Game 28 - vs. Texas-Arlington Game Notes (.pdf)

MOBILE, Ala. – Saturday's game between the University of South Alabama women's basketball and Texas-Arlington at Mitchell Center will mark the final game for four Jaguar seniors.  USA will recognize its four seniors - Meghan Dunn (Hoover, Ala.), Jennifer Johnson (Tulsa, Okla.), Olivia Mohler (Vancleave, Miss.) and Ronneka Robertson (Kentwood, La.) - versus Texas-Arlington.

"Anytime you have a new coach come in prior to your senior year, you're just going through a transition," first-year South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said.  "Our seniors have really come in and tried to do the things that we've asked them to do.  Since her arrival at the Christmas break, Olivia (Mohler) has just brought us a great spirit.  It's going to be a sad day to see that group put the South Alabama uniform on for the last time.  We're going to try to send them out with a win."

Tip-off versus the Mavericks is set for 5:05 p.m.  Live stats and video and of the contest versus the Mavericks can be accessed at www.USAJaguars.com.  

South Alabama (7-20, 5-12 SBC) comes into its final game of the season looking to go out on a positive note.  With its 64-60 loss to Texas State on Wednesday night, USA's postseason hopes were ended as the Jags were eliminated from earning a berth in this year's Sun Belt Conference tournament.  The Jaguars will be looking to snap a recent skid as they have now lost their last eight games and nine of their last 10.

Dunn has outstanding this season as she currently ranks 12th in the conference in scoring with 12.6 ppg.  She is fourth in the SBC in three-point shooting, connecting on 41.0 percent of her attempts, while she is tied for second with 1.9 treys per game.  Dunn has been even better as she is shooting 46.8 percent from the field, 43.8 percent from the arc and 84.0 percent from the free-throw line.  The senior guard has scored double figures in 12 of her 17 SBC games this season, including 10 of her last 12.

Coming into the contest versus Texas-Arlington, Johnson is ranked third in the Sun Belt in blocks as she is averaging 1.2 per outing as she has 32 this season.  She now has 47 for her career in her 47 games played.

Mohler joined the Jaguar roster in December after a four-year career for the South Alabama volleyball team and a stint overseas.  She has been a vocal leader on the court and in the locker room and played in 12 games this season for USA.

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.

Junior guard Breanna Hall (10.0 ppg) has also played well of late as she has scored double figures in 11 of her last 13 outings, including a 15-point performance versus Texas State.  She is averaged 14.6 points per game over the 13-game stretch.

Rachel Cumbo continues to lead the club and the conference from beyond the arc as she has knocked down 47.5 percent of her attempts.  As a team, South Alabama leads the Sun Belt in three-point shooting (.362), threes per game (6.6) and three-point field-goal defense (.283).

Saturday's game will also be the season finale for Texas-Arlington (4-24, 3-14 SBC) as like the Jags, the Mavericks will also miss out on this season's conference tournament.  On Wednesday, UTA fell 88-72 at Troy - the club's sixth loss in its last seven outings.  

The Trojans forced 32 turnovers versus the Mavericks and outscored the visitors in points off turnovers, 24-9.  

Briana Walker led UTA with 22 points and 11 rebounds off the bench versus Troy for her fourth double-double, while Desherra Nwanguma had 14 points and 11 rebounds of her own for her sixth double-double of the season.

Walker (13.5) and Nwanguma (13.4) rank sixth and seventh, respectively, in the Sun Belt in scoring this season.  

Walker also ranks seventh in the conference in rebounding, grabbing 7.2 boards per game and 13th in shooting, knocking down 45.4 percent of her attempts.  Although plagued by foul trouble in the first meeting, Walker still managed to register 17 points and eight rebounds in the first meeting this season.

Nwanguma also had a strong showing versus USA in Arlington as she finished the game with 19 points and 17 rebounds.  The senior post player has been outstanding in conference play as she is nearly averaging a double-double with 16.0 ppg and 9.4 rpg and shooting 54.4 percent versus league opponents.

The Katy, Texas, native enters the contest versus the Jags tied for second in the SBC in rebounding (8.5) and blocks (1.3), third in field-goal percentage (.513), seventh in free-throw percentage (.811).

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-Arlington will be third in the all-time series with the series tied 1-1.  The Jags took the earlier meeting this season - the first between the two clubs since the 1998-99 season - picking up a 73-72 overtime victory on the Mavericks' home floor.  Texas-Arlington won the first meeting in the series, defeating the Jaguars 73-61 in the consolation game of the Arkansas Dial Classic in Fayetteville, Ark.

—USA—