MOBILE, Ala. - The University of South Alabama women's basketball team led by as many as 13, but poor shooting late in the first half and throughout the second, helped Memphis rally and pick up a 55-50 victory Wednesday evening over the Jags at the Mitchell Center.
The Jaguar women fall to 3-5 with the loss and will look to bounce back Saturday when they host Southern. Tip-off is set for 5:05 p.m. at the Mitchell Center. With the win, Memphis evens its record to 4-4 on the season.
USA was led offensively on the night by Christian Shelter and Tashley Gaines, who recorded 10 points apiece. Gaines also had a career-high eight rebounds for the Jags in the loss.
The Tigers were paced by redshirt-sophomore Brittany Carter. The ninth leading scorer in the nation finished just under her average with 20 points on 9-of-25 shooting. Savannah Ellis and Taylor Mumphrey also added 10 points, while Mumphrey recorded a career-best 14 rebounds for her first double-double of the season.
As a team, Memphis held a huge advantage on the boards, out-rebounding the Jags, 53-41. Of the Tigers 53 boards, 23 came on the offensive glass, leading to 17 second chance points. Memphis also held a huge advantage in the paint, recording 32 points compared to just 16 by South Alabama.
"First of all we're undersized," South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri said. "Our best five player is not with us, that's the first thing. Number two, our two freshmen are big enough kids, but right now they just aren't getting it. I have faith that they're going to get it down the road, but they don't get it right now. So because of that, we're forced to play a wing in the post and (Cylenthia) Kennon, who we knew was undersized when we signed her. With that said, a lot of the rebounds we gave up had nothing to do with how tall we were. It's on me to find the way to make this team tougher mentally. We're not mentally tough to win a close game at this point. We have three wins, all wins by large margins. We've had two close, competitive games and we can't do it because we don't have the toughness to do it. So I have to find a way to fix that. It's not an easy thing to do, but I have to fix that."
South Alabama began the game on fire from the floor hitting 10 of its first 16 shots over the first nine minutes of the game, but over the remaining 31 minutes, the Jags were only nine for their final 47 attempts. USA finished 19-of-63 for the game for 30.2 percent.
Coming out of the locker room, Memphis continued to chip away at the Jaguar lead. Mumphrey and Ramses Lonlack knocked down a pair of baskets with in the first two-plus minutes to pull the Tigers to within five at 32-27. USA would keep the lead at around that margin for the next several minutes, but with the Jags holding a 43-40 advantage with just over seven minutes to go, Carter and Mumphrey led a 13-4 run over the next six minutes. The Tiger duo combined for nine points during the run and Carter gave Memphis its first lead of the game at 45-43 since its opening bucket when she put back a missed shot at the 3:23 mark.
Alex Winchell capped off the run and gave the Tigers their largest lead of the game at 53-47 with a pair of free throws with under a minute to play.
On the Jags' ensuing possession, Shelter drained a trey from the left wing to cut the deficit to three. Forced to foul, USA sent LaToya Bullard went to the line for a one-and-one opportunity. Bullard missed the front-end, but as had happened most of the night, South Alabama was unable to come up with the rebound. Lonlack took advantage of the second chance for the Tigers and hit both of her attempts for the final margin.
In the first half after a Carter bucket a minute into the game, South Alabama responded with a 12-2 run over the next two minutes. Siedah Banks sparked the Jaguar run when the junior point guard drove the lane and converted the three-point play just under a minute into the game. Then after a Shakira Nettles three-pointer, Morriah Smith connected on a jumper in the lane and a trey of her own this one coming at the 17:47 mark. Christian Shelter then hit one of two at the foul line to give South Alabama the early eight-point advantage
After the Tigers narrowed the Jaguar lead to 16-12 on a Savannah Ellis bucket with 15 minutes, 51 seconds to go in the first half, USA again went on a run, this one a 12-3 to grab its largest lead of the half. Gaines ignited the Jaguar run with a layup and later in the run, gave USA its first double-digit lead of the night when the sophomore stole the ball and drove the floor for another. With 11 minutes, 24 seconds remaining before the half, Smith then found Sarda Peterson open on the right wing for a three-pointer to put South Alabama up 26-13.
From the 11 minute mark of the first half, USA would hit just two field goals for the rest of the period. Memphis took advantage of the offensive slump and got as close as seven (30-23) after a pair of buckets from Carter. Carter, who had struggled for most of the half, capitalized on a second chance opportunity and laid the ball back in the basket at the 3:54 mark and then drove the lane for another layup a minute later to pull the Tigers within seven. After a pair of Brittney Rutledge free throws, USA headed into the intermission with a nine-point advantage.
South Alabama still managed to shoot 40 percent from the floor during the opening 20 minutes of play despite the slump in the final minutes, connecting on 12 of its 30 attempts. The Jaguar defense held the Tigers to just 27 percent (10-for-37) shooting.
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: South Alabama opened the game hitting 10 of its first 16 shots, but could only convert one nine of its final 47 attempts. USA's Sarda Peterson and Shakira Nettles, who entered the game averaging 20 points between them, were a combined 2-for-13 from the field for six points. The 53 rebounds were also the most surrendered by the Jags this season to an opponent. The three points by Nettles was a season-low for the Jag senior. The eight rebounds by Tashley Gaines was a career-high.
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