Game 27 - vs. Texas State Game Notes (.pdf)
MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women's basketball team returns home this weekend to open up a two-game home stand to close out the regular season when the Jaguars welcome Texas State to the Mitchell Center. Tip-off versus the Bobcats is set for 7:05 p.m.
Live stats and video and of the contest versus Texas State can be accessed at www.USAJaguars.com.
South Alabama (7-19, 5-11 SBC) comes into the midweek match up versus the Bobcats fighting for its postseason life.
In order for the Jaguars to move up to the eighth and final seed in this year's conference tournament, South Alabama must win its final two games of the regular season - vs. Texas State and vs. Texas-Arlington - while Louisiana-Monroe must lose its final two regular season games - at Arkansas State and at Arkansas-Little Rock. Should the two teams end up tied at the end of the season with 7-11 conference records, USA will hold the tiebreaker by virtue of the Jags' win over Western Kentucky in the conference opener.
"Its part of the process and part of the challenge," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said speaking of the must-win situation for the Jags this week. "It's been like a play-off setting for the past two-and-a half, three weeks. It seems like every game during that stretch has been one we needed to win, so it's nothing new for us. With every ball game, our backs get further and further against the wall and we will need to come out swinging for these final two ball games here. Before you can talk about two though, you have to talk about one. We've got to take care of Texas State (on Wednesday)."
USA enters play this week after falling in overtime at Louisiana-Lafayette, 68-61, on Sunday. Senior forward Ronneka Robertson led the Jaguars in the loss as she recorded career-highs in points (28) and rebounds (17). Robertson was 11-of-17 from the field, the most field goals by a Jag in a game since Brianna Wright's 10 versus Western Kentucky last season. The 20-point, 10-plus rebound game was also the first by a South Alabama player since former Jag Christian Shelter did so versus North Texas on Feb. 17, 2011.
Robertson is now averaging 9.3 points per game and ranks second in the Sun Belt on the glass with 8.4 boards per game. Robertson is also 15th in the league in shooting, knocking down 44.7 percent of her shot attempts. She has led USA on the glass in 19 of the club's 26 games this season.
Breanna Hall also recorded double figures for South Alabama in the loss, finishing with 13 points, her ninth double-figure scoring outing in her last 11 games. Hall sits just outside double figures on the season with 9.8 ppg, while the junior guard is averaging 12.1 points per game in conference play.
Senior guard Meghan Dunn has also been outstanding in her this her final collegiate season. Dunn currently leads the team and is 11th in the league in scoring with 12.7 ppg. She is fourth in the SBC in three-point shooting, connecting on 41.5 percent of her attempts, while she is tied for second with 1.9 treys per game. Like Hall, Dunn has been even better as she is shooting 48.3 percent from the field, 45.0 percent from the arc and 83.3 percent from the free-throw line in 36.4 minutes of action per game. The senior guard has scored double figures in 12 of her 16 SBC games this season, including 10 of her last 11.
As a team, South Alabama leads the Sun Belt in three-point shooting (.368), threes per game (6.7) and three-point field-goal defense (.286).
Texas State (13-14, 10-6 SBC) comes into the final week of the regular season tied with Arkansas-Little Rock for third-place in the Sun Belt. The Bobcats have lost three of their last five games, but are coming off a 54-47 win over Georgia State over the weekend.
USA and TSU should be familiar with each other as they faced each other four games ago, with the Bobcats picking up a 63-61 win over the Jags in San Marcos.
"We will need to keep (Texas State) off the offensive glass better than we did the first time we played them," Fowler said. "I thought we played really well until the last media time out of the first half where we turned the ball over six times in that three-minute stretch. I think that was the difference in the game. To our kids' credit we came back and had a shot to either win it or tie it at the end of the game. We've got to minimize our mistakes and limit their transition baskets."
Sophomore guard Aryiel Anderson led Texas State with 17 points off the bench in the first meeting, while Ashley Ezeh and Erin Peoples each had 15 points apiece.
Ezeh leads the club offensively with 13.1 points per outing, which is tied for ninth in the SBC. The Houston, Texas, native is shooting 44.3 percent from the floor and leads the team with 6.0 rpg. She was selected preseason second-team all-conference prior to the start of the season.
Peoples is second on the Bobcat's roster in both scoring (10.3) and rebounding (5.6), which both rank among the league leaders. In conference action, the sophomore guard is averaging 11.8 points per game and shooting 47.0 percent.
Ezeh and Peoples rank 11th and tied for 12th, respectively, in rebounding in the SBC.
Kaylan Martin has also been solid in Sun Belt play as she is averaging 9.4 ppg in Texas State's 16 league games. Martin is sixth in the conference in assists (3.4) and third in assists-turnover ratio (1.2).
The Bobcats rank third in the conference in field-goal percentage defense (.400) and fourth in blocks (2.7).
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 will be just the third in the all-time series. This season marks the first for the Bobcats in the Sun Belt. Texas State leads the series 2-0 after picking up a 63-61 win in San Marcos earlier this season. The Bobcats also won 78-58 in Mobile back during the 1994-95 season.
—USA—
