Box Score - Central Florida 55, South Alabama 54 (.pdf)
ORLANDO, Fla. – The University of South Alabama women’s basketball team led by 18-points with under eight minutes to play, but went cold and surrendered a 22-3 run down the stretch, falling 55-54 to Central Florida Wednesday night at the UCF Arena.
“Central Florida just decided in the last eight minutes that they were just going to take (the game) away from us and they did,” South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri said. “At the eight minute media time out, I think our team thought the game was over and just didn’t bring the right energy for the rest of the game. We could never find it after that. We were playing without our best play-maker tonight and we needed a play-maker at the end of the game. We didn’t have anybody on our team that could create an opportunity for themselves in this environment. We had a couple plays late that could have made the difference and we just didn’t do it. If we make those plays, the whole outcome is different. Moving forward, we’ve got to find a way when a team is ignited like (UCF) was and find a way to combat that whether we are short-handed or not.”
South Alabama (7-4) played without three players on Wednesday as Mary Nixon – the club’s leading scorer – and Jennifer Johnson missed the game due to injury. Nixon was scratched just before warm ups, while Johnson will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a knee injury last week during practice. Diamonisha Sophus was suspended for a violation of the athletic department policy.
USA will now return home to face UALR on Saturday. Tip-off versus the Trojans is set for noon at the Mitchell Center.
Meghan Dunn was one of two Lady Jags to finish in double figures with 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting. Camille Reynolds also carded double digits with 14 points on 4-of-10 shooting. Both Dunn and Reynolds also led USA from beyond the arc with three three-pointers apiece. Veronica Cherizol chipped in with nine points and seven rebounds in the loss.
UCF (4-7) was paced at the offensive end by Brihanna Jackson’s 17 points. Gevenia Careter (14) and Erika Jones (12) also finished the evening in double figures for the Knights. Jones also chipped in with nine rebounds.
For the game, South Alabama was 20-for-47 from the field for 42.6 percent, but committed 25 turnovers – the third 20-plus turnover game of the season for the Lady Jags. Of those 25 turnovers, seven came in the final seven minutes of action. UCF took advantage of those miscues and held a 27-8 advantage in the points off turnover category.
Led by the play of Jackson and Carter, Central Florida recorded 18 steals. Carter led the way with five steals, while Jackson had four.
USA hit six of its 12 attempts from beyond the arc in the first half, but struggled with the long-range shot in the second, connecting on just two of its 11 attempts.
The Knights shot just 30.1 percent from the floor in the game, connecting on 22 of their 73 attempts from the floor. Central Florida was also just 1-of-15 from the three-point line, but compensated for those misses by hitting 10 of its 13 attempts at the charity stripe for 76.9 percent. UCF also held a 38-22 advantage in the points in the paint category.
Both clubs struggled to score the first three minutes of action, but with UCF holding a 2-0 lead, South Alabama reeled off eight-straight-points to take its first lead of the night. Four different Lady Jags contributed during the early run for USA and Dunn capped off the scoring with a bucket at the 15:30 mark. With USA playing without its leading scorer – Mary Nixon – Meghan Dunn picked up the offensive attack for the Jaguars as she recorded 11 of the club’s first 21 points. Dunn gave South Alabama its largest lead of the opening period with her third trey with eight minutes, 39 seconds remaining in the half.
With the 10-point deficit, the Knights turned to their defense to rally back. Over the next six minutes, USA went scoreless and Central Florida took advantage, reeling off 10 unanswered points. Jones began the run with a basket in the paint and Kayli Keough capped off the run with a layup at the 6:07 mark, tying the contest back up at 21-21.
While USA shot well in the first 20 minutes of action, hitting 10 of its 20 shots, the Knights were able to 13 turnovers and convert them into 14 points.
The Lady Jags led 29-27 following a three-pointer – one of her two in the period – but with under a minute to go in the half, Jones grabbed an offensive rebound and put the shot back up to tie the contest back up at 29-29. Jones led all scorers with 12 points in the first period of play and was 6-of-6 from the field. The Knights pulled down 14 offensive rebounds in the period and held a 24-18 advantage overall on the glass.
Central Florida also did most of its damage inside, scoring 20 of its 29 points in the paint.
South Alabama began the second half much like it did the first. After Central Florida recorded the first points of the frame a little over a minute into the period, USA reeled off a 10-0 run over a five minute stretch. Reynolds ignited the scoring spurt for the Lady Jags when the senior drained a trey from the left corner and hit a foul shot after being fouled on the play at the 18:34 mark. Dunn later capped off the run and put the Jaguars out in front, 39-31, with a layup at the 13:45 mark.
Carter answered with a bucket of her own on the Knight’s next possession, but USA went on another big run, erupting for 12 more unanswered points. Webb knocked down her second trey of the evening with 12 minutes, 11 seconds showing on the clock to ignite the scoring. Brianna Wright later gave South Alabama its largest lead of the contest at 51-33 with a basket in the paint.
UCF had several chances to end the Jaguar run, but could not connect as the Knights missed 10-staight shots during the scoring spurt. During the first 12 minutes of the final period of play, Central Florida was just 2-of-22 from the field.
USA looked to be in complete control coming out of the under eight media time out, but Central Florida turned up the defensive pressure. With less than seven to play, Carter found Jackson on a back-door layup. Keouogh then picked up another Jaguar turnover and sprinted down the floor for a transition bucket. On USA’s ensuing possession, Jackson recorded another UCF steal and raced towards the basket for another fast-break bucket, quickly trimming the deficit to 12 (51-39) in less than a minute.
Cherizol knocked down a jumper in the lane at the 4:41 mark to put South Alabama back up by 14, but that would be the final field goal for the Jaguars for the rest of the game.
Jackson ignited the final run of the night for Central Florida with a jumper in the lane with four minutes, 31 second to go. Jackson’s basket began a spurt of six-straight points. After Cherizol hit one of two free-throw attempts two minutes later, the duo of Jackson and Carter came through again, combining to score nine of the Knight’s final 10 points.
With under a minute to go, Jackson pulled UCF to within one (54-53) when the freshman hit a pair of foul shots. On South Alabama’s ensuing possession, Carter stole the ball at the top of the key and raced down the floor before being fouled with nine seconds remaining. Carter then hit both of her opportunities to put the host up one with 5.3 to play.
Out of time outs, Webb went the length of the floor and got off a shot from the left baseline at the buzzer, but it was off the mark, giving Central Florida the 55-54 victory.
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 Central Florida’s win, the series between USA and UCF is now tied 2-2. This is the first loss in the series for the Lady Jags since the 1991-92 season when the Knights took the first-ever meeting (89-82). USA is now 0-2 in the series in Orlando. The Lady Jags are now 45-52 versus Conference USA foes, while South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri holds a 13-8 all-time mark versus the league. Mary Nixon and Jennifer Johnson both missed the Jaguars’ game versus Central Florida due to injury, while Diamonisha Sophus did not play due to suspension. With her seven rebounds, junior forward Ronneka Robertson has now posted six or more rebounds in nine of her last 10 games, including each of the last six. With her 12 points, senior guard Camille Reynolds has now registered double-figures in each of her last three games. The 25 turnovers were the third 20-turnover game for the Lady Jags this season. The 18-point rally is the largest deficit an opponent has overcome this season to defeat the Jaguars. The 18 steals by UCF were a season-high for a South Alabama opponent, besting the previous high of 12 set by Tennessee State earlier this season.
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