Game 28 - at Florida International Game Notes (.pdf)
MIAMI – The University of South Alabama women’s basketball team will look to lock in its seeding in next month’s conference tournament as the Lady Jags close out the regular season against Florida International at US Century Bank Arena.With a win, the Lady Jags can finish no worse than the third seed from the East Division. USA can move into the second seed with a win and a FAU loss.
Tip-off between the Lady Jags and the Panthers is set for 4:30 p.m. (CT) on Saturday. Live stats and web streaming for the contest can be accessed at www.usajaguars.com. Fans can also follow the action on twitter at www.twitter.com/#!/USAJaguarSports.
South Alabama comes into the final game of the regular season tied with the Panthers for third place in the Sun Belt’s East Division with a 16-11 overall mark and a 9-6 record in the league.
USA dropped into the third spot after falling in the closing seconds at Florida Atlantic (41-40) on Wednesday evening. Against the Owls, South Alabama struggled to find its offensive touch as the Jaguars shot 29 percent in both halves. USA had four different opportunities to capture the victory in the final seconds, but it could not get the needed shot to fall.
Junior guard Mary Nixon led all scorers as the Pensacola, Fla., native tied a career high with 17 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Nixon had recorded just 10 points in her three previous outings before the game at FAU. She is averaging 7.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game - second on the club.
Mansa El continues to lead the club offensively with 11.9 ppg - 12th in the Sun Belt. She has registered double digits in 17 games for USA this season and is shooting 31.8 percent from the arc.
The Lady Jags’ top long-range threat is senior guard Sarda Peterson (10.3 ppg). The Ft. Myers, Fla., native ranks second in the SBC in three-pointers (61 - 2.3 per game). She is connecting on 32.3 percent of her attempts and coming into Saturday’s game versus FIU, she is one trey shy of tying Stephanie Richardson’s career mark of 175.
Taylor Ammons paces the club on the glass with 8.6 boards per game. The senior forward has been solid on the glass in conference play as she is averaging 9.5 rpg and has pulled down eight or more in 10 of her 15 SBC outings.
Defensively, the Lady Jags have been solid. In the most recent NCAA rankings, USA ranks 18th nationally in scoring defense (52.9 ppg) and 54th in field-goal percentage defense (.362). South Alabama leads the league in both categories.
Florida International (19-9, 9-6 SBC) comes into the game as winners of four of its last five, including a 74-52 victory over Troy on Thursday. The Panthers have been extremely tough at home as they have registered 12 wins and are 5-2 against Sun Belt competition. Over its last 11 games, FIU has won eight, while its three losses during that stretch have come by a combined eight points.
“FIU is really good,” South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri said of Saturday’s opponent. “They have finished exceptionally strong here in the second half of the season. You have (Jerica) Coley who arguably will be the player of the year in our league. You also have (Finda) Mansare and (Fanni) Hutlassa who will definitely be all-conference players in the post. They also have some solid wing-perimeter players who shoot a high percentage and they defend well. They are very tough to beat at home. Clearly, we are functioning uphill right here and we’re just going to have to bring the best physical and mental effort we can to ensure the possibility of success.”
FIU leads the SBC in field goal percentage, free-throw shooting, rebounding defense and blocked shots, while also ranking second in scoring offense and scoring margin. The Panthers’ 44.0 field-goal percentage also ranks 18th in the NCAA.
Offensively, Florida International is led by Sun Belt Player of the Year candidate Jerica Coley. The sophomore leads the league in scoring (24.0 ppg), blocks (2.0) and minutes played (39.4). She also ranks among the Sun Belt leaders in rebounds (tied for ninth - 7.0), field-goal percentage (10th -.447), assists (fourth - 4.1), free-throw shooting (second - .838), three-pointers per game (tied - sixth - 1.4) . Nationally, Coley is third in scoring, while ranking among the NCAA leaders in rebounds, assists, blocks, field-goal percentage, free-throw percentage and assist/turnover ratio.
Redshirt senior guard Fanni Hutlassa (13.1) and junior forward Finda Mansare (11.4) are also averaging double digits for the Panthers and rank 10th and 15th, respectively in scoring in the league. Hutlassa is coming off a career-high 26 points versus Troy.
Mansare is hitting 48.1 percent of her field-goal attempts - sixth in the SBC - and Hutlassa is shooting 47.6 percent - seventh in the SBC.
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: The meeting between South Alabama and Florida International will be the 26th in the all-time series. FIU holds a 14-11 advantage in the series, but USA has won seven of the last 11 meetings. South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri is 10-9 against the Panthers during his tenure with the program and 5-3 in games played in Miami. FIU took the first meeting this season, 50-48 in Mobile. The meeting between Pietri and Florida International head coach Cindy Russo will be the 20th between the two coaches. Pietri holds a 10-9 advantage in those meetings. All 19 of the previous meetings have come at both coaches’ current schools. With a win, the Lady Jags can finish no worse than the third seed from the East Division. USA can move into the second seed with a win and a FAU loss. The Lady Jags and the Panthers rank first and second, respectively, in the Sun Belt in scoring defense coming in to the regular-season finale. USA is allowing 52.9 ppg, while FIU is surrendering 55.5 ppg. South Alabama also ranks 18th nationally in that category. Senior guard Sarda Peterson sits just one three-pointer shy of tying Stephanie Richardson’s career mark of 175.
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