North Texas Game Notes (.pdf)

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women’s basketball team begin its final road trip of the regular season on Thursday evening when the Jaguar take on Sun Belt West Division foe North Texas.

“We are competing against a gifted scoring team.  One with many players who were on the squad that beat us last year in their building,” South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri said of the Mean Green.  “You are talking about a team with Dentra Kellum who’s putting up first-team all-conference type numbers.  They also have Jasmine Godbolt, who was a preseason second-team all-conference selection, and that’s not all that they have.  We are not only going to be facing a gifted opponent in North Texas, but we are facing another opponent for us, which has been the road in general.  So, we’ve a lot to overcome and we will just have to see if we can overcome the challenges in front of us.”

The Lady Jags are looking to break two road streaks versus UNT.  USA has lost its last four road contests and has not eclipsed the 50-point mark in any of those games. 

Tip-off versus the Mean Green is set for 5:05 p.m. at the Super Pit.  Live stats and video can be accessed at www.usajaguars.com. 

South Alabama comes into the contest after a week off.  In their last game, the Lady Jags improved to 14-10 overall and 6-6 in the Sun Belt with a 72-62 victory over Troy on Feb. 9.  Versus the Trojans, USA trailed at the half and by as many as 10 in the second period, but used a 20-2 run to come back.  Head coach Rick Pietri also became the program’s career wins leader picking up his 183rd victory.

USA continues to rank as one of the top defensive clubs in the Sun Belt, leading the league in three-point field goal defense (second in the NCAA), while also ranking second in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense.  The Jags are allowing just 57.0 points per game to their opponents and holding the opposition to just 36.9 percent shooting from the field and 23.7 percent from beyond the arc.

The Lady Jags also rank as one of the top three-point shooting clubs in the conference, connecting on 34.6 percent of their attempts - second in the SBC.  USA tops the league in treys per game with 7.3 per outing.

Christian Shelter (12.0 ppg) and Sarda Peterson (11.0 ppg) pace the club offensively.  Shelter’s 49 three-pointers top the team, while Peterson is close behind her with 41.  Junior guard Lauren Walker leads the SBC and the team in three-point shooting, hitting 45.6 percent of her attempts.  Shelter (38.6) and Peterson (35.2) also rank in the top 10 of the league in that category.

Senior point guard Siedah Banks has been solid at directing the offensive attack.  Banks currently ranks ninth nationally in assist/turnover ratio.  The Little Rock, Ark., native is averaging 4.7 assists per game and has scored in double figures in three of her last four games.

North Texas enters action this week after not having played a game in two weeks.  UNT - who is 5-19 on the year and 2-9 in the Sun Belt - had been scheduled to take on West Division leader UALR (Feb.10), but that game was postponed due to weather.  The Mean Green’s last game was on Feb. 3 - a 64-58 loss to Florida Atlantic at home.

UNT boast the second-highest scoring offense in the SBC (67.0 ppg), but it is also allowing the most points (74.3 ppg).

The Mean Green is led offensively by the duo of senior guard Dentra Kellum and sophomore forward Jasmine Godbolt.  Kellum ranks fourth in the conference in scoring with 16.3 points per game, while Godbolt is 11th in the league with 13.5 ppg.  Kellum is shooting 41.5 percent from the field and ranks second on the club in steals with 32.  Godbolt is tied for third with Western Kentucky’s Arnika Brown in rebounding (8.5) and is ninth in the league in shooting (45.6).

As a team, North Texas leads the Sun Belt in rebounding, pulling down 42.8 boards per game.  The Mean Green is 4-4 at the Super Pit this season and 1-3 in league home games.

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: Thursday’s game against North Texas will be the 19th in the all-time series.  UNT holds a 13-5 advantage in the series, including 8-1 mark in Denton against the Jags.  Under Pietri, the Mean Green is 12-5 against USA and 7-1 at the Super Pit.  South Alabama’s lone win in Denton came back during the 2003-04 season, a 61-50 victory.  Last season, USA entered the contest versus UNT undefeated in SBC action, but the Mean Green ended the streak and captured a 78-68 win. The meeting between Pietri and North Texas head coach Shanice Stephens will be just the second between the two coaches.  Each holds a victory over the other and both meetings have come at the two coach’s current schools.