Game Notes - Game 20 at Troy

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women’s basketball team will head back out on the road this week when the Lady Jags travel to take on Troy on Wednesday night.  USA head coach Rick Pietri also sits just one win away from tying Charlie Branum’s program mark of 182 career victories.

Tip-off versus the Trojans is set for 7 p.m. at Sartain Hall.  Live stats and video can be accessed at www.usajaguars.com. 

South Alabama comes into the midweek match up versus in-state rival and fellow SBC East Division foe Troy with an overall record of 12-7 and a league mark of 4-3.  USA climbed above the .500 mark in conference play after picking up a 60-42 victory over Florida International on Saturday.  The win marked the third-straight for the Lady Jags and the fourth in their last five games.

The Lady Jags are led by the offensive duo of senior forward Christian Shelter and junior guard Sarda Peterson.  Shelter comes into the contest leading the club with 12.7 points per game - 13th in the SBC - while Peterson is not too far behind her with 11.5 ppg - tied for 17th in the SBC.  Both Shelter and Peterson, along with junior guard Lauren Walker also rank among the top 6 in the league in three-point shooting.  Walker tops all players, knocking down 45.2 percent of her attempts, while Shelter (41.7) and Peterson (41.0) rank fifth and sixth, respectively.  As a team, USA leads the Sun Belt in three-point percentage (36.8) and treys per game (7.9).  Nationally, the Jaguars are 20th and 11th in those same two categories.

Two other players that have aided to the success this season for USA are senior point guard Siedah Banks and junior forward Taylor Ammons.  Banks not only enters play averaging just under five assists per game - tied for third in the SBC - but her 2.54 assist/turnover ratio not only leads the conference but ranks 11th in the NCAA.  Ammons paces the club on the glass with 8.6 boards per game - tied for fourth in the Sun Belt - to go along with her 8.2 ppg.

On the defensive side, the Lady Jags also lead the conference in field goal defense (.354), three-point percentage defense (.220), while ranking second in points allowed, and holding opponents to just 55.2 per game.  South Alabama’s long-range defense also tops the nation, while their field goal defense is 27th-best in the latest national rankings. 

Troy enters the game versus the Lady Jags riding a five-game losing streak - it’s longest of the season.  Last Saturday, the Trojans dropped to 4-16 on the year and 1-6 in the Sun Belt with a 92-76 defeat at Western Kentucky.  The Trojans - who have not won since a 64-57 victory over Florida Atlantic on Jan. 2 - fell behind by as much as 25 points in the first half, but kept battling in the second period of play to cut the deficit to as little as 12.

Despite the Trojans’ record this season, Pietri still expects for this to be a difficult test for the Lady Jags.

“The most important thing for our team to do is to focus on being the best that we can be,” Pietri said.  “While Troy’s record is not as good as it has been in the past, they are still an excellently coached team and they will have a solid plan in place, especially with the game being at home for them.  We have to bring all of our efforts to bear to ensure that we have a chance to win the game.”

Junior guard DeAngela Sword’s 13.9 points per outing not only lead the team but also rank eighth in the Sun Belt.  The Montgomery, Ala., native is shooting 41 percent from the field, including 39 percent (23-of-59) from the three-point line.  Sword also paces the club with 29 steals. 

Donette McNair - a preseason third-team all-conference selection - has been solid in the post for the Trojans.  The senior ranks second on the team with 13.3 ppg and leads the club with 8.7 boards.  She has recorded eight double-doubles this season and comes into the game needing just 21 points and nine rebounds to second player since the Trojans moved to Division I in 1993 to score 1,000 career points and grab 700 career rebounds.

Troy has been hampered by injuries this season.  Junior point guard Sarah McAppion was injured prior to the start of the season and will miss all of the 2010-11 campaign.  Fellow junior Kristen Smith, also a returning starter from a season ago, was injured in the final minutes of the season opener and has not returned.  She is continually being reevaluated and her status for the game is questionable.

As a team, Troy is surrendering 70.5 ppg to its opponents, while scoring just 56.0 ppg.  Opponents are also shooting 41.9 percent from the field.

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:  Wednesday’s game against Troy will be the 30th in the all-time series.  Troy holds a slim 16-15 advantage in the all-time series between the Trojans and the Jags, but South Alabama has taken 11 of the last 13 meetings, including both last season.  Pietri is 10-1 against the Trojans during his time at USA. The Trojans hold an 11-4 advantage in the series in games played in Troy, but all four wins have come during Pietri’s tenure. The meeting between Pietri and Troy head coach Michael Murphy will be the 12th between the two coaches.  Pietri holds a 10-1 advantage in those meetings and all 11 meetings have come at both coach’s current schools.