Game 29 - Troy Game Notes (.pdf)

MOBILE, Ala. – Coming off a huge road victory earlier this week, the University of South Alabama women’s basketball team will look to continue to build momentum as it heads into this year’s conference tournament when the Lady Jags travel to in-state and division rival Troy this weekend. Tip-off between the two clubs is set for 5:15 p.m. at the new Trojan Arena.  

USA will be the final Sun Belt team to see Troy’s new facility that was completed just before the start of the basketball season.  The Trojans will honor their three seniors prior to tip off.

Live stats and live streaming of the contest between the Lady Jags and Trojans can be accessed at www.USAJaguars.com.

South Alabama (16-12, 9-10 SBC) comes into action this weekend winners of four of its last six.  The Lady Jags picked up their second-straight win with a 65-59 upset of Western Kentucky Wednesday night in Bowling Green.

Trailing by three with under a minute to go, USA scored nine points in the final 50 seconds to capture the six-point victory.  The Jaguars - who entered the game struggling at the foul line - went six-for-six in the final seconds and finished a perfect 14-for-14 at the stripe for the game, marking the first time the club hadn’t missed a free throw in a game since hitting all 18 of their attempts against Belmont during the early part of the 2003-04 season.

Over the last two games, South Alabama has scored 65 points in each outing and shot 39.0 percent from the field. Heading into the final game of the regular season and next week’s tournament, South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri hopes the club can carry over its play of late at the offensive end.

“We’ve got to find a way to continue to defend the way we’ve been defending and put another offensive game together, because in our last two, we’ve executed and done some good things on the offensive end,” Pietri said.  “At this stage of the season, we need to try to establish some consistency on the offensive end.”

The Jaguars will earn the seventh seed in this year’s SBC tournament with a win and a Florida Atlantic loss to Florida International.  With either a USA loss or a FAU win, the Lady Jags will take the eighth seed.

The three key contributors in the victory over the Lady Toppers were Mary Nixon, Brianna Wright and Mansa El.

Nixon - who leads USA and is tied for 16th in the Sun Belt in scoring with 11.7 points per game - paced the club with 17 points.  The Pensacola, Fla., native was 5-of-11 from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 at the line.  The senior guard is shooting 42.1 percent from the field and 37.3 from long range - which ranks fourth in the league.  Nixon has also raised her free-throw percentage to 70.3.  With her double-digit effort, she has now recorded double digits in eight of her last nine games.

Wright - who was also 6-of-6 at the charity stripe and had 16 points versus the Lady Toppers - leads the team and ranks fourth in the SBC with a 49.8 field-goal percentage.  The freshman is averaging 8.5 ppg and 5.4 rpg - third on the team in both categories - and has recorded double figures in eight of her last 12 outings.

After WKU had reclaimed the lead, El kept the Lady Jags in the game with three huge second-half three-pointers.  Her last one was the biggest though as it tied the game back up at 59-59 and began the pivotal run for USA.  El sits just outside of double figures with 9.5 points per game.  She leads the club with 79 assists.

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 (55.2) and tied with Arkansas State for third in field-goal defense (.391) and third in rebounding defense (35.9).

Troy (6-22, 3-16 SBC) enters their final home game of the season after falling 85-63 to Middle Tennessee on Thursday.  The loss for the Trojans was their third-straight and fourth in their last five games.  MTSU shot 43 percent for the game and hit 17 of its 42 three-point attempts versus the Trojans.  

Like South Alabama, the Trojans are also looking to lock up their spot in the conference tourney.  Troy is currently the 10th seed, and will keep that place with a win or a Louisiana-Lafayette loss.  

Despite its record, Troy has shown that it is capable of being a dangerous team, having defeated the Blue Raiders in Murfreesboro in overtime.  The loss is just one of three in conference play for MTSU.

“Troy has shown this season that they are capable of playing at a very high level,” Rick Pietri said of Saturday’s opponent.  “When you are capable of beating a team as good as Middle Tennessee as they have done, that shows what they are capable of doing.”

The Trojans are led at the offensive end by Joanna Harden, who ranks sixth in the Sun Belt in scoring with 15.3 points per game, but she has been even better in league play, raising her average to 18.2 ppg.  She has scored in double figures in 14 straight games and at least 20 in four of her last six games.  

Freshman guard Ashley Beverly-Kelley is second on the club and 14th in the league with 12.0 ppg.  Britney McCloud is averaging 9.2 points, while Sarah McAppion is averaging 8.9 points per game and leads the team with 5.7 rebounds.  McAppion is also one of the top shooters in the conference as her 53.3 field-goal percentage is second-best.

Offensively, Troy has been one of the top scoring teams not only in the conference but the nation this season as they currently lead the SBC and ranks 31st in the NCAA with 71.1 ppg.  Whereas Troy has been outstanding at the offensive end of the floor, the Trojans have struggled defending the basket.  Out of 343 Division I teams, Troy ranks 343rd in scoring defense, surrendering 79.0 ppg.  Opponents are also shooting 42.5 percent from the field versus the Trojans.

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 Troy will be the 37th in the all-time series.  South Alabama leads the all-time series 19-17 and has taken 15 of the last 18 meetings.  USA head coach Rick Pietri is 14-2 against the Trojans during his time at USA. South Alabama is 5-12 all-time in meetings in Troy, but 5-2 under Pietri. The Lady Jags took the first meeting this season, a 74-58 win in Mobile. The Jaguars will earn the seventh seed in this year’s SBC tournament with a win and a Florida Atlantic loss to Florida International.  With either a USA loss or a FAU win, the Lady Jags will take the eighth seed.  Troy is currently the 10th seed, and will keep that place with a win or a Louisiana-Lafayette loss.  Troy currently leads the SBC and ranks 31st in the NCAA with 71.1 ppg, but out of 343 Division I teams, the Trojans rank 343rd in scoring defense, surrendering 79.0 ppg.

-- USA --