pair of free throws to send USA into the locker room with the 21-16 advantage. WIU had had two offensive possessions in the final minute of the half, but each time the Lady Jags were able to force a turnover.
Both clubs were iced cold from the field in the opening 20 minutes of play as each could only shoot 22 percent in the half.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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