JONESBORO, Ark. ? Jessica Starling’s game-winning free throws with 3.6 seconds remaining helped the South Alabama women’s basketball team escape with a 69-68 Sun Belt Conference victory Sunday afternoon at the Convocation Center.
USA (13-5, 4-3 SBC) will return home to host West Division leader UALR Wednesday evening. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m. at the Mitchell Center. With the loss, Arkansas State drops to 9-9 overall and 3-4 in the SBC.
Junior guard Shakira Nettles stepped up big in the contest, finishing with a career-high 27 points. The Mobile, native was 11-for-17 from the field, including 4-of-6 from long range. Starling added 13 points and Ra’Shawna Sippio recorded her second straight double-double with 11 points and 1p rebounds. ASU was led by Ebonie Jefferson’s 21 points. Veronica Smith (14) and Jazmine Taylor also recorded double figures for the Red Wolves.
In the second half, South Alabama continued to ride the momentum gained from the close of the first, outscoring the Red Wolves 11-5 the first four minutes of the half. After a Taylor three-pointer and a Lyndsay Schulp free throw, Smith brought the Red Wolves within nine (46-37) when she picked off an errant Jaguar pass and raced down court for a layup with under 15 minutes to play.
Nettles and Tashley Gaines answered the Smith basket and combined to record nine unanswered points for South Alabama over the next three minutes. Gaines capped of the string of 10 straight points and her layup at the 12:05 mark gave USA its largest lead to that point at 55-37.
The Red Wolves did not roll over though and made a major run at the Jags, turning up the defensive pressure the rest of the way. Over the final 12 minutes of the contest, the ASU trio of Smith, Jefferson and Taylor took over recording 24 of Arkansas States’ final 30 points. With USA holding the big lead, the Red Wolves began to claw their way back. Smith trimmed the deficit and capped off a 13-2 run with a pair of free throws to pull ASU within single digits at 5749. Nettles, as she did most of the night hit a big shot on South Alabama’s next possession when the junior knocked down a baseline jumper at the 7:33 mark to put the Jags back out by double digits.
With USA still holding a 10-point advantage (65-55) with less than three minutes to play after a Sippio bucket, Arkansas State reeled off 11 unanswered points over the next minute-and-a-half. After another Taylor trey, the junior point guard found Smith racing down court for a layup that put ASU out in front 66-65.
The Red Wolves looked as if they were going to take the victory when Jefferson was fouled with 25 seconds left. She stepped to the line and hit both to give ASU a one-point advantage. On the ensuing possession for the Lady Jags, USA tried running a play but the ball was tied up. South Alabama held the possession arrow setting up the dramatics. On the inbounds, Starling was held by Jefferson, sending the Tallahassee, Fla., native to the line for a one-and-one opportunity. Starling calmly knocked down both attempts and Arkansas State’s half court shot was off the mark, sealing the win for the Lady Jags.
The Lady Jags got off to a hot start from the field during the opening minutes of the half, knocking down six of their firs t10 shots from the floor. Nettles and Starling led the way early on for South Alabama as the duo combined to score 12 of the Jags’ first 17 points. Sarda Peterson, returning to the USA line up after suffering an ankle injury against Middle Tennessee, put South Alabama out in front 17-12 when she knocked down a trey from the top of the arc with 13 minutes, 37 seconds .
ASU hung around though and after back-to-back Sherina Scott jumpers in the lane, the Red Wolves claimed their first lead since the opening basket. Scott’s bucket at the 9:17 mark gave Arkansas State a 20-19 advantage.
A little over three minutes later, Jefferson gave the Red Wolves a 25-23 when the junior guard drove the lane and converted a three-point play. The Jefferson basket though at the 5:54 mark would be the last made field goal for ASU the remainder of the period.
South Alabama took advantage of the Red Wolves’ drought closing out the first stanza on a 13-1 run. Nettles ignited the scoring run for the Lady Jags with a jumper at the 5:35 mark that tied the contest back up at 25 and then gave USA the lead with a three-pointer from the top of the key two possessions later. Sippio, coming off a career ?game against Troy on Wednesday, capped off the Jaguar run with the final five points. The lone point for ASU the final five-plus minutes came on Smith’s free throw with 11 seconds remaining.
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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