Game 14 - at Louisiana-Monroe Game Notes (.pdf)

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women’s basketball team will begin the New Year on the road when the Lady Jags travel to take on Louisiana-Monroe on Thursday night in a Sun Belt match up.  Tip-off is set for 5:15 p.m. at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

Live stats and live web streaming for the game versus the Warhawks can be accessed at www.USAJaguars.com.  

South Alabama (8-5, 1-3 SBC) enters the New Year fresh off picking up its first conference win of the season with a 53-47 victory over Arkansas State last Saturday.  Trailing by four, USA used an 18-2 run over an 11 minute stretch in the second half to take the lead and hold on for the six-point win over the Red Wolves.  Mary Nixon led the Lady Jags with her 16 points.

Nixon currently paces the club and ranks ninth in the Sun Belt in scoring with 13.7 points per game.  The senior guard is knocking down 40.0 percent of her attempts from the field and her 38.7 three-point field goal percentage not only leads the team, but also ranks fifth in the league.

USA has done well from the outside this season as the Jags lead the SBC in treys per game with 6.8 and are connecting on 31 percent of their attempts from beyond the arc.  Meghan Dunn is shooting 35.5 percent from long range - seventh in the SBC - and averaging nearly two three-pointers per game (1.7 - tied for fourth in the league).  Fellow guards Camille Reynolds and Brittany Webb are also threats from deep, hitting 34.3 and 34.4 percent of their attempts from the three-point line.

While South Alabama has been one of the top shooting clubs from the outside, the Jaguars have also done an outstanding job defending the perimeter.  Coming in to the game versus ULM, USA not only leads the SBC but also the nation in three-point field goal defense, holding opponents to just 20.4 percent shooting from the arc.  South Alabama also ranks second in the conference in scoring defense (53.9 ppg), rebounding defense (37.0) and rebounding margin (+3.5).  USA is holding opponents to 38.2 percent shooting from the field, third-best in the league.

Junior forward Ronneka Robertson leads the Jags on the glass and is tied for fifth in the Sun Belt in rebounding with 7.6 per outing.   She is also fifth in defensive rebounds with 5.0 per game and tied for ninth in offensive rebounds with 2.6.  Robertson has posted six or more boards in 11 of her last 12 games.  Senior post player Veronica Cherizol is tied for 11th in the conference in rebounding.

Louisiana-Monroe (2-10, 0-3 SBC) comes into Thursday’s match up after falling to Florida Atlantic, 82-72, this past weekend.  With the loss to the Owls, ULM has now lost its last four and six of its last seven.  Five of those six losses have been by double figures and the lone win during the stretch was a 73-55 victory over Southern Miss back on Dec. 9.

Jasmine Shaw is the lone Warhawk in double figures with 10.2 points per outing.  The junior guard is also second on the team in rebounding with 5.3 boards.  Against FAU, Shaw led the club with 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting.  

Junior guard Alexar Tuglar ranks second with 9.7 ppg and her 13 three-pointers are the most of any Warhawk on the roster.  She is tied with her twin sister, Elexar, for the team lead in assists with 38.

“Louisiana-Monroe is very athletic on the perimeter.  They are very skilled in the post,” South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri said of the Lady Jags’ next opponent.  “Mona (Martin) has always done a very good job with the players that she has had.  They play hard and compete.  I’ve seen (games) on tape where they have been behind and just continued to fight in those particular games.  We know we’re in for a major tussle going into their building.  Right now, we have to find a way to win a true road game, because we haven’t won a true road game in quite some time.”

Ashleigh Simmons also sits just outside double figures with 9.2 ppg.  Simmons also leads ULM and ranks seventh in the Sun Belt in rebounding with 7.2 boards per game.  She has two of the club’s three double-doubles this season and is knocking down 41.7 percent of her shots.  Her 5.5 defensive rebounds per contest are third-most in the league.

Freshman forward Alayshia Hunter is the most efficient shooter for the Warhawks as she has knocked down 38 of her 69 attempts for 55.1 percent, which leads the conference.  The 6-1 post player also leads the team in blocks with 11.   

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 Louisiana-Monroe will be the 15th in the all-time series.  South Alabama holds a 9-5 advantage in the all-time series, including a 4-2 advantage in games played in Monroe.  Under Pietri, USA is 7-4 in the series and 3-2 in games played in Monroe. Last season, the Warhawks picked up a 55-52 victory in Monroe. The meeting between Pietri and Louisiana-Monroe head coach Mona Martin will be the 12th between the two coaches.  Pietri holds a 7-4 advantage in those previous meetings.  All 11 of the previous meetings have come at both coaches’ present schools.  South Alabama currently leads the nation in three-point field-goal defense, holding opponents to just a .204 percentage from beyond the arc.  USA has held opponents to two or fewer treys in nine of their 13 games.  

-- USA --