Box Score - South Alabama 89, Central Florida 76 - Triple Overtime (.pdf)
Post Game Quotes
MOBILE, Ala. – Behind Camille Reynolds' game-high 31 points off the bench, the University of South Alabama women’s basketball team rallied from a 16-point second-half deficit to defeat Central Florida 89-76 in triple overtime thriller Saturday night at the Mitchell Center.
“I told the kids in the locker room that you don’t get to play in many games like this in your lifetime,” South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri said of the win. “We played 55 minutes of basketball. Both teams wanted (the win) and both did some really positive things. We made some boneheaded mistakes, but in a 55 minute game that’s going to happen. Each team made the other pay for their mistakes in pivotal circumstances, too. We let (Aisha) Patrick run her own rebound down, and then they made one of two, which made it a three-point game. Then, we hit a three with 0.7 seconds to go a fade away, fall away three-point shot by a young lady from Idaho. Who’d have thought, at South Alabama, a young lady from Idaho would come in on her first night and put up 31 points on 10-of-16 shooting and 4-of-5 from the arc.”
Reynolds was 10-of-16 from the floor and connected on four of five three-point attempts, including her fade away trey at the end of the second overtime to tie the game up. Reynolds was also a perfect 7-for-7 at the free-throw line and dished out four assists and pulled down five rebounds. Her 31-point performance was the most by a Lady Jag since Christian Shelter’s 30-point effort against Troy (Jan. 16, 2010). The offensive tally is also one-point shy of tying for most points by a Jaguar at the Mitchell Center. After recording eight points in the first half, Reynolds posted 11 points in the second period of play and 12 points in the three extra sessions.
USA (1-0) will now host Southern University on Tuesday evening with tip-off set for 7:05 p.m. Central Florida drops to 0-1on the young season.
Led by the play of Reynolds, the South Alabama bench outscored the Knight reserves 49-17.
“We have always relied on kids to come off the bench and make a difference for us and we had that tonight,” Pietri said. “Jennifer Johnson made some plays for us. Veronica Cherizol hit a big shot in the third overtime that really sealed it. We had some good contributions from the kids off the bench. I’m really excited for these kids because I’ve been on both ends of (overtime games).”
South Alabama also held a 31-17 advantage in points off turnovers, forcing 31 UCF miscues, while committing just 17 of its own.
USA’s Mary Nixon also finished in double figures with 12 points, while Jennifer Johnson had nine points off the bench. Cylenthia Kennon paced the Lady Jags on the glass with eight boards.
Central Florida placed three in double figures offensively, led by all-CUSA player Aisha Patrick’s 17 points. Genevia Carter added 14 points of her own and Meghan Keough chipped in with 11. Erika Jones set a new Mitchell Center record and career-high with 24 rebounds – eight offensive and 16 defensive – in the loss. The 24 boards eclipsed the previous arena record of 19 previously held by Florida International’s Cheryl Moody, set back on Jan. 24, 2002. The Knights held a huge advantage on the glass, outrebounding USA 62-48.
In the third overtime, Jones pulled down a rebound off a missed UCF free throw and laid the ball off the glass to cut the USA lead 78-76 with just over four minutes to go, but that would prove to be the final points for the Knights as USA went on to close out the game on an 11-0 run. Red shirt junior guard Mansa El drove the lane for a layup to ignite the scoring on South Alabama’s next possession. A minute-and-a-half later, Veronica Cherizol banked in a jumper just inside the arc at the top of the key to extend the Jaguar lead out to six (82-76). With just over a minute remaining, Kennon grabbed an offensive rebound off of a missed trey and laid the ball back in the basket. With Central Florida forced to foul, the Lady Jags sealed the come-from-behind victory at the charity stripe, connecting on five of their six opportunities.
Central Florida had looked as if it were going to end the Jaguar hopes of a comeback in the second overtime, as the Knights led 72-68 with 32 seconds remaining on the clock, but Cherizol trimmed the deficit to two with a bucket underneath the basket with 15 seconds remaining. USA then fouled Patrick, who missed both her opportunities, but was not blocked out after the second and grabbed her own rebound. After six more second had run off the clock, South Alabama then fouled Me. Keough, who hit one of her two opportunities at the stripe. With time running out, Sarda Peterson found Reynolds on the right wing. With defenders around her, Reynolds put up a three-pointer falling away and drained it with 0.7 seconds left on the clock and force the third overtime when UCF was unable to get off a shot.
USA also was unable to hold on to a late lead in the first extra session as the Lady Jags led 62-59 with two minutes to go after a pull up jumper from Reynolds. Central Florida then turned to Ashia Kelly who knocked down a jumper with 53 seconds remaining to trim the Lady Jag lead to 62-61. On South Alabama’s ensuing possession, El found Cherizol rolling to the basket for a layup, but the ball rimmed out and Kelly came down with the rebound. With 20 seconds showing on the clock, Kelly was fouled and hit the first free throw, but missed the second. USA had a chance to end it there, but El missed a layup with eight seconds left sending the game into the second overtime.
