THIBODAUX, La. - The University of South Alabama women's basketball team will look to snap a three-game skid Saturday afternoon when the Jags travel to take on Nicholls State. Tip-off between the Jags and the Colonels is set for 2 p.m. at Stopher Gym.
Live stats of the game can be accessed at www.usajaguars.com.
South Alabama (2-4) enters the game against Nicholls State after dropping a heart-breaker to Tulane on Tuesday. South Alabama held a three-point lead late, but turnovers proved to be the undoing for the Jags, as Chassity Brown's jumper with 4.7 second gave the Green Wave the 73-71 victory.
Christian Shelter led the way for the Jags in the loss, posting a career-high 21 points. So far this season, Shelter has led USA in scoring in four of the Jags' six games. The Mobile native leads the team with 13.2 points per game and is shooting 43.8 percent from the floor. She also ranks third on the club in rebounding coming into the game.
Senior guard Shakira Nettles enters the game versus Nicholls after her best outing of the season against the Green Wave. On Tuesday, Nettles recorded a season-high 17 points and hit a three-pointer in the closing seconds to tie the contest back up at 71. This season, Nettles is averaging 10.5 ppg and has hit nearly 41 percent of attempts from beyond the arc, including connecting on 10 of her last 21 attempts from the arc.
Sarda Peterson has also provided offense off the bench for the Jaguar women this season - ranking second on the club with Nettles in scoring with 10.5 points per outing. Peterson's 13 three-pointers also lead the club.
Against Tulane, sophomore guard Tashley Gaines came off the bench late in the first half and provided a spark. The West Memphis, Ark., native finished the night with a career-high 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting. She is averaging 8.3 points per game this season.
The Colonels (1-4) come into this weekend's contest versus the Jags after suffering a 73-49 loss at Grambling State on Tuesday night. The Tigers - who led by 10 at the break - pulled away fin the second half, outscoring Nicholls State 31-17 in the final period.
Ricshanda Bickham led the Colonels in the loss with 24 points and six steals. So far this season, the junior guard has been the leader for NSU at both ends of the floor. Coming into the game against the Jags, Bickham leads the team in scoring, averaging 18.2 points per game and a team-high 27 steals.
Freshman forward Alisha Allen has also had a solid first collegiate season. The 5-11 post player is the only other player for Nicholls State in double figures, as she is averaging 11.8 ppg. Allen is also tied with Cassie Hearon for second in rebounding, pulling down 5.2 boards per contest. Jasmine Hoskins leads the team on the glass with 6.2 per game.
"Coach Plaisance at Nicholls does a great job, particularly with their match-up zone defense," South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri said. "We will have a chore trying to decipher it and find ways to score. They are a completely different group than we played at the Mitchell Center last year and so we'll have to adjust to their personnel. Hopefully we can put forth a good effort and come back with a road win."
NSU is 0-1 so far against the Sun Belt, falling at New Orleans, 60-50, in its season-opener.
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: Saturday's game between South Alabama and Nicholls State will be the 17th in the all-time series between the two clubs. USA holds a huge advantage in the series with a 14-2 record against the Colonels. Last season, South Alabama cruised to an 83-30 victory over Nicholls State in Mobile. Against the Colonels, USA opened the game with a 16-0 run and forced Nicholls State into 36 turnovers en route to the victory. The meeting this weekend will be the first time the Jags have traveled to Thibodaux since the 2002-03 season. USA has won five of the previous six meetings at NSU. Pietri is 3-0 in his previous meetings with the Colonels. South Alabama holds 42-18 overall all-time record against current Southland Conference members. Pietri is 11-0 against the league.
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