Game 24 - vs. Arkansas State Game Notes (.pdf)

MOBILE, Ala. – Coming off its first-ever win at Western Kentucky over the weekend, the University of South Alabama women’s basketball team returns home to welcome Sun Belt West Division rival Arkansas State to the Mitchell Center this week.

Tip-off between the Lady Jags and the Red Wolves is set for 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday.  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 enters the midweek contest versus the Red Wolves fresh off the program’s first-ever win over Western Kentucky on the Lady Toppers’ home floor.  With the win, the Lady Jags won their third straight, improving to 14-9 and 7-4 in the Sun Belt.  USA trailed WKU by eight at the intermission but attacked the basket in the second half and rallied to pick up the 56-52 victory.

Sarda Peterson led the way for the Lady Jags in the win as she registered a game-high 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting.  With USA holding a one-point lead with under a minute to play, Peterson knocked down a huge three-pointer and then sank a pair of free throws to seal the victory.  

For the week, Peterson averaged 16 points per game in a pair of Jaguar wins, while also shooting 50 percent from the floor.  The Ft. Myers, Fla., native ranks second on the club and 19th in the conference in scoring with 10.5 ppg.  Her 33.3 three-point field-goal percentage - eighth in the SBC - is also tied with Camille Reynolds for tops on the club.  She is averaging 2.3 treys per outing - third in the league - and sits just 10 three-pointers away from tying former Jag Stephanie Richardson’s career mark of 175 treys.  

Peterson has played well as of late as she has recorded double figures in each of her last three outings and seven of her last 10.  On Monday, she was selected as the SBC’s Player of the Week for the second time this season.

Redshirt junior Mansa El leads the club offensively with 11.7 ppg - tied for 13th in the SBC.  Like Peterson, El is also a threat from long range as she is averaging 1.7 treys per game and shooting 32.8 percent from the arc.  

Senior forward Taylor Ammons continues to be a force on the glass - leading the team and ranking second in the league in rebounds with 8.4 per game.  In conference play, Ammons leads the Sun Belt with 9.5 rpg.

The Lady Jags continue to lead the SBC in scoring defense, allowing just 54.8 ppg.  Over the last seven games, just one opponent has scored more than 57 points on South Alabama’s defense - Middle Tennessee (60).

Arkansas State (9-14, 3-7 SBC) comes into action this week after not having played since Feb. 1, a 76-61 victory over Louisiana-Monroe in Jonesboro.  The game versus the Lady Jags will be the first of two-straight road games for the Red Wolves.  ASU is 1-9 - 1-7 on the road and 0-2 on a neutral court - away from home this season and 0-4 in conference play.

"With Arkansas State, we'll face an extremely well-coached team with two all-conference caliber type players (Morrill and Hurst) in their starting lineup," South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri said.  "While their record doesn't reflect it, they have some very talented kids who can make plays on both ends of the floor and they always have a great plan.  We are going to have to be wired in really tight and play with a high-level of concentration and focus to have a chance to win."

Sophomore Jane Morrill was one of four players to finish in double digits for ASU with 21 points.  With that outing, Morill has now scored double figures in 21 of ASU’s 23 games this season.  Morrill is averaging a team-best 16.9 points (fourth in the SBC) and 5.7 rebounds (18th) in the SBC, shooting .490 from the field (fifth), .872 from the free-throw line (first) and .323 from behind the three-point line.

Redshirt senior NeNe Hurst-McLennan also had a solid outing versus the Warhawks with 17 points, eight rebounds, six assists and five steals.  With one more block, Hurst-McLennan - a preseason first-team all-Sun Belt Conference selection - will become the only player in ASU history to reach 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 250 assists, 200 steals, 100 three pointers and 50 blocks.  Hurst-McLennan ranks second in scoring for the Red Wolves with 11.4 ppg.  She is also averaging 5.5 rebounds per outing.  

Juniors Ashley Olvera (9.4 ppg) and Quinishia McDowell (8.4 ppg) are two more offensive threats for ASU.  Olvera - a junior college transfer from Pensacola State College - leads Arkansas State in both assists (78) and steals (40).  

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 Arkansas State will mark the 36th meeting between the two programs in the all-time series.  Arkansas State holds a huge advantage in the series, leading the Lady Jags 28-7.  Under head coach Rick Pietri, South Alabama narrowed the gap, but still trail, 9-6. With the exception of last year’s meeting three of the last four meetings have been decided by one point.  Excluding a 28-point victory by ASU during the 2004-05 season and last year’s game, the point differential in the series between the two clubs in the other 13 meetings is 27 points - ASU wins decided by an average of 8.0 ppg, while USA’s last six wins in the series have been decided by 4.8 ppg.  Last season, ASU won 68-53 in Jonesboro.  In the last 16 meetings between the two teams, only six games have been decided by more than nine points.  The meeting between Pietri and Arkansas State head coach Bryan Boyer will be the 16th between the two coaches.  Boyer holds a 9-6 advantage in those meetings.

-- USA --