South Alabama struggled to find it’s shooting to begin the second half, connecting on just one field goal over the first seven minutes of the period. During that same stretch, the Knights were able to stretch their lead out to as many as 16 (45-29) with 14:10 remaining in the second stanza after a layup from Carter. On the inbounds play, Carter tossed the ball off the back of Peterson, collected it and laid the ball of the glass.
With UCF still holding a 47-31 lead with just over 13 minutes to go, Johnson drained a three from the left wing. Johnson’s trey proved to be the needed spark for the Lady Jags as over the next four minutes, USA went on a 15-2 run to get itself back into the game. Reynolds followed the Johnson bucket with and old-fashioned three-point play when she drove the lane for a layup and was fouled. Peterson – who had struggled from long-range – then knocked down a deep three-pointer at the 11:34 mark and on UCF’s next possession, Keirra Johnson stole the ball and passed it ahead to Peterson for a layup to trim the deficit to 47-42. The South Alabama run was later capped off when El found Reynolds open on the wing again for another trey, this one pulling USA to within two (51-49) with just over five minutes left in regulation.
With less than two minutes to go in the game, the Knights stretched their lead back out to 55-50 after a pair of free throws from Jones, but the Lady Jags wouldn’t be denied as Peterson found Reynolds open again for another three-pointer with 43.5 seconds showing on the clock to trim the deficit to two. After a time out, the Lady Jag defense was able to force a UCF turnover on a steal by Ammons. With 17 seconds remaining in regulation, El drove the left side of the lane and laid the ball off the glass to tie the contest up at 55-55. With plenty of time showing on the clock, Central Florida had an opportunity to try to end the game in regulation, but the Lady Jag defense stepped up again and didn’t allow the Knights to get off a game-winning shot.
South Alabama came out cold from the field to start the game. With the Lady Jags holding a 5-4 advantage a little over three minutes into the contest, Central Florida took advantage of USA’s offensive woes and erupted for a 13-0 run over a three minute stretch. Kayla Keogh began the run for the Knights with a jumper at the 16:36 mark. Patrick then intercepted a Jaguar pass and Carter raced down the court for a layup. Me. Keough later added a three-pointer and Aarika Judge knocked down two baskets, before Bryesha Blair’s layup capped off the run and put UCF up 17-5 with 13minutes 52 seconds left to go in the half. USA didn’t help its cause during the Knight run as missed six-straight shots, two free throws and turned the ball over once.
Ronneka Robertson ended the Knight run and gave the Lady Jags their first points in over three-and-a-half minutes with a pair of free throws a the 13:34 mark of the first period of play. Following the free throws from Robertson, USA began to crash the glass and after a couple of Jennifer Johnson put backs, South Alabama was able to trim the deficit to six (17-11) with 10 minutes, 18 minutes remaining in the half.
Led by the play of Carter, UCF answered right back with another big run, this one an 11-2 scoring spurt over the next three minutes. Carter – who led all scorers over the first 20 minutes of play with 12 points – ignited the run with three-straight buckets and Me. Keough capped it off with a trey from the top of the key at the 7:06 mark. The three-pointer was Keough’s second of the first half.
With less than five minutes remaining before the intermission, Reynolds attempted to provide a spark to the Lady Jag offense and started a run of seven unanswered points for USA when the junior guard drove the lane and muscled in a layup of her own. On South Alabama’s next possession, Reynolds split the Knight defense for another layup and she then found Breanna Hall open on the right wing for a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 30-21 at the 3:41 mark.
With less than a minute to go before halftime, Reynolds and Taylor Ammons trapped UCF’s Leo Montalvo, forcing a turnover. Ammons came up with the loose ball and passed it ahead to a streaking Reynolds for another layup to make it 34-25. However, USA had a defensive lapse on the Knight’s next possession and Aisha Patrick laid the ball off the glass to send UCF into the locker room with the 11-point lead.
Central Florida came out on fire offensively in the first stanza connecting on 16 of its 35 attempts from the floor for 45.7 percent, while South Alabama struggled and hit just 27 percent (10-of-37) percent of its attempts. USA was also cold from the arc, hitting just two if its 13 attempts from long range.
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: With the win, South Alabama improves to 2-1 in the all-time series versus Central Florida. USA trailed by 16 points with 14 minutes to go in the game. The Jaguars are now 19-19 overall in season openers and 7-5 under head coach Rick Pietri. USA is also 30-8 all-time in home openers and 11-1 under Pietri. The 31 points by Camille Reynolds was the most since Christian Shelter’s 30 points against Troy on Jan. 16, 2010. That point tally was also just one point shy of tying for most points scored by a Lady Jag at the Mitchell Center. The triple overtime game tied for the longest game in program history and marked the third time South Alabama has had to play three extra sessions. The last triple overtime game for the Lady Jags came back on Feb. 23, 2006 at Denver. The last triple overtime game played in the Mitchell Center came back on Jan. 6, 2002 versus New Mexico State. This is the first triple overtime game in a non-conference game for USA. Pietri is now 2-1 in triple overtime games at South Alabama. UCF’s Erika Jones’ 24 rebounds were a new Mitchell Center record. Central Florida’s 62 team rebounds were two shy of tying Tulsa for a new arena record.
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