Game 6 - at Nicholls State Game Notes (.pdf)MOBILE, Ala. – After playing its first five games of the season at the Mitchell Center, the University of South Alabama women's basketball team will head out on the road for the first time this season when the Jaguar women travel to Nicholls State this weekend. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. at Stopher Gym. The game will also be the first of four-straight road contest for USA.
"Going on the road was a challenge for us last year only being successful once," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said. "As we start this journey with Nicholls (State) trip and finish on, it's going to be a great opportunity for us to bond as a team and get stronger and closer together."
Live stats and web streaming of the contest versus Nicholls State can be accessed at www.USAJaguars.com.
South Alabama (3-2) comes into Saturday's game at Nicholls State after picking up a 69-42 win over Spring Hill on Tuesday night. The Jaguars used a 25-0 run midway through the second half to pull away from the Badgers and cruise to victory.
Simonne Potts led USA with her second double-double of the season 17 points and 13 rebounds – both new career best for the junior forward. Potts was 7-of-9 from the field and now ranks fifth in the Sun Belt in field goal percentage as she is shooting 56.7 percent. Potts sits just outside of double figures with 9.0 points per game and is seventh in the SBC with 7.2 rebounds per outing.
Potts has two double-doubles in her last three outings and during that stretch, the Springfield, Va., native has averaged 12.3 ppg and 9.0 rpg, while shooting nearly 60 percent from the floor (.591).
Breanna Hall continues to rank among the league scoring leaders even after being held to 10 points versus Spring Hill. Hall leads the team and ranks third in the conference in scoring with 18.3 ppg. The Mesquite, Texas, native also ranks among the league leaders in free-throw shooting (fourth – .875), three-point shooting (T-seventh – .429) and three-pointers per game (third – 2.3).
Close behind Potts and Hall offensively are a pair of freshmen – Chyna Ellis and Marquita Daniels. Ellis enters this weekend's game versus the Colonels averaging 7.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, which is tied for 11th in the Sun Belt. She is also tied with Taylor Jenkins for the club lead with six blocks. Daniels – who had a season-high 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting versus Spring Hill – is averaging 7.2 points per outing.
Nicholls State (2-3) enters the game versus the Jags after falling 77-44 at Tulane on Wednesday night. The Green Wave forced 23 turnovers and shot 51.4 percent in the second half to outscore the Colonels by 22 in the final period.
NSU also shot just 24.2 percent in the second half and didn't have a double-figure scorer for the first time this season. The Colonels were playing without their leading scorer Emani White, who missed the game due to injury. Her status for Saturday's contest is still to be determined.
"Nicholls State shoots the ball really well," Fowler said. "Emani White is unbelievable with the ball. We are going to have to do a good job containing her and Jenny Nash. They play a match-up zone, which is kind of their calling card at the defensive end of the floor. We've got to be prepared to make the proper adjustments when we face them."
Through her first four games, White averaged 15.3 points per game and has dished out 11 assists and recorded 12 steals. She leads the team in all three categories.
Jenny Nash is also entering double figures this season with 12.9 ppg. The 5-10 senior guard also paces Nicholls State with 8.2 rebounds and her 10 assists and 11 steals are second-most on the team. As a team, the Colonels are averaging 10.8 steals per game.
After missing the first two games of the season, junior guard Veronica Ryan has also come on to provide another scoring option. Ryan sits just outside double figures with 9.7 points per game. She is shooting 47.4 percent from the field and lead the Colonels from beyond the arc with a 42.9 three-point percentage.
Like the Jags, one weakness for Nicholls this season has been on the glass as opponents hold a 45.8 – 35.6 rebound advantage (+10.2). On Wednesday, Tulane held a 52-30 advantage on the glass versus the Colonels.
NOTES: The meeting between South Alabama and Nicholls State will mark the 19th in the all-time series between the two programs. USA holds a 15-3 advantage in the series. The Jaguars had a four-game win streak in the series snapped as the Colonels picked up a 68-60 win in Mobile. The win by NSU was the first in the series since the 1997-98 season. South Alabama holds a 6-1 record in the series in games played in Thibodaux, La. USA has won its last two meetings on the Colonels' home court, including a 63-50 victory back during the 2009-10 season. South Alabama holds a 65-48 all-time record versus current Southland Conference members. The last time USA faced a SLC member was the 2013-14 season (Nicholls State and Houston Baptist).
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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