Box Score - South Alabama 86, Spring Hill 52 (.pdf)   

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MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women’s basketball team placed four players in double-figures as the Lady Jags snapped a two-game skid and picked up an 86-52 victory over Spring Hill Tuesday evening at the Mitchell Center.  

"The most important thing preliminarily when you're playing a basketball game is to win,” South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri said.  “It's clear that we have more pieces and more talent than they do, so we had to make sure we executed what we were supposed to execute on both sides of the ball.  For the most part we did that.  There were some things that I was disappointed in, and I'll work that out with the team.  For the most part we executed what we set out to do.  I'm pleased we were able to get this win, and now we'll prepare for a very good Sam Houston State team."

USA (6-3) will now host Sam Houston State on Saturday with tip-off versus the Bearkats scheduled for 7:05 p.m.  The game didn’t count against Spring Hill’s record as it was an exhibition game for the Badgers.

Mansa El led the way for USA with 15 points and five assists.  She was 5-of-10 from the field and did most of her damage from the outside, connecting on four of her six attempts from the three-point line.  

Ronneka Robertson registered her first career-double-double versus the Badgers with 13 points and a career-high 11 rebounds – eight of which coming at the defensive end of the floor.  The Kentwood, La., native was 4-for-5 from the field and 5-of-6 at the charity stripe.  

Veronica Cherizol and Camille Reynolds also registered double digits for USA with 10 points apiece.  The point tallies were season-best for both Lady Jag seniors.  Cherizol was 5-of-6 from the floor and had five rebounds in 22 minutes of action.  Reynolds had her best offensive showing of the season, hitting four of her eight attempts, including a pair of treys – her first multi-three-pointer game of the season.

Spring Hill was led by Sha Sha Buchanan’s nine points off the bench.  Buchanan was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field in the contest.  April Bradford and Armanee Broussard had seven points each.

The Jaguars did an excellent job moving the ball around as they posted a season-best 21 assists on their 34 made baskets.  The 21 assists were also the most by a South Alabama club since registering 21 against Spring Hill back on Dec. 7, 2011.

USA was able to force 22 Badger turnovers in the game, turning them into 23 points.  

South Alabama came out and grabbed the lead for good on its first possession as Camille Reynolds drained a trey from the right side of the arc.  Following the Reynolds’ three-pointer, the Lady Jags rattled off an 18-6 advantage over the first five-and-a-half minutes of the contest.  Reynolds and Cherizol led the early Jaguar run as each posted six points.  

USA attempted to set the tone from the outside in the first half as nine of its first 14 shot attempts were from beyond the arc.  The Lady Jags would continue the long-range attack during the first 20 minutes of play as they knocked down eight of their 18 attempts from the arc for 44.4 percent.  El had there of South Alabama’s treys in the period, while Reynolds and Webb had two each.

April Bradford briefly ended the USA run with a jumper at the 13:10 mark, but less than a minute later, Webb ignited a 14-4 spurt for the Lady Jags that saw South Alabama extend its lead out to 20.  Webb had eight points and knocked down a pair of treys during the scoring spurt for South Alabama.  Taylor Jenkins gave the Jaguars the 32-12 advantage with a bucket with just over nine minutes remaining in the first half.  

South Alabama eventually stretched its lead out to as much as 24 (48-24) in the first stanza, before heading into the locker room with a 48-26 advantage.

El led all scorers with nine points, while Cherizol and Webb had eight points apiece.  USA was 18-of-40 from the field for 45 percent.  The Jags also held a 30-20 advantage on the glass in the half.  

Holding the big lead at the intermission, South Alabama put the game away as it opened the second half with a 14-5 spurt.  After a couple of free throws, Reynolds drove the lane and got her jumper to drop.  She then added another basket at the 16:16 mark and Robertson deflected a Badger pass, allowing Nixon to pick up the loose ball and drive for a layup.  El capped off the run with her fourth three-pointer of the night with 13 minutes, 15 seconds to go, extending USA’s lead to 30 (61-31).

From there, the Lady Jags would go on to lead by as many as 43, before taking the 86-52 victory.

South Alabama again shot the ball over 40 percent in the second half, connecting on 16 of its 33 attempts for 48.5 percent.  

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 over Spring Hill, USA is now 27-3 all-time in the series and have won 14 straight.  South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri also improved to 5-0 versus the Badgers.  The Jaguars are also now 39-5 all-time versus members from the Southern States Athletic Conference.  The 86 points versus SHC eclipsed the previous season-best of 83 set back in the season-opener at Houston Baptist.  Junior forward Ronneka Robertson recorded her first career double-double with a career-high in both points (13) and rebounds (11).  Robertson has posted six or more rebounds in seven of her nine games this season.  The 21 assists were the most for the Jaguars since recording 21 last season versus the Badgers.  The 10 three-pointers marked the third time this season that USA has finished with 10 or more three-pointers in a game.  The 10 points were season-highs for both Veronica Cherizol and Camille Reynolds.  The 52 points were the most by the Badgers in the season since scoring 54 in the 1998-99 meeting.

-- USA --