Box Score - Ole Miss 88, South Alabama 48 (.pdf)

OXFORD, Miss. – The University of South Alabama women's basketball team only trailed by eight at the intermission Sunday afternoon versus Ole Miss, but the Rebels used a strong second-half performance at both ends of the floor to pull away and pick up an 88-48 victory over the Jaguars at the C.M. Tad Smith Coliseum.

"I was disappointed in the way we played in the second half," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said.  "I thought we came out in the first half and did all the things that we had talked about doing.  We were right there within two or three possessions.  Ole Miss picked up its intensity in the second half.  Their big bodies and athleticism just wore us out and we couldn't match their intensity.  We couldn't get to the loose balls in the second half that we were able to in the first."

Ole Miss shot 60.0 percent from the field in the second period of play, connecting on 18 of its 30 shot attempts, while forcing USA into 16 turnovers and holding the Jaguars to 17.4 percent shooting.  South Alabama was just 4-for-23 from the field in the final period.  The Rebels also recorded 11 of their 20 steals in the period.  

The Rebels (7-3) entered the contest leading the SEC and ranked seventh in the NCAA with 14.6 steals per game.  The 20-steal performance marks the second time this season that Ole Miss has eclipsed the 20-steal mark.  UM also had 23 versus Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 16.

Tia Faleru led the Rebels in that category with five steals, while three other players had three steals of their own.  

Ole Miss placed five players in double digits led by Bretta Hart and Erika Sisk's 14 points apiece.  Faleru had 12 points, while Danielle McCray and Shequila Joseph chipped in with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

The five players in double figures by Ole Miss marked the first time an opponent has done so since Louisiana-Monroe (2/26/14) last season.

For the game, the Rebels shot 53.2 percent from the floor, connecting on 33 of their 62 shot attempts.  USA was just 13 for 44 for 29.5 percent and ended the night with a season-high 31 turnovers.  Ole Miss capitalized on the Jaguar miscues, scoring 42 of its 88 points off turnovers.  

The Jags (3-4) will now head to Cookeville, Tenn., to take on Tennessee Tech on Tuesday night.  Tip-off versus the Golden Eagles is set for 6 p.m. at the Eblen Center.

South Alabama was paced offensively by Breanna Hall and Marquita Daniels who finished with 11 and 10 points, respectively.  The Jag duo was held to just two points in the second half, both points coming from Hall.  Daniels – making her first collegiate start – paced USA with a career-high four steals.  

The host Rebels held an early 5-2 lead two-and-a-half minutes into the contest, but South Alabama answered right back with a 10-0 run over the next four minutes to take its first lead of the contest.  Daniels and Hall led the scoring for the Jaguars as the duo combined for seven points.  Simonne Potts capped off the scoring and gave USA a 12-5 lead with a layup at the 13:43 mark of the opening half.  Webb found the Jag forward underneath for the easy basket to give the visitors the seven-point advantage.

Following a basket by Sisk on UM's next possession, Hart then checked into the game for the Rebels and began to lead Ole Miss back as she scored eight-straight points to ignite a 21-6 run for over the next five-plus minutes.

During the Rebel run, South Alabama would commit six of its 15 first-half turnovers.  Sisk – who entered the game leading the SEC in steals – was responsible for three of the Jag miscues.

The Jaguars did a good job of attacking the basket during the first 20 minutes of play, getting to the line 20 times and knocking down 15 of those opportunities.  Hall was 7-of-8 at the stripe, while Daniels was 4-for-6.  Daniels led USA with 10 first-half points, while Hall chipped in with nine.

The Rebels eventually went on to lead by as much as 13 (38-25) following a layup by Hart with just under four minutes to go before the half.  Hart led all scorers during the first period of play with 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting.  

South Alabama made a late charge, trimming the Ole Miss lead to seven following a three-pointer from the left corner and a jumper in the lane by Taylor Jenkins at the 1:16 mark, but over the next minute, the Rebels would turn up the defensive pressure and force a pair of Jag turnovers to extend its lead back out to 10.

Colby Davis connected on a pair of free-throw in the closing seconds to send the two clubs into the locker room with Ole Miss leading 42-34.

Led by the shooting of Hart, Ole Miss was 15-for-32 in the first half for 46.9 percent.  USA was 9-of-21 from the field for 42.9 percent, but committed 15 first-half turnovers.  

Cold shooting to start the second half and more turnovers would prove costly.  South Alabama missed its first nine shot attempts to open the final period and committed eight turnovers during the first eight-and-a-half minutes of the period.

The Rebels took advantage of the offensive slump and outscored the Jaguars 26-4 during that stretch to break the contest open.  Faleru – who scored just three points and played just seven minutes in the opening half – led Ole Miss with eight points during the run.  Gracie Frizzell capped off the scoring and gave the Rebels the 68-38 advantage with her second three of the afternoon with just over 12 minutes showing on the clock.

From there, Ole Miss would hold control en route to the 40-point victory.

NOTES: The meeting between South Alabama and Ole Miss was the seventh in the all-time series between the two programs.  The Rebels hold a 5-2 lead in the series and have won the last three meetings.  The game was just the second meeting between the two clubs in Oxford, Miss.  South Alabama holds a 20-89 all-time record versus current Southeastern Conference members.  The Jaguars hold a 3-43 record on a SEC member's home floor.  The last time South Alabama picked up a win over an SEC opponent on its home court was back during the 1990-91 season when the Jags defeated Missouri, 56-55 at the Mid-American Classic.  USA has lost 17-straight road games to SEC opponents.  USA has also now lost eight-straight games away from the Mitchell Center and 16 of the program's last 17 dating back to the end of the 2012-13 campaign. The 31 turnovers were a new season-high for the Jags.  The 20 steals by the Rebels were also the most by an opponent in a game since Louisiana-Lafayette (21) back on Feb. 5, 2000.  The five players in double figures by Ole Miss marked the first time an opponent has done so since Louisiana-Monroe (2/26/14) last season.  South Alabama's Breanna Hall recorded double figures for the sixth time this season and dating back to last season, has recorded double digits in 18 of her last 20 outings.

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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