Box Score - South Alabama 82, Louisiana-Lafayette 66 (.pdf)

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MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women’s basketball team placed three players in double figures Sunday afternoon as Lady Jag head coach and USA alum Rick Pietri tied Charlie Branum’s program mark for career wins with an 82-66 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette at the Mitchell Center.  Pietri now stands at 182 wins for his career.

“In order for me to maintain employment, I need to compile records like that,” Pietri said.  “Seriously, I think one of the things that we’ve been able to do in 11 years is make this a program that can be respected. That’s the most important thing. In a ten-and-a-half year time span, we’ve been able to put a more than respectable product on the court to represent the university and the community.”

For the first time this season, Siedah Banks led the Jaguars in scoring with a career-high 19 points.  The Little Rock, Ark., native was 4-of-8 from the field and 10-of-11 from the free-throw line.  The senior also had a season-high nine rebounds and five assists in the victory.

“Siedah really stepped up,” Pietri said.  “We talked about it after the Troy game, because it was such a disappointing loss and not just the loss itself, but the manner in which the loss occurred. We needed leadership. We needed our seniors to rise up and Siedah definitely responded to that challenge. She had about as complete a game, with 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists with only one turnover, as you can put together.”

Christian Shelter also had a solid outing for the Jaguar women, finishing with 17 points and eight rebounds.  Shelter was 7-of-14 from the field and 3-of-7 from the three-point line.  Sarda Peterson also finished in double figures with 15 points of her own.  USA’s three-point trio of Shelter, Peterson and Lauren Walker each had three treys apiece. 

Louisiana-Lafayette (10-12, 3-6 SBC) was led by Mercedes Johnson’s game-high 21 points.  Johnson was 9-of-18 from the field in the loss.  D’Mya Clay came off the bench to chip in 10 points of her own. 

After shooting a season-low 25 percent against Troy, USA bounced back offensively versus the Ragin’ Cajuns and shot 41.5 percent from the field.  The 11 three-pointers by the Lady Jags also marked the seventh time this season that South Alabama has finished in double-figures in treys. 

USA (13-8, 5-4 SBC) will now travel to Bowling Green, Ky., to take on Western Kentucky on Wednesday.  Tip-off versus the Lady Toppers is set for 11:30 a.m. at E.A. Diddle Arena.

Coming off its worst offensive showing of the season, the Lady Jag offense was very efficient in the early going.  USA, which scored just 11 total points in the first half on Wednesday versus Troy, matched that total a little less than five minutes into the contest after a Banks free throw at the 15:17 mark.

The Ragin’ Cajuns came out just as hot from the floor as the two clubs exchanged the lead back-and-forth over the first seven minutes of the first half.

With ULL holding a 17-16 advantage after a pair of Clay free throws with just under 13 minutes to go, Shelter drove the right side of the basket and knocked down a running one-hander a minute later that ignited a 12-2 Lady Jag run over the next six minutes.  After exchange in baskets on the next two possessions, Walker knocked down the first of her two first-half treys.  Mary Nixon later connected from long range and after a deflection from Nixon, Peterson picked up the loose ball and went coast-to-coast for a layup that put USA up 28-19 with six minutes, 12 seconds showing on the clock.

Over the next five four minutes though, Louisiana-Lafayette began to chip away at the Jaguar lead and with one minute, 28 seconds remaining before the half, Lyndra Bell’s trey from the top of the key trimmed the deficit to 36-33. 

On South Alabama’s next possession, Cylenthia Kennon found a lane to the basket for a layup.  Kennon’s basket would be the final points of the half, as USA headed into the locker room with the 38-33 half time lead.

ULL’s Johnson led all scorers with 11 first-half points, while Banks and Peterson had eight points apiece for the Lady Jags.  Both clubs were 13-for-34 from the field over the first 20 minutes of play for 38.2 percent shooting. 

Shelter provided almost all of the offense for South Alabama to begin the first half, recording nine of the Lady Jags’ first 12 points.  Johnson was just as effective during that same stretch, posting six of ULL’s first eight points. 

USA looked to have the momentum after Shelter’s basket put the Jags up 48-40 a little over three minutes into the second half, but over the next three-and-a-half minutes, the Ragin’ Cajuns rattled off eight of the next 10 points to pull within two.  Kemi Rotibi capped off the Cajun run with a pair of baskets, the last coming at the 13:40 mark of the second half to trim the deficit to 50-48.

With just over 12 minutes to go in the game, Banks again provided the offensive spark for the Lady Jags.  The senior point guard stole the ball and then at the other end of the court, knocked down a baseline pull up jumper.   The Banks basket also ignited a 19-5 run over the next six minutes.  During the pivotal run, the Jaguars really attacked the glass, pulling down 11 of their 47 rebounds during that stretch, including six at the offensive end.  Banks later capped off the run and gave USA its largest lead of the night with a three-pointer from the top of the key with six minutes 15 seconds remaining on the clock. 

From that point on, ULL was never able to get any closer than 11 as USA, led by Banks, was a perfect 8-for-8 at the charity stripe during the final 1:15.  In the closing minute, Banks was 6-of-6 at the line.

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).