Game 24 - Florida Atlantic Game Notes (.pdf)

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women’s basketball team and Florida Atlantic are scheduled to square off Saturday evening in a Sun Belt Network television tilt at the Mitchell Center.  Tip-off versus the Owls is set for 5:05 p.m.

Live stats and live streaming of the contest between the Lady Jags and the Trojans can be accessed at www.USAJaguars.com.  The game between the two clubs can also be seen at ESPN3.com.

South Alabama (13-10, 6-8 SBC) enters Saturday’s televised match up after snapping a three-game skid on Wednesday with an impressive 74-58 victory over in-state rival Troy at home.  The Jags jumped out to a 9-0 lead and never looked back.

USA held the Trojans - which entered the contest ranked 16th in the nation in scoring - to its third-lowest point tally of the season.  The Lady Jags shot 51.8 percent from the field in the win - its best shooting performance since its season-opener at Houston Baptist.  The 74 points were also the most for the club since it recording 86 against Spring Hill back on Dec. 4

Brianna Wright was one of four players to finish in double figures versus Troy and led South Alabama with 16 points - her fifth double-figure scoring game in her last seven.  Over the last seven games, Wright has paced the squad at the offensive end, averaging 12.7 points per outing and pulling down 5.7 rebounds, while shooting over 50 percent.  The 6-1 freshman currently ranks fifth in the league in shooting at 51.6 percent.  She is averaging 8.1 ppg this season.

Senior guard Mary Nixon - who leads the Jags and is tied for 15th in the Sun Belt in scoring with 11.3 ppg - has also played well lately.  Over the last four games, the Pensacola, Fla., native has had four double-digit efforts.  She is shooting 41.4 percent from the floor and her 38.0 three-point percentage is fourth in the SBC.

Entering the game versus FAU, junior forward Ronneka Robertson leads the club on the glass as her 7.1 rebounds per game are seventh-most in the SBC.  She is also tied for sixth in defensive rebounds with 4.7 per game and tied for 10th in offensive rebounds with 2.4.  She has posted six or more boards in 17 games.

South Alabama continues to rank among the conference leaders in several categories.  USA leads the SBC in three-pointers per game (6.2), while also ranking second in scoring defense (54.7) and field-goal defense (.391).  USA is third three-point field-goal defense (26.2) and rebounding defense (35.7).  The Jags are 23rd in the latest NCAA rankings at guarding the arc.  

Florida Atlantic (10-12, 7-7 SBC) came out of the gate as one of the hottest teams in the league, beginning SBC action with five-straight wins, but as of late, the Owls have dropped seven of their last nine conference games, including their fifth-straight on Wednesday versus Florida International (65-55).  

Coming into play this weekend, Florida Atlantic ranks third in scoring offense with 70.5 points per game.  FAU leads the SBC in both steals (11.7) and turnover margin (+5.9).  The Owls rank 27th and 11th, respectively, nationally in those same categories.  FAU is shooting 39.4 percent from the field this season and 30.2 percent from the arc and rank just behind USA in treys per game with 6.0.

Florida Atlantic has used a balanced offensive attack this season as three players are averaging double figures and two more sit just outside of that mark.  

“FAU is very talented on the offensive end with a variety of weapons.” South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri said.  “Chenise Miller is their interior presence and she’s excellent down there finishing at a very high rate around the goal.  On the perimeter from Takia Brooks, to Latavia Dempsey, to Kim Smith, to Breana Turner, the list just goes on and on of people who can hurt you from the perimeter.  They have a number of weapons and it makes it very challenging to cover.  You have so many things to cover with them.  The flip side is you have to score.  FAU is very aggressive and puts a lot of pressure on you.  You’ve got to be able to manage that and hopefully manage it well enough to give yourself some good looks on the offensive end.   This game will definitely be a challenge for us.”

Redshirt junior Chenise Miller paces FAU both on offense and on the boards.  She is 10th in the SBC in scoring (13.3) and sixth in rebounding (7.2), while hitting 46.5 percent of her shot attempts.  Miller also leads the conference in blocks, averaging 2.0 per game.

Senior guard Breana Turner - who recently moved into the Owl starting lineup - is 14th in the SBC with 12.2 ppg, while Takia Brooks is 19th with 10.9 ppg.  Kimberly Smith is averaging 9.5 ppg, but in conference play, she has raised that average to nearly 11.  In the first meeting this season against the Jags, she had a game-high 19.  Smith leads the team with 36 three-pointers.

While the Owls do lead the Sun Belt in both steals (11.7) and turnover margin (+5.9), opponents have shot the ball well against them, connecting on 44.4 percent of their shots inside the arc and 34 percent of their attempts from the outside.

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 Florida Atlantic will mark the 16th meeting between the two programs in the all-time series.  South Alabama holds a 9-6 advantage in the series and is 8-5 under head coach Rick Pietri versus the Owls.  The two teams have met in Mobile on seven occasions, with USA holding a 6-1 advantage in those meetings.  Florida Atlantic picked up the first meeting between the two clubs this season with a 67-56 win in Boca Raton. The meeting between Pietri and Florida Atlantic head coach Kellie Lewis-Jay will be the second between the two coaches.  The Jaguars have been on either national or regional television 23 times in their 38-year history.  USA’s all-time record on the tube is now 8-15.  

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