BOCA RATON, Fla. - Shakira Nettles and Christian Shelter combined for 42 of the University of South Alabama women's basketball team's 68 points to lead the Jags to a 68-58 Sun Belt Conference victory Saturday afternoon at FAU Arena. The 3-0 conference start marks the first time USA has done so since the 2004-05 season and just the sixth time in the program's history.
Nettles led all scorers with a season-high 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting and was 5-of-7 at the foul line. Shelter - who had recorded just four total points in her previous two SBC games - also finished the night in double figures and erupted for 17 points. Both Nettles and Shelter also pulled down five boards apiece.
"Shakira has been outstanding this weekend," South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri said. "These two games have been the best back-to-back games that she has had this season. Clearly, her health was bothering her early, but it doesn't seem to be bothering her at all now."
With the win, USA improved to 8-6 overall and 3-0 in league play, while Florida Atlantic suffered its first conference loss of the year, falling to 6-7 overall and 2-1 in the Sun Belt. The Jags will now return home for a pair of games, beginning Wednesday when the Jaguar women host Western Kentucky. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m. at the Mitchell Center.
"We did a really nice job of guarding their stuff," Pietri said. "We hunkered down and challenged shots and for the most part got some rebounds that gave us some transition basket opportunities to spread the lead out a little bit. I couldn't be prouder of our kids and the way they have been able to manage this weekend. I think right now our players are truly starting to believe in what we are capable of."
The Owls placed three players in double figures in the loss, led by Lyrell Barfield's 16 points. Barfield was an impressive 4-for-8 from three-point range and pulled down 10 rebounds. Brittany Bowe also posted a double-double for FAU - finishing with 15 points and a game-high 11 boards. Jessica Knurick chipped in with 10 points of her own.
One key stat on the night, especially in the closing minutes, was at the foul line. USA was 16-of-21 from the stripe, while Florida Atlantic was just 6-for-10.
Leading by one coming out of the intermission, South Alabama quickly stretched its lead out to 39-33 after a three-pointer from Nettles less than three minutes into the second half. Florida Atlantic though battled back and trimmed the deficit to two (41-39) when Andrea Taylor found Breana Kone under the basket for a layup with just over 14 minutes remaining on the clock.
After trading baskets over the next few possessions, Shelter and Nettles again provided a spark for offense and led an 11-2 run. Over the next five-plus minutes, Shelter recorded six of the Jag points, while Nettles provided the other five. Shelter's layup at the 11:33 mark got things and Nettles capped off the run with her second trey of the period, this one giving USA its largest lead of the night at 11 (54-43) with less than seven to go.
During that same stretch the Jaguar defense clamped down and held the Owls to just four points over the next six minutes and limiting Florida Atlantic to just 2-of-13 shooting. After allowing FAU to shot 37 percent in the opening half, South Alabama held the Owls to just 25 percent shooting during the final 20 minutes of play, while knocking down 50 percent of its own attempts.
From that point on, USA didn't allow Florida Atlantic to get any closer than eight, as the Jags went on to pick up the 10-point win. As they have done most of the season, South Alabama was solid at the foul line late in the game - hitting seven of its eight attempts during the final one minute, 16 seconds of the contest.
Florida Atlantic led by as many as four early on in the opening half after a jumper in the lane by Knurick. USA kept battling over the next several minutes and took a three-point lead (16-13) after Siedah Banks rebounded her miss and laid the ball back in the basket with just under nine minutes left in the first stanza.
South Alabama looked as if it were going to close the half strong, stretching the lead back out to 32-27 after a pair of Nettles' free throws with a little over two minutes to go, but Breana Turner hit one of her two free throw attempts and Barfied drained a three-pointer with 37 second remaining to send the two clubs into the locker room with USA holding a 32-31 advantage.
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 win marks the first time since the 2004-05 season that USA has began Sun Belt Conference play with a 3-0 mark and the sixth time in the program's history since the league began conference play back during the 1984-85 season. The Jags also continued their outstanding late-game free throw shooting, hitting seven of their eight attempts during the final 1:16. South Alabama is now 31-for-39 at the charity stripe with less than two minutes to go. In her previous two Sun Belt games, USA's Christian Shelter had had just a combined four points, but on Saturday, the junior recorded 17. South Alabama has also now won five of its last six games and is now 130-35 under Rick Pietri when holding its opponents to 60 points or less.
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