Box Score - Louisiana-Lafayette 65, South Alabama 58 (.pdf)

LAFAYETTE, La. – The University of South Alabama women's basketball team knocked down a season-high nine three-pointers Saturday night, but it wasn't enough as Louisiana-Lafayette held on late for a 65-58 Sun Belt Conference win at the Cajundome.

"I was proud of the fight our team had tonight," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said. "We told [our players] before the game that from this point on it's a 14-game season and that we've got to show some character and some fight.  I thought we did that tonight.  Unfortunately, we came up on the short end of the stick, but we need to build on this game heading forward."

The Jaguars (3-13, 0-7 SBC) will now return home to take on Sun Belt leader Arkansas-Little Rock on Monday night.  Tip-off versus the Trojans is set for 5:05 p.m. at the Mitchell Center.

USA shot 44.9 percent from the field in the loss and connected on nine of its 15 three-point attempts.

"We were able to score the ball tonight and when we do that, we give ourselves an opportunity and chance to win," Fowler said.  "We didn't get enough stops at the defensive end and didn't do a good enough job at the free-throw line as well."

The foul line played an important role in the win for ULL – who improved to 11-4 and 3-3 in the Sun Belt with the victory.  The Ragin' Cajuns were 14-of-21 at the charity stripe, while USA was just 5-of-13.  The Jaguars missed six-straight free throws at one point, including the front end of a pair of one-and-one opportunities.

The Jags placed four players in double figures for just the second time this season.  Rachel Cumbo and Breanna Hall led the way with 14 points apiece.  Cumbo – who finished the game 5-of-8 from the field – did most of her damage from the outside, knocking down four three-pointers.  Hall was 4-of-11 from the field with a pair of treys to go along with four rebounds and three assists.

Chyna Ellis posted her third double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds.  Ellis was 5-for-8 from the field, while also registering three blocks at the defensive end of the floor.  Fellow freshman Marquita Daniels also ended the night in double figures with 10 points to go along with her four assists.

Louisiana-Lafayette also placed four players in double figures led by Jaylyn Gordon and Keke Veal, who each carded 15 points apiece.  Gordon was 5-of-9 from the field with four treys of her own, while Veal was 6-of-18 and posted 13 of her points in the final period of play.  

Kia Wilridge added 14 points, four assists and four steals, while Robbie Brown had 10 points.  

ULL had 13 steals in the win and forced the Jaguars into 21 turnovers.  The 21 turnovers by USA marked the 10th time this season that the Ragin' Cajuns have forced their opponents into 20 or more turnovers.

South Alabama got off to a quick start, scoring on its first two possessions and taking a 6-0 lead after threes by Hall and Cumbo.  ULL battled back and tied the contest back up at 8-8 on a trey by Gordon at the 15:30 mark, but USA quickly retake the lead, rattling off a 9-1 run over the next two-and-a-half minutes.  Hall found LaNeetra Guillory open in the post for a layup with just under 13 minutes to go in the period, giving South Alabama a 17-9 advantage.

With the Jaguars leading by seven (19-12) two minutes later, the Ragin' Cajuns kept battling back and outscored USA 13-2 over the next seven minute to grab their first lead of the night.  Gordon put ULL back out in front with her second trey of the game with five minutes, 32 seconds showing on the clock.  Gordon then intercepted a Jaguar pass at mid court and gave the Cajuns a 25-21 lead with a layup.

Coming out of a 30-second time out, Cumbo drained her third three of the contest, this one coming from the right wing at the 5:05 mark.  On USA's next trip down the floor, Hall drove to the basket and converted a three-point play to give the Jaguars a 27-25 lead.

ULL would reclaim the lead though two minutes later as the Cajuns scored six-straight points, but the Jags would again fight back and retake the lead.  Hall began the 8-0 run with a pair of free throws with three minutes, 26 seconds to play.  Cumbo then found Amber Yelding open on the left wing for USA's fifth trey of the game to put the Jags back on top, 32-31.  Hall would add three more points.  

The Jaguars only allowed one point to ULL over the final three-and-a-half minutes and headed into the locker room with a 35-32 halftime lead.  USA was outstanding shooting the ball during the first 20 minutes of the game, knocking down 16 of its 29 shot attempts for a 52.4 field-goal percentage.  South Alabama was also 5-of-6 from long range in the period.

ULL's defense recorded 10 steals in the first stanza, led by Wilrdige's four and Gordon's three.  The Ragin' Cajuns also had 10 assists on their 11 made buckets.

USA pushed its lead to four, four minutes into the second half, but Veal – who had been held to just two points in the first half – led the charge for Louisiana-Lafayette, scoring eight of its first 10 points in the final period.  Veal tied the contest up at 41-41 with a bucket at the 15:27 mark and a minute later, put ULL back out in front (43-41).  Simone Fields capped off an 8-0 Cajun run and put ULL up 45-41 when she grabbed an offensive rebound and laid the ball back up off the glass at the 13:43 mark.

With 10 minutes, 39 seconds remaining in the contest, Veal hit one of two at the foul line to give ULL a seven-point advantage (51-44).

On USA's ensuing possession, Daniels knocked down one of her two three-pointers on the night to spark the Jags.  Two minutes later, Guillory connected from eight feet out to make it a one possession game and after a Cajun turnover, South Alabama had a chance to tie the contest back up, but Cumbo missed the front end of a one-and-one with under eight to play.

Over the next three minutes, ULL would twice lead by five, but with five minutes, 46 seconds remaining, Cumbo again made it a one-possession game (57-54) with an off-balanced layup.  Down three, South Alabama would have two opportunities over its next two possessions to cut the deficit to one or tie, but the Jags were unable to as they missed a jumper and then turned the ball over.  

With ULL up four with just over a minute to play, Gordon came up big as she drained her fourth trey of the night from the top of the key to extend the deficit back out to 62-55.  After a pair of missed shot attempts by the Jags, Veal would later hit a pair of free throws to push Louisiana-Lafayette's advantage to nine.  Cumbo hit a three-pointer from the right wing with 12 seconds to play, but South Alabama would get no closer as time eventually ran out.

NOTES:  The meeting between South Alabama and Louisiana-Lafayette was the 37th in the all-time series between the two programs.  South Alabama now holds a 34-13 advantage in the series.  Louisiana-Lafayette has won three-straight in the series.  The Jaguars hold a 14-9 lead in games played on ULL's home court.  The loss to the Cajuns extended South Alabama's Sun Belt Conference road game skid to 10 games.  USA has also now lost 14-consecutive overall road games.  Dating back to the end of the '12-13 season, South Alabama has also lost 22 of its last 23 outings away from the Mitchell Center.  The Jaguars are also 1-15 in their last 16 league contest.  The nine three-pointers against Louisiana-Lafayette was a new season best for USA.  South Alabama placed four players in double figures for just the second time this season.  With her 11 points and 11 rebounds, Chyna Ellis recorded her third double-double of the 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).

—USA—