HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The University of South Alabama women's basketball team couldn't overcome the hot shooting of Southern Miss' Pauline Love and a first half slump Saturday afternoon as the Jags fell 72-53 to Southern Miss at Reed Green Coliseum.

"We got out-played from top to bottom today," South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri said.  "There's no excuse for it.  It was clear that Southern Miss wanted this game more than we did.  We had beaten them six times in a row and they wanted our heads and they got us.  We now have to move on and see what we can do in the next game."

USA (0-1) will now return home to host cross-town rival Spring Hill on Thursday.  Tip-off is set for 5:05 p.m. at the Mitchell Center.  With the win, Southern Miss improves to 1-0.

Love led all players with 26 points and 14 rebounds on 10-of-17 shooting.  USM's Candace Rucker also ended the game in double-figures with 14 point of her own.

South Alabama was paced offensively by Christian Shelter's 12 points.  The Golden Eagle defense held all-Sun Belt performer Shakira Nettles in check limiting her to five points on 1-of-10 shooting.

As a team, Southern Miss shot 52.9 percent from the floor, while USA was only able to connect on 32.8 percent of its opportunities. 

Southern Miss rode the back of Love early on in the opening half, as the senior recorded all eight of the Golden Eagle's first eight points.  After USM stretched it's led out to 10-4 on a pair of Brittany Johnson free throws at the 12:40 mark, the Jaguars reeled off six-straight points to tie things back up.  Tashley Gaines drove the right side of the lane and laid the ball off the glass to get things started and then off a USM turnover, Shelter knocked down a turnaround jumper in the paint.  Two possessions later, Brittney Rutledge drained a baseline jumper at the 11:20 mark to knot things back up at 10.

The Golden Eagles quickly recaptured the momentum and stretched their lead back out to five following two free throws from Erin Gatling and a three-pointer with 10 minutes, 19 seconds remaining in the half. 

After the Jags narrowed the gap to 24-21 on a Cylenthia Kennon bucket with under six minutes remaining, Love again took over for Southern Miss, knocking down seven-straight points.  Later in the period, Candace Rucker's basket at the 4:27 mark gave the Golden Eagles their first double-digit lead of the afternoon.

South Alabama's offensive struggles continued in the final four minutes of the first half as the Jags were only able to hit one field goal to close the period.  Southern Miss headed into the locker room holding a 43-26.

Love led all scorers during the first 20 minutes of play, recording 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting - including 3-for-3 from long range.  As a team, Southern Miss was on fire in the first half, connecting on 14 of their 23 attempts from the floor for 60.9 percent shooting, including 5-for-7 from three-point range.  USA was 12-of-31 from the floor for 38.7 percent and connected on just one shot from behind the arc.

In the second half, the Jags came out and were able to cut the Golden Eagle lead to as little as 11 (45-34) after a Sarda Peterson trey from the right win three-and-a-half minutes into the period, but USA was unable to get any closer the rest of the way, as USM went on to take the 19-point victory.

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).

NOTES:  The loss snaps a six-game win streak in the series for South Alabama...The loss also ends USA's four-game win streak of season-openers.

-- USA --