Box Score - Houston Baptist 54, South Alabama 51 (.pdf)

Post Game Quotes

Photo Gallery

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women's basketball team attempted to mount a late second-half rally Monday night at the Mitchell Center, but the Jaguars' three-point attempt in the closing seconds bounced off the back of the iron, giving Houston Baptist a 54-51 victory.

"I thought our team showed some improvement tonight," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said.  "We came out and got off to a good start and continued to battle on throughout the second half and the middle. Somewhere between the 8:00 media and the 4:00 media we turned the ball over three or four times and it lead to easy baskets. It's one thing to turn the basketball over, but it's another thing to turn it over and lead to easy transition baskets. If we can get our defense down and go against them that will be a lot different, but we can't turn it over in the top half and them go down court and score. We put ourselves in a position to tie the game up. We had a wide open three at the end and we just have to keep fighting. That's the biggest thing. I'm disappointed in the loss, but I'm not discouraged because I thought we improved from the Nicholls game to tonight."

USA (0-4) will now head west to compete at the 27th Annual Omni Hotels Classic hosted by Colorado (Nov. 29-30).  The Jaguars will open up play with the host Buffaloes, who are ranked 14th in the nation in the latest Associated Press Top 25 Poll.  Tip-off is set for Friday at 8:30 p.m. (CT).

The winless start after the first four games of the season is the first for the Jaguars since beginning the 1998-99 season, which began 0-5.

Meghan Dunn led South Alabama with 13 points, all coming in the second half.  Dunn was 5-of-13 from the field.  Junior forward Ronneka Robertson just missed a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds.  Sophomore post player Taylor Jenkins pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds and posted three blocks.

Houston Baptist evened its record to 3-3 with the win.  Shaniece Steenholdt led all players with 18 points.  Steenholdt recorded just two points in the first have after being saddled with two early fouls.  She was 6-of-12 in the second period of play and posted 16 points.  The Husky post player also had three steals and two blocks in the game.

Erin McGarrachan chipped in with 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting.  Both her and Steenholdt had seven rebounds apiece.  Monet Neal nearly recorded a double-double, finishing with nine points and nine rebounds.  

As a team, Houston Baptist knocked down 22 of its 55 shot attempts for 40.0 percent, while USA was 20-for-54 from the floor for 37 percent.

South Alabama used the long ball early on has it connected on its first three attempts.  Rachel Cumbo had two of the three treys for USA and put the Jaguars up 9-6 when the sophomore connected from the right wing with just under 16 minutes to play in the first half.

HBU answered back with a 7-0 run over the next four minutes and took a four-point lead (13-9) after an and-one from McGarrachan.  South Alabama didn't help itself during the Husky run as it missed five shots and turned the ball over twice.

Colby Davis ended the five-minute drought for USA when the freshman connected the Jags' fourth three of the half with 10 minutes, 42 seconds showing on the clock.  Webb then dropped in a pair of free throws a minute later to put the home team back on top, 14-13.

Over the next two minutes though, McGarrachan – who had 11 first-half points – sparked an 8-2 run for the Huskies with a pair of baskets.  Houston Baptist later took its largest lead of the frame at 21-16 on a jumper from Heidi Shivola at the 6:44 mark.  

However, that would be the final field goal of the first half for HBU as the Jaguar defense stiffened.  The Huskies would close out the opening period of play by missing its final 10 shots and turning the ball over two times.

South Alabama took advantage of the opportunity and clawed its way back, eventually retaking the lead at 22-21 with just over five minutes left on the clock.  

Jefferson sunk a pair of free throws on HBU's next possession, but Webb drove the lane for a layup to put USA back out in front and Jennifer Johnson hit jumper just before the intermission to send South Alabama into the locker room with the 26-23 halftime lead.  

Like she did to open the game, Breanna Hall drained a three-pointer on USA's first possession of the second half, but Steenholdt, how had been limited to two points during the first 20 minutes of action, came alive for the visitors as she sparked an 18-7 run over a nearly six-minute stretch.  The 6-0 junior forward ignited the run with an offensive put back at the 18:50 mark and then on USA's next possession, Steenholdt intercepted a Jaguar pass and raced the length of the floor for an uncontested layup.  Steenholdt later capped off the run and extended Houston Baptist's lead to 41-36 with a pair of free throws with 13 minutes remaining in the contest.  Steenholdt was responsible for 13 of the Huskies' 18 points during the scoring spurt.

Turnovers and cold shooting slowed South Alabama's rally efforts for much of the remainder of the half, but with under a minute to play, the Jaguars began to battle back.  Dunn scored six points in the final minute of action and pulled USA to within two at 53-51 on a layup with 11 seconds remaining.

Forced to foul, USA sent Jefferson to the line where she hit one of her two attempts.  The Jags had one final shot in the closing seconds, but Brittany Webb's three-point attempt bounced off the back of the rim.  USA came down with the rebound, but was unable to get off another shot before the final horn sounded.  

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

NOTES:  The loss to Houston Baptist is the first in the all-time series for the Jaguars.  The 0-4 start the season is the first for South Alabama since beginning 0-5 back during the 1998-99 campaign.  Taylor Jenkins recorded career-best in both rebounds (10) and blocks (3) versus Houston Baptist.  USA has now recorded 20 or more turnovers in all four of its games this season.  

—USA—