Game one - vs. Central Florida Game Notes (.pdf)

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women’s basketball team will face a tough test Saturday night when the Lady Jags welcome defending Conference USA champion Central Florida to the Mitchell Center for its season opener.  UCF has won its league championship and earned a berth to the NCAA tournament in two of the last three seasons.

“We’ve had a good preseason, if you will, but now everything we do counts, so there’s an expectation for progression,” South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri said.  “What we’ve done in the preseason has been good and we have to continue to get better.  With Central Florida, you talk about an incredibly worthy opponent to open your season with.  They are a team that won 22 games, went to the NCAA tournament after winning the Conference USA tournament championship.  While they did lose some key pieces, they also return some key pieces.  They are a very gifted group of players that are well-run and well-orchestrated by coach (Joi) Williams and her staff.  We have a lot of respect for them and know that we have quite a fight on our hands her Saturday night.”

Tip-off versus the Knights set for 7:05 p.m.  Live stats and web streaming of the contest between USA and UCF is available at www.usajaguars.com.

South Alabama comes into the season-opener versus UCF returning eight letterwinners from last season’s squad which finished with a 17-13 mark and an 8-8 record in the Sun Belt.  The Lady Jags also welcoming the addition of six newcomers to the 2011-12 roster.   This year’s roster already has one game under its belt as USA picked up an impressive 83-33 exhibition win Monday night over West Florida.

Against the Argonauts, South Alabama dominated the glass and used a stingy defensive effort to capture the 50-point victory.  UWF was only able to hit one of its first 23 attempts from the field and was outrebounded 52-22 by the Lady Jags.  West Florida didn’t record its second made field goal until the three-minute mark of the first half.  After UWF scored the first point of the game, USA was answered with a 19-0 run over a six minute stretch and never looked back.

Senior forward Taylor Ammons led the Jaguar attack on the boards as she pulled down a game-high 17 rebounds.  Of her 17 rebounds, 12 came during the first 20 minutes of play.  Last season, Ammons led USA in rebounding in 20 of 30 games and ranked sixth in the conference in that same category.  She averaged 7.3 ppg and 7.7 rpg.  

The Lady Jags were led offensively in the win by junior forward Veronica Cherizol and JUCO transfer Camille Reynolds, who had 12 points apiece.  Junior guard Mary Nixon also finished in double figures with 10 points.  Cherizol was 5-of-8 from the floor and also pulled down six rebounds.  Reynolds was even hotter from the field as she went 5-of-6 from the field and knocked down both of her three-point attempts.  Of the 12 players who saw time on the court, 11 scored at least two points.  

South Alabama also returns preseason third-team all-Sun Belt selection Sarda Peterson.  Peterson ranked second on the club in scoring a season ago with 10.8 ppg and was one of the top three-point shooters in the league, connecting on 36.2 percent of her shots from long range.

Central Florida enters the season retuning five letterwinners and two of its three starters from last season’s squad which finished 22-11 and 12-4 in Conference USA.  Last season marked the first 20-plus win season in 27 years for UCF.

The Knights won the C-USA tournament and earned a berth to the NCAA tournament for the second time in the last three seasons.

Like the Lady Jags, the Knights already have one win under their belt - a 65-55 exhibition win versus Lynn.  Preseason all-conference selection Aisha Patrick led the way for Central Florida with 23 points on 9-of-19 shooting.  She also pulled down eight rebounds and had four steals.  As a junior, Patrick ranked third on the club in scoring with 10.7 ppg, while the 5-9 player also led UCF on the glass with 8.1 rebounds per game.  Patrick shot 44.8 percent from the floor a year ago and 40.7 percent from the arc.  Last season, Patrick also became the first UCF player to earn C-USA all-defensive team honors, as she had 82 steals.

Sophomore Erika Jones - a reserve most of 2010-11 - had an impressive performance in the exhibition win over Lynn, finishing with 14 points and 18 rebounds.  Of the 6-2 post player’s 18 rebounds, six came on the offensive end and 12 on the defensive glass.  Along with Jones, UCF’s front court features five six-footers.

UCF was selected third in the C-USA preseason poll, which marks the best showing the Knights have garnered since joining the conference in 2005.

The Knights are coached by Joi Williams who is in her fifth season with the program.  This summer, Williams was an assistant with the USA’s U-19 team that won a gold medal at the World Championships in Chile.

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 meeting between South Alabama and Central Florida will be just the third ever and first since the 1991-92 season.  Each team holds a victory over the other in the previous two meetings with the Knights taking an 89-82 victory in Orlando in the first meeting and the Jaguars picking up a 70-60 win in Mobile.   In 37 seasons, the South Alabama women’s basketball program is 18-19 and 6-5 in season openers under Pietri.  Last season, the Lady Jags opened the 2010-11 campaign with a 72-62 loss at Tulane.  South Alabama has also won 29 of its previous 37 home openers defeating Southern Miss, 95-61 victory in its home opener.  Pietri holds a 10-1 record in his 11 home openers.  The game versus Central Florida will also mark the 95th time USA has faced an opponent currently from Conference USA.  In those previous meetings, the Lady Jags are 44-50, while Pietri holds a 12-6 all-time versus the league.