Box Score - South Alabama 83, Houston Baptist 53 (.pdf)

HOUSTON, Texas – The University of South Alabama women’s basketball team jumped out to a 23-point first-half lead and shot 51.2 percent in the period as the Lady Jags registered an 83-53 victory over Houston Baptist in its season opener Friday evening at Sharp Gym.

“In the first half, we were really good on the offensive side of the ball,” South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri said.  “We shot the ball well, only turned the ball over four times and scored 52 points.  I don’t know that I have ever coached a team that committed as many fouls in the first half as we did and gave up as many free throws in the first half.  In the second half, I thought we were solid and sound defensively.  We just couldn’t take care of the ball.  It was a tale of two halves.  We were really good at one thing in each half.  It’s a win and we have to learn from it and get better because we play a better opponent Monday night in Tennessee State.”

USA (1-0) will now return home to host Tennessee State on Monday.  Tip off versus TSU is set for 7:05 p.m. at the Mitchell Center.  Live stats and video of the contest of the Lady Jags versus the Lady Tigers can be accessed at www.USAJaguars.com.

The Jaguars finished were solid offensively throughout the contest, hitting 33 of their 63 attempts from the floor for 52.4 percent.  All but one South Alabama player got into the scoring column in the win, led by Mary Nixon’s career-high 22 points.  The Pensacola, Fla., native was 9-of-14 from the floor and 2-for-3 both at the three-point stripe and foul line.  Mansa El also ended the game in double figures with 15 points of her own.  

Veronica Cherizol, Brianna Wright and Jennifer Johnson also chipped in with eight points apiece.  Johnson and Wright were both 4-for-5 from the floor.  Wright also tied Nixon for top honors on the glass, finishing with seven rebounds.

Like the West Florida game, the Lady Jag bench was solid, outscoring Houston Baptist’s reserves, 34-16.  USA also held a 44-24 advantage in the points in the paint and a 25-9 margin in points off turnover category.

The Huskies (0-1) were led by Shanice Steenholdt, who posted a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, led all players with five steals.  Erin McGarrachan added 11 points of her own, but the duo was plagued with foul trouble throughout the game.

The South Alabama defense limited HBU to just 32 percent shooting (16-of-50) and forced 23 turnovers.  The Huskies were also just 1-for-12 from beyond the three-point line for 8.3 percent.

After missing its first three shots of the contest, the Lady Jag offense began to roll as they knocked down 10 of their next 11 shots and jumped out to a 26-14 lead with a little over 11 minutes remaining in the opening half.  The senior duo of Nixon and El led the Jaguar scoring spurt as they combined for 15 of USA’s points.  El ignited the run with a three-pointer and a jumper.  Nixon then added 10 points, the last three coming on an and-one finish, putting USA out in front 26-14 at the 11:12 mark.

A little over a minute later, Monet Neal hit one of two at the charity stripe to narrow HBU’s deficit to nine (26-17), but on the Lady Jags’ ensuing possession Camille Reynolds found Brittany Webb open on the wing for a trey. Webb’s long range shot sparked a 13-1 run over the next two-and-a-half minutes.  El later capped off the USA run and extended the lead out to 21 (37-18) with a trey of her own – one of her three in the game.

South Alabama eventually led by as much as 25 following a put back from Nixon, before heading into the locker room with a 52-28 advantage.

Hot shooting and defense propelled the Lady Jags in the first 20 minutes of play as they knocked down 20 of their 39 attempts from the floor for 51.3 percent shooting, including six treys.  USA also held the Huskies to 25 percent shooting (5-for-20) in the opening half, while forcing 12 HBU turnovers.  Houston Baptist didn’t record a field goal over the final 12 minutes of the half as their last 17 points came at the foul line.  The one negative for South Alabama in the period was in fouls as it was whistled for 16 fouls.

Nixon and El paced the Jaguars during the first 20 minutes of action, finishing the half with 16 and 12 points, respectively.  HBU’s post duo of Steenholdt and McGarrachan were held in check, combining for just seven first-half points.

Behind McGarrachan – who had eight of her 11 points in the second half – HBU got as close as 19 in the second half on a couple of occasions, the last coming with 10 minutes, 28 seconds remaining on a jumper by McGarrachan to trim the deficit to 61-42.  

That would be as close as the Huskies would get though as USA put the game away with a run of nine unanswered points over the next two-and-a-half minutes.  Meghan Dunn capped off the run and stretched the lead out to 70-42 when Sharon Sanders found the junior guard open for a trey in transition.

After turning the ball over just four times in the first period, USA got a little sloppy and committed 13 turnovers in the final period, but still managed to lead by as much as 33 before capturing the victory.

Despite the miscues, South Alabama was just as good shooting in the second half, knocking down 54.2 percent (13-of-24) of its attempts.

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 improves to 2-0 in the all-time series versus Houston Baptist and is now 12-4 against opponents from the Great West Athletic Conference.  USA is also now 20-19 in season openers and 8-5 in those games under head coach Rick Pietri.  The Lady Jags are 10-29 all-time in road openers and 5-8 under Pietri.  The 22 points were a new career-best for senior guard Mary Nixon.  South Alabama has now scored 80 points or more in four of its last five season openers.  USA last scored 83 points in a season opener in its 83-30 win over Nicholls State to begin the 2008-09 season.

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