Box Score - Ole Miss 72, South Alabama 56 (.pdf)

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MOBILE, Ala. – Ole Miss forward Tia Faleru sparked a 16-4 run early in the second half and posted her seventh double-double of the season as the Rebels picked up a 72-56 victory over the University of South Alabama women's basketball team Monday evening at the Mitchell Center.

With the win, Ole Miss won its seventh-straight and improved to 8-4 on the season.  Faleru ended the night with 24 points and 13 rebounds, both game highs.  She was also 8-of-17 from the field and 8-of-11 at the charity stripe, and recorded 18 of her points during the final 20 minutes of action.  

Valencia McFarland was 5-of-13 from the floor with four free throws and ended the night with 14 points and four assists for the Rebels, while Kiara Moore (5-for-11) chipped in with 11 points of her own.

Colby Davis paced South Alabama (2-7) with a career-best 17 points on 5-of-12 shooting.  The game was Davis' third double-figure outing in her last four games.  The freshman guard also hit six of her seven free-throw attempts in 33 minutes of action.  

Meghan Dunn added 11 points, while Brittany Webb tied a career-high with her second-straight 10-point game.  Ronneka Robertson chipped in with eight points of her own and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead USA in that category.  

As a team, South Alabama struggled at the offensive end of the floor as well, hitting just 19 of its 66 shot attempts for 28.8 percent, marking the first time since the season opener that USA has shot below 30 percent.  The Jaguars shot 26.7 percent in that contest.  

"I'm really proud of our young ladies and the effort they gave tonight," Fowler said.  "I thought we had a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm, and I thought we fought hard.  On the offensive end for us, we got open looks on threes and they didn't go.  We had some that just rattled around the rim.  They did everything but go through the net, and we've got to have three or four of those to fall to give ourselves a chance.  But overall, I was pleased with the effort and seeing the progress and the steps that we're making."

USA will now travel to take on Atlantic Coast Conference foe Wake Forest on Friday, Dec. 20.  Tip-off versus the Demon Deacons is set for 6 p.m. (CT).

The Rebels connected on 27 of their 64 shot attempts for 42.2 percent and registered 38 of their 72 points in the paint.  UM held a 53-39 advantage on the glass and pulled down 20 offensive rebounds, and turned them into 21 points.   

"There were a couple of keys," Fowler said.  "I thought the transition baskets we gave up in the first half and then the offensive rebounds Ole Miss got.  They got their average of offensive rebounds; they average 19 and they got 20.  With second chance points, they got 21, and I think that was the key to the ballgame."

Both clubs came out struggling to find their rhythm in the early going as they combined to connect on just seven of their first 33 attempts from the floor during the first eight-plus minutes of the contest.  

Trailing by three (14-11) USA tied the contest up with just under nine minutes remaining in the opening period of play on a three by Brittany Webb from the right wing.  On their next trip down the floor, the Jaguars worked it inside out for another trey, this one coming from Sharon Sanders from the left wing to give USA a 17-16 advantage with at the 8:12 mark.

The Rebels quickly regained the momentum as they ran off 10-straight points to jump out to a 26-17 lead with four minutes left on the clock.  McFarland and Moore each recorded a pair of baskets during the UM run.  Kenyotta Jenkins capped off the scoring and put Ole Miss up by nine when she intercepted a Jaguar pass and went the length of the floor for a layup.  Four of the Rebel's five baskets during the run were right under the goal.

Davis ended a four-plus minute offensive drought for the Jaguars at the 3:41 mark when the freshman drove the left side of the lane for a layup.  Davis led all scorers in the first half with 12 points.  

South Alabama kept battling back and narrowed the deficit to 28-24 with two minutes to play in the first half on Webb's second three-pointer of game, but second-chance points for the Rebels helped Ole Miss stretch its lead back out to eight (32-24) after offensive put backs by McFarland McCray.

Davis did manage to send USA into the locker room trailing by just six (32-26) with her fourth field-goal of the night.  

After trading baskets coming out of the locker room, Dunn provided an offensive spark for the Jaguars as she led USA on a 10-2 run during a two minute stretch.  Dunn had eight of South Alabama's points during the scoring spurt and bookended the run with a pair of treys.    Her second gave USA a 38-36 lead with 16 minutes, 35 seconds remaining in the game.  

However, the lead would be short-lived as Faleru came down on Ole Miss' ensuing possession and completed a conventional three-point play, putting the Rebels back out in front 39-38.  Feeding off the momentum of the Faleru play, Ole Miss rattled off a pivotal 16-4 run over the next five minutes and extended its lead out to double figures (52-42).  Amber Singletary gave UM the 10-point advantage with a layup at the 11:32 mark.  

After beginning the half by hitting its first four shots, South Alabama didn't help itself during the Rebel run as it hit just three of its next 12 attempts.  

Following the run by Ole Miss, the Jaguars were only able to get as close as nine before eventually falling by 16.  

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:  With the loss, South Alabama falls to 2-4 in the all-time series versus the Rebels.  USA is also now 20-88 versus current Southeastern Conference members.  Breanna Hall was not with the team on Monday as she was back home after a death in her family.  Former Jaguar volleyball player Olivia Mohler, who joined the team on Friday (Dec. 13) saw her first time on the floor in the final minutes.  She pulled down her first collegiate rebound in her first action in a USA uniform.  South Alabama also recorded a season-low 11 turnovers.  Since turning the ball over 20-plus times in the first four games, South Alabama has not had more than 18 in any of the last five outings.  The 28.8 field-goal percentage was the second-lowest this season for the Jaguars.  The 53 rebounds given up to Ole Miss were also the most by a Jag opponent, eclipsing the previous high of 42 set by Colorado and Indiana State.  The 17 points for Colby Davis were a new career-best for the freshman.  Davis has now had double-figures in three of her last four outings.  Brittany Webb also tied a career-high with her second-straight 10-point game.  USA will close out the non-conference portion of it schedule on Friday (Dec. 20) with a road game at Atlantic Coast Conference member Wake Forest.  

—USA—