Game 15 - Middle Tennessee Game Notes (.pdf)

MOBILE, Ala. – Coming off a 10-point road victory over Louisiana-Monroe, the University of South Alabama women’s basketball team returns home to host defending Sun Belt Conference regular season champion Middle Tennessee.  Tip-off versus the Blue Raiders is set for 5:05 p.m. at the Mitchell Center on Saturday.

“In our conference, Middle Tennessee has clearly had a tremendous amount of success,” South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri said.  “They ran the table last year with a 16-0 record and they return all five starters from that team.  They are an incredibly talented bunch that’s very well coached, so you know that you are in for an up-hill battle when you tip off.  You just have to bring all that you have to bear to the situation and give yourself a chance to win it at the end.”

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

South Alabama (9-5, 2-3 SBC) returns home after picking up its second-straight win, defeating Louisiana-Monroe 55-45 on the road Thursday night.  USA trailed by four with eight minutes to go, but led by the freshmen duo of Brianna Wright and Diamonisha Sophus, the Jags rallied back on the strength of a 13-2 run.  

Wright and Sophus combined for 10 of the 13 points during the run and Camille Reynolds capped things off with a three-pointer from the left corner.

USA has now held its last three opponents - UALR, Arkansas State and ULM - to 49 points or less.  It is the first time since the 2009-10 season and just the second in the program’s history that USA has achieved this defensive mark.  It is also the first time the Lady Jags have ever done it versus Sun Belt competition.

Mary Nixon continues to pace the Jaguars in scoring with 13.0 points per game, which ranks 13th in the Sun Belt.  The senior guard is knocking down 40.2 percent of her attempts from the field and 36.4 of her three-point field goals - sixth in the league.

South Alabama has done well from the outside this season as the Jags lead the SBC in treys per game with 6.6 and are connecting on 30.4 percent of their attempts from beyond the arc.  Meghan Dunn is shooting 33.8 percent from long range - eighth in the SBC - and averaging nearly two three-pointers per game (1.6 - tied for fifth in the league).  Brittany Webb (36.4) and Camille Reynolds (33.3) are also threats from deep.

While South Alabama has been one of the top shooting clubs from the outside, the Jaguars have also been solid defending the perimeter.  Coming in to the game versus the Blue Raiders, USA not only leads the SBC but also the nation in three-point field goal defense, holding opponents to just 20.8 percent shooting from the arc.  South Alabama also leads the conference in scoring defense (53.3) and ranks second in field-goal defense (38.2), rebounding defense (36.2) and rebounding margin (+4.2).  

Junior forward Ronneka Robertson leads the Jags on the glass and is tied for fifth in the Sun Belt in rebounding with 7.3 per outing.  Despite pulling down a season-low three rebounds against ULM, Robertson has posted six or more boards in 11 of her last 13 games.  Senior post player Veronica Cherizol is tied for 11th in the conference in rebounding with 6.5.

Middle Tennessee (8-5, 3-1 SBC) enters Saturday’s contest also winners of two straight - a pair of two-point victories over North Texas and Arkansas State.  

Kortni Jones’ layup with 6.1 seconds remaining gave the Blue Raiders a 72-70 road win and tying head coach Rick Insell as the program’s all-time wins leader (182).  Jones had 20 points in the win for MTSU.  The senior guard ranks second on the team and eighth in the conference in scoring (14.0), while her 4.5 assists are tied for tops in the league.  She ranks second in treys per game with 2.2.

Ebony Rowe - the Sun Belt’s second-leading scorer - is averaging a double-double so far this season with 20.4 ppg and 10.5 rpg, which also ranks second in the conference.  Rowe is also fourth in the SBC in shooting, knocking down 52.7 percent of her attempts.  She has eight double-doubles this season and is coming off a 27 point effort versus the Red Wolves.

Icelyn Elie - a 6-1 senior forward - also ranks among the Sun Belt leaders in a few different categories.  She is ninth in scoring (13.8), 11th in rebounding (6.5), 14th in field-goal percentage (.481) and 10th in blocks (1.0) and three-point shooting (.325).

Rowe, Elie and Jones were each first-team all-SBC selections in the preseason.

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 Middle Tennessee will be the 24th meeting between the two programs in the all-time series.  The Blue Raiders hold a commanding 19-4 advantage in the series and have won 17-straight.  Under head coach Rick Pietri, USA is 2-18 in the series and 1-8 in Mobile.  USA’s last win in the series came back during the 2002-03 season when the Lady Jags defeated the Blue Raiders 72-58 in Mobile.  The meeting between Pietri and Middle Tennessee head coach Rick Insell will be the 16th between the two coaches.  Insell has won all 15 of the previous meetings.  Insell is also looking to become the Blue Raiders all-time career leader in wins on Saturday.  USA not only leads the Sun Belt, but is tied with College of Charleston for the NCAA lead in three-point field goal defense (.208).  

-- USA --