Box Score - Texas State 63, South Alabama 42 (.pdf)

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The University of South Alabama women's basketball team pulled within three a little less than three minutes into the second half, but Texas State answered back with a big run to regain control as the Bobcats went on to pull away and pick up a 63-42 win Thursday night at Strahan Coliseum.

"It seems like right now, that we can't put the ball in the basket enough times to give ourselves an opportunity," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said.  "We fought back and were able to cut the deficit early in the second half, but [Texas] State got some easy baskets when we had some missed assignments on some pick-and-roll stuff.  We also gave up some wide-open threes in transition."  

The loss was the 10th-straight for the Jags this season and also extended USA's Sun Belt road skid to nine and was the 13-consecutive road loss overall for the program.  Dating back to the end of the '12-13 season, South Alabama has also lost 21 of its last 22 outings away from the Mitchell Center.  

The Jaguars (3-12, 0-6 SBC) will now head to Lafayette, La., to take on Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday.  Tip-off versus the Ragin' Cajuns is set for 5 p.m. at the Cajundome.

Marquita Daniels led USA with nine points, while LaNeetra Guillory added eight points of her own on 4-of-8 shooting to go along with four rebounds and a pair of blocks.

South Alabama struggled from the field in the loss connecting on just 18 of its 63 shot attempts for 28.6 percent.  USA was also just 4-of-20 from outside the arc.  

Texas State (9-6, 4-2 SBC) was led by Meghan Braeuer who led all scorers with 19 points.  Brauer entered the contest leading the Sun Belt in treys per game and knocked down five of her eight long-range attempts in the win.  

Kileah Mays also ended the night in double digits as she recorded a double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds.  Jacqueline Jeffcoat was also solid on the glass for Texas State, grabbing 11 boards of her own.  As a team, the Bobcats held a 52-36 advantage on the glass against the Jaguars.  

South Alabama took an early three-point lead when Rachel Cumbo knocked down a trey on the Jaguars' second possession of the game, but as has been the case for the last nine games, the offense would go into a drought.  Over the next eight minutes, USA would not score a point while missing its next 11 shot attempts and turn the ball over three times.  

Texas State took advantage of the scoring slump by the visitors and erupted for a 16-0 run.  Braeuer and Mays led the charge as they combined for 11 of the Bobcats' 16 points during the run.  Erin Peoples capped off the scoring and gave TSU the 13-point advantage with a jumper at the 11:28 mark.

Taylor Jenkins ended the scoreless streak for South Alabama as the junior hit one of two attempts at the foul line with just over 11 minutes to go.  The junior forward then knocked down a bucket in the lane on USA's next possession a minute – the first made field goal for the Jags in nine minutes.

The points by Jenkins seemed to provide a spark as South Alabama rattled off 10 unanswered points to trim the deficit to three (16-13) on Cumbo's second three of the night with less than six to go before the half.

The Bobcats didn't let the Jaguars hold the momentum long as they quickly stretched their lead back out to 24-15 over the next two minutes.  Raven Burns buried Texas State's fourth trey of the half, this one coming from the right wing at the 3:53 mark to increase the led back out to nine.

Chyna Ellis' put back with two minutes, 49 seconds to go before the intermission would be the only points for either team over the final three-plus minutes.  Texas State headed into the locker room with the 24-17 lead.

South Alabama kept chipping away at the deficit to start the second half and cut the Bobcat lead to 25-23 three-and-a-half minutes into the final period of play.  Jenkins found Guillory cutting to the basket and delivered an outstanding interior pass at the 16:38 mark, forcing Texas State to call a 30-second time out.

After missing its first five shots of the second stanza, Texas State came out of the time out and quickly regained control, knocking down eight of its next 12 field-goal attempts to extend its lead back out to 16 (46-30) with under eight to play.  Mays and Braeuer ignited the scoring for the Bobcats as the duo combined to record 14-straight points.  Aryial Anderson knocked down TSU's seventh trey of the game to cap off the run.

The Jaguars pulled within 11 (46-35) on a layup by Daniels at the 7:17 mark, but Texas State didn't allow USA to get any closer as the Bobcats eventually stretched their lead back out to 21, which would eventually be the final margin.

NOTES:  The meeting between South Alabama and Texas State marked the fourth in the all-time series between the two programs.  Texas State has now won all four of those meetings.  South Alabama is 0-3 in the series in games played in San Marcos.  The loss was the 10th-straight for the Jags this season.  The loss also extended the Jaguars Sun Belt road skid to nine and was the 13-consecutive road loss overall for the program.  Dating back to the end of the '12-13 season, USA has also lost 21 of its last 22 outings away from the Mitchell Center.  The 52 rebounds by Texas State were also a new season-high by an opponent, eclipsing the previous mark of 50 by Spring Hill.  The eight-plus minute scoreless stretch in the first half by the Jaguars was also the ninth-straight game in which USA has had such a streak and the 11th time in 15 games this season.

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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