2011 Sun Belt Conference Women's Tournament Bracket

2011 Sun Belt Conference Tournament Central

Louisiana-Lafayette Game Notes - First Round of the 2011 Sun Belt Conference Championship

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – For the third time in its last four tournament appearances, the University of South Alabama women’s basketball team will face a familiar foe when the Lady Jags take on the fifth seed from the West Division, Louisiana-Lafayette in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference Championships.

“The postseason is truly a season of its own,” South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri said.  “It is a short one and can be super short if you let it.  Obviously, our chore is to try and make it as long as we can.  The benefit of the postseason is what has happened in the past is truly in the past.  Everything about it is looking ahead and hopefully our players will have the focus to look immediately forward at this point.  Louisiana-Lafayette is a tremendously athletic team with a great interior player in Mercedes Johnson.  They also have a number of other high-caliber, quality athletes.  There is no question that they are capable, especially in a one-game setting like this, that they are capable of being successful.  We will have to find a way to be competitive and play as hungry as we know they will.”  

Tip-off versus the Ragin’ Cajuns is set for 2:30 p.m. on the Convention Center Court at Summit Arena.  Live stats and audio/video can be accessed at either www.usajaguars.com or at www.sunbeltsports.org.  Additionally, radio stations KZHS (AM590-FM105.5) and KLEZ (93.5) of Hot Springs and Central Arkansas will be the official home for all games of the Sun Belt Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships.

Reserved seating tournament booklets can be purchased for $128.00.  The booklet includes all 24 games and a $1 seat use fee per person.  Individual single session tickets can also be purchased for $15.00.  Children ages 3-17 will be admitted for $1.00 and admission for children 2 & under is free. 

South Alabama comes into the Sun Belt tournament after finishing the year with a 16-12 overall record and an 8-8 mark in the league.  USA holds a 6-3 record in first round match ups at the conference tourney and along with Middle Tennessee, is the only other program in the SBC to have won each of its first round games over the last five seasons.

As she has for most of the season, senior forward Christian Shelter - a third-team all-SBC selection - continues to pace the club offensively as her 12.1 points per game also rank her 15th in the league in scoring.  The Mobile native leads the team with 56 made three-pointers, while her 35.4 percent shooting from the arc is third-best on the team.  She is also pulling down 5.6 boards.

Sarda Peterson is also averaging double digits for USA.  The junior is second on the team with 10.7 ppg and has hit 51 treys of her own.  She is shooting 35.9 percent from long range.  Fellow junior and Arkansas native Lauren Walker ranks third in the SBC in that same category, connecting on 43.2 percent of her attempts.

Senior point guard Siedah Banks has been a steady floor general for the Jags this season.  The Little Rock, Ark., native is dishing out 4.4 assists per outing and in the latest NCAA rankings, is seventh nationally in assist/turnover ratio (2.41).  She has 336 assists for her career - seventh on USA’s all-time charts.  Over the past eight games, Banks has become more of a scorer for South Alabama as she has finished in double figures in six of those games, including a 13-point effort versus the Florida Atlantic on Sunday.

As a team, the Lady Jags are allowing just 57.4 ppg to their opponents - second in the SBC - while also holding them to 37.4 percent shooting from the field and 24.4 percent shooting from the three-point line.  USA ranks among the top three in the conference in all three categories, while their three-point defense is leads the NCAAs in the most recent rankings.

Louisiana-Lafayette (11-18, 4-12 SBC) began the conference season picking up two wins in their first three league games, but went just 2-11 to close out the season.

The Ragin’ Cajuns also ended the regular season in an offensive slump as they didn’t record more than 55 points in any of their four final games of the regular season.  ULL’s opponents also outscored them by an average of 25 points in those games.

ULL is led by second-team all-conference performer Mercedes Johnson.  Johnson is tied for sixth in the league in scoring with 14.3 points per game, while she is also pulling down 6.3 boards.  The Houston, Texas native is also connecting on 44.3 percent of her shots from the floor.

Senior guard Jasmine Barnes is also averaging double figures this season with 10.1 ppg.  Barnes ranks sixth in the Sun Belt in shooting at 52.9 percent.  As a team, Louisiana-Lafayette is hitting 40.2 percent of its attempts from the field - fifth in the league.  Barnes also ranks among the league leaders in scoring, coming in at 27th.

Louisiana-Lafayette is averaging 63.3 ppg and is shooting just 27.5 percent from the three-point line.  ULL is also allowing its opponents to shoot over 40 percent from the field (41.3) and 32.4 percent from beyond the arc.

The Ragin’ Cajuns also have four players with 28 steals or more, led by Lyndra Bell’s 36.  Johnson and Danyell Oliver are right behind Bell with 35 apiece.

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: South Alabama is 6-3 all-time in first round Sun Belt Conference tournament games.  Saturday’s game against Louisiana-Lafayette will be the 41st in the all-time series.  South Alabama holds a huge advantage in the all-time series, leading the Ragin’ Cajuns 30-10.  Under Pietri, the Jags have been just as dominant, holding a 16-3 mark and have won six-straight in the series, including an 82-66 decision in Mobile earlier this season on Jan. 30.  The two clubs have faced each other in the Sun Belt Tournament in three of the last four years. USA has won both of the previous SBC tournament meetings.  The meeting between Pietri and Louisiana-Lafayette head coach Errol Rogers will be the seventh between the two coaches.  Pietri holds a 6-0 advantage in those meetings and all have come at their respective schools.