Box Score - Texas State 63, South Alabama 61 (.pdf)

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The University of South Alabama women's basketball rallied back from a 12-point halftime deficit and had a shot at the buzzer to tie Wednesday night, but Jennifer Johnson's jumper would not fall as the Jaguars fell 63-61 to second-place Texas State at Strahan Coliseum.

"We just dug ourselves too big of a hole at the end of the first half," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said.  "I think we were down five after the last media (of the first half) and we had to sit Meghan (Dunn) and Ronneka (Robertson) who both had two fouls and the lead goes from five to 12.  We fought and trimmed the lead again and had several times where we could have cut the lead from 10 to six after we had gotten a couple of stops, but we couldn't score.  We missed some free throws too.  We just have to do better.  In games that we've closed out, we've been great from the free-throw line.  Tonight, we weren't.  (Texas State) had a couple of key offensive rebounds (late).  The last one, we missed an assignment, but at the end of the day we still had a chance to tie or win the ball game with a shot at the buzzer, but it didn't fall for us."

USA (7-16, 5-8 SBC) will now return home to host Troy Saturday night at the Mitchell Center.  Tip-off versus the Trojans is set for 5:05 p.m. and will be South Alabama's annual "Pink Zone" game.

Meghan Dunn led all scorers as she recorded 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting.  She was also 5-for-5 at the free-throw line and hit her only three-point attempt.  The double-figure outing was her 17th of the season and her eighth straight.  Dunn recorded 13 of her 18 points during the final 20 minutes of action, as she was 4-for-4 both at the foul line and from the field in the second half.

Johnson registered one of her best games of the season off the bench as she had 12 points and a game-high eight rebounds.  The Tulsa, Okla., native was 5-of-10 from the field and 2-for-2 from the three-point line.  The two treys were the senior's first since USA's conference opener versus Western Kentucky.  Johnson also had three blocks, one shy of tying her career high.  Ronnkea Robertson also finished in double figures with 10 points.  

Texas State (12-12, 9-4 SBC) won for the sixth time in its last seven games.  The Bobcats placed three players in double digits also led by Ayriel Anderson's 17 points off the bench, her fourth double-figure outing in her last five games.  Anderson was 5-of-10 from the floor, with two threes, and hit five of her six opportunities at the charity stripe.

Ashley Ezeh and Erin Peoples each finished with 15 points apiece.  Ezeh was 6-for-15 from the floor, while Peoples was 7-for-11 in the win.  Peoples also had four of Texas State's seven steals.  The double-figure outing was Ezeh's 18th of the season.  

Tied at 6-6 early on, the Bobcats grabbed the momentum as they rattled off an 11-2 run over a minute-and-a-half stretch to take a 17-8 advantage.  Anderson began the scoring for the home team with back-to-back three-pointers.  After a bucket from Peoples, Ezeh capped off the scoring and gave Texas State a nine-point lead when the senior completed an and-one play at the 12:49 mark.

After trading baskets, South Alabama began to battle its way back.  Dunn converted an and-one play of her own with nine minutes, 35 seconds showing and then stole the ball on the ensuing Bobcat possession and raced the length of the floor for a layup.  

TSU came back with three free throws, but it was Johnson this time who recorded five-straight points for the Jags.  The senior forward knocked down a three from the left wing and then pulled USA to within 22-20 with a layup with just under seven minutes to go before the half.  

Rachel Cumbo later narrowed the deficit to one when she hit one of her two attempts at the charity strip with just over five minutes showing on the clock, but those would prove to be the last points for the Jaguars over the next four minutes.  

The Bobcats took advantage of the offensive slump by South Alabama and rattled off eight unanswered points to extend their lead out to 30-21.  With under a minute to play in the period, Sharon Sanders ended the string of Texas State points when she converted both her free throw attempts.  

Correy Moyer though hit a trey from the top of the key on Texas State's next possession and then after a USA turnover, sunk a pair of free throws with 11.7 seconds left before the intermission to send the Bobcats into the locker room with a 35-23 halftime lead.

Led by Anderson, the Texas State bench was huge during the first 20 minutes of action as it chipped in with 19 points, compared to nine by USA.

Coming out of the locker room, the Jaguars quickly cut the deficit to single-digits as Dunn recorded USA's first five points.  Her three-pointer from the left wing just over two minutes into the period trimmed Texas State's lead to 35-28.

The Bobcats answered right back and stretched their advantage back out to 11 with four-straight points, and kept it that way for the next couple of minutes.  However, trailing 41-30 with just over 15 minutes remaining, the Jags pulled within six after a trey from Breanna Hall and a layup by Dunn.

Over the next several minutes, the South Alabama deficit fluctuated between eight and 11 points, allowing the Jags to hang around.

With the Bobcats leading 56-46  with under seven to play following a jumper by Ezeh, USA began to chip away at the deficit, and cut it in half (57-52) after a pair of free throws from Robertson with five to play.

South Alabama's final charge came during the final three minutes.  Texas State led 61-54 after a second-chance bucket by Ezeh at the 2:51 mark, but USA would not quit as Robertson knocked down a jumper of her own on the Jags' next possession.  South Alabama was able to get a defensive stop on the ensuing Bobcat possession and coming out of a 30-second time out, Dunn found Johnson open on the right wing for her second three of the game, this one coming at the 1:51 mark.

USA was able to get another stop at the other end following Johnson's bucket, but Peoples stole the ball for the Bobcats with under a minute to go and Anderson drove left and knocked down a 10-foot jumper with 30 seconds remaining.  The basket by Anderson would prove to be key as Dunn came right down and scored for the Jags with 11 seconds showing on the clock.  

Forced to foul, South Alabama sent Peoples to the line for the front-end of the one-and-one opportunity.  Peoples' first attempt bounced off and Robertson came up with the defensive rebound.  With USA out of time outs, the Kentwood, La., and advanced the ball up the floor and found Hall open on the left side of the floor.  Texas States' defense though recovered quick and Hall drove the left baseline, where she found Johnson open at the left elbow.  Johnson's shot looked to be on the mark as she released the ball just before the horn, but after bouncing around the rim twice the shot fell to the floor, giving the Bobcats the two-point win.  

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).

NOTES:  The meeting between South Alabama and Texas State was just the second in the all-time series and the first between the two clubs since the 1994-95 season.  The two clubs will meet one other time this season (March 5) in Mobile.  With her game-high 18 points, Meghan Dunn has now recorded double figures in 17 of her 23 games this season and eight straight.  Jennifer Johnson recorded 12 points in the loss for the Jags, the most points for the senior since recording 15 versus Spring Hill back on Dec. 3.

—USA—