Box Score - Indiana State 74, South Alabama 53 (.pdf)
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MOBILE, Ala. – Indiana State recorded 46 points in the paint Wednesday night at the Sycamores handed the University of South Alabama women's basketball team a 74-53 loss at the Mitchell Center.

"First of all, I thought we came out and got out to a good start to the first media timeout," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said.  "Indiana State is the defending Missouri Valley regular-season champions. They play a physical style of game. We knew what they were going to do. They just took the ball inside to (Racheal) Mahan. They had 46 points in the paint and that's where the game was won. They made shots that we didn't, and they were getting them all in the paint. That made the game easy for them and loosened up some of their kids to make shots who haven't made shots all year. I take my hat off to them. We have to be better. We have to be tougher and able to withstand the physicality. This was new for our young players. We told them that they were going to see something that they haven't seen. I think their eyes were opened up tonight."

ISU (4-1) outscored South Alabama 46-24 in the paint and shot 54.4 percent from the field as the Sycamores connected on 31 of their 57 shot attempts.  Of its 31 made field goals, 23 came inside the paint.

The Jaguars (2-2) will now break for the Thanksgiving holiday, but return to action on Tuesday, Dec. 2 when they host Spring Hill at 5 p.m. at the Mitchell Center.

Breanna Hall led all scorers with her second-straight 20-point outing.  Hall finished the contest with 23 points on 7-of-17 shooting.  She had all three of USA's three pointers and was 6-for-8 at the foul line.  

Juliann Miller and Marquita Daniels also added eight points apiece for the Jags.  

As a team, South Alabama ended the game 18-for-54 from the field for 33.3 percent.  USA struggled from long range, connecting on just three of its 22 attempts for 13.6 percent.  

The Sycamores were led by Racheal Mahan's 20 points and nine rebounds.  Mahan was 9-of-12 from the field.  Jasmine Grier also chipped in with 13 points.  

As a team, Indiana State held a huge advantage on the glass, out rebounding the Jags 47-23.  

Indiana State came out attacking the post area and recorded 28 of its 40 first-half points in the paint.

With South Alabama holding an early 8-7 advantage after a bucket by Potts a little over four minutes into the game, Natasha Zurek ignited a 13-0 Sycamore run to help the visitors take a 12-point lead.  Zurek got things going with five-straight points and Rhagen Smith capped off the run with a lay up to put ISU up 22-10 with 11 minutes, 28 seconds remaining in the period.  Five of the Sycamores six made baskets during the run came inside the paint.

Hall briefly stopped the Sycamore scoring with two of her 12 first-half points on a bucket at the 12:19 mark of the first period of play, but USA's offensive struggles would continue as it would go scoreless again over the next seven-and-a-half minutes.
During that time, the Jaguars would connect on just one of their 14 shot attempts and turn the ball over eight times.  South Alabama had 10 turnovers during the first 20 minutes of action.

Due to the offensive woes, USA was unable to take advantage of a five-plus minute scoreless drought by the Sycamores.

With ISU still leading by 20 (34-14) with under four to play, Hall drained back-to-back three's – both coming from the right corner to give South Alabama a spark and trim the deficit to 16.  USA had missed its first nine long-range attempts prior to the treys by Hall.

Indiana State though would hold USA scoreless over the final three minutes of the first half and close out the period with six unanswered points – all inside the paint – to head into the locker room with a 40-20 advantage.  Grier gave the Sycamores the 20-point lead at the intermission with a jumper inside the lane in the closing seconds.

ISU was on fire during the first stanza, knocking down 18 of its 30 shot attempts for 60.0 percent.  South Alabama was just 8-of-26 from the field for 30.8 percent.  Mahan had 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting to lead the Sycamores.

Both teams came out of the locker room a bit sluggish over the first 10 minutes of the second half.  Miller tried to provide a spark for the Jags, recording seven of her eight points at one stretch to narrow the deficit to 49-32 with under 10 to play, but ISU kept attack the post and the Sycamore lead was back out to 22 (55-33) two minutes later following a free throw by Mahan.  

Led by Daniels and Hall, South Alabama made one last charge to get back in the game and cut the deficit to 57-43 with less than six minutes remaining.  Daniels and Hall each had five points during that stretch and Daniels sank a pair of free throws at the 5:49 mark to trim ISU's lead to 14.

However, that would be as close as the Jaguars would get the rest of the way as Indiana State reeled off seven points over the next minute to extend its lead back out.  

From there, the Sycamores went on to pick up the 21-point victory.

NOTES: South Alabama falls to 0-4 in the all-time series versus Indiana State with the loss.  ISU is also now 2-0 in the series in Mobile.  The meeting was the first between the two clubs in Mobile since the 1993-94 season.  USA is now 2-6 versus current Missouri Valley Conference members.  With her 23 points, Breanna Hall has now recorded back-to-back 20-point outing for the first time in her career.  Indiana State's  54.4 percent field-goal percentage marked the first time an opponent has shot over 50 percent versus South Alabama since Arkansas State (1/8/14).

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).

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