Florida International Game Notes (.pdf)

MIAMI – The University of South Alabama women’s basketball team will close out its current two-game road swing on Saturday when the Lady Jags travel to take on Florida International.

Tip-off versus the Golden Panthers is set for 3:30 p.m. (CT) at U.S. Century Bank Arena.  Live stats and video can be accessed at www.usajaguars.com. 

South Alabama enters the game versus the Golden Panthers after picking up its first Sun Belt Conference victory of the season.  On Wednesday, the Lady Jags improved to 9-6 on the season and 1-3 in the league with a 65-53 road victory at Florida Atlantic on Wednesday.  The win was also the 500th in program history for USA.  Florida native Sarda Peterson and senior guard helped lead South Alabama to the victory as the duo recorded 20 of their combined 28 points in the second half to spark the offense. 

“You always hope that one win can spur some momentum and lead to another,” South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri said.  “From the standpoint of FIU, this is a very gifted team with a number of very versatile players. You can’t be fooled by their record, because in this recent stretch of games, they have played some BCS opponents right to the wire.  They just haven’t been able to finish those games.  They also lost at the buzzer in their last game.  We’re going to have to have a very high level of concentration and effort to beat them.”

Despite struggling from the three-point line through the first three conference games of the season, USA continues to lead the Sun Belt and rank among the nation’s leaders in three-pointers per game and three-point field goal percentage.  The Jags are averaging 7.8 treys per contest and are shooting 37.0 percent from the three-point line.

Individually, the trio of Lauren Walker (46.8), Christian Shelter (42.7) and Peterson (41.7) continue to lead the long-range attack for South Alabama.  The three players currently rank second, third and fifth, respectively, in the SBC in three-point shooting. 

Shelter leads the Jaguars in scoring as the Mobile native is averaging 12.6 ppg - 13th best in the conference.  Peterson is also averaging double figures with 11.7 ppg, which ranks 15th in the SBC.

Florida International (5-11, 0-2 SBC) comes into the match up versus the Lady Jags after suffering a heartbreaking 62-61 defeat at home to Arkansas State on Wednesday.  FIU held a one-point lead in the closing seconds, but with two seconds remaining, ASU’s Jane Morrill drained a three from the left corner to hand the Golden Panthers their seventh-straight loss.  Rakia Rodgers led all scorers with 26 points, while Jerica Coley came off the bench to record 20 in the loss.

During the recent skid, FIU has lost games to SEC foe Georgia, Indiana, Marquette and Memphis.

Coley, who has competed in all 16 games and started three, leads the club and ranks fourth in the league with 16.3 points per outing.  The freshman also ranks second on the team in rebounding with 5.9 boards per game.

Also averaging double-digits for the Golden Panthers are Rodgers with 14.3 ppg - tied for seventh in the SBC - and Michelle Gonzalez with 10.1. 

FIU’s roster received a boost at the start of the conference portion of its schedule as preseason first-team all-conference selection Elisa Carey returned from injury.  In her first game against ULM, Carey recorded 10 points.

The return of Carey should help an already tough interior defense.  FIU’s 4.4 blocks per game leads the Sun Belt and two players - Maja Krajacic and Finda Mansare rank second and fourth, respectively, in that category individually.  Krajacic is averaging 1.4 bpg, while Mansare comes in at 1.2 per game.

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 against Florida International will be the 23rd in the all-time series.  FIU holds a 12-10 advantage in the series, but USA has won six of the last eight meetings.  Pietri is 9-7 against the Golden Panthers during his tenure with the program and are 5-2 against FIU in Miami, including the last four.  The meeting between Pietri and Florida International head coach Cindy Russo will be the 17th between the two coaches.  Pietri holds a 9-7 advantage in those meetings.  All 16 of the previous meetings have come at both coaches’ present schools.