Game 20 - at Louisiana-Monroe Game Notes (.pdf)MOBILE, Ala. – Coming off its 10-point win over Louisiana-Lafayette on Thursday, the University of South Alabama women's basketball team will head back out on the road to take on Louisiana-Monroe this weekend. Tip-off versus the Warhawks is set for 2 p.m. at Fant-Ewing Coliseum on Saturday.
Live stats, the Jaguars' audio broadcast and web streaming of the contest versus Louisiana-Monroe can be accessed at www.USAJaguars.com.
South Alabama (4-15, 1-9 SBC) comes into Saturday's game versus Louisiana-Monroe fresh off snapping a 13-game losing streak on Thursday.
"I hope that our players can see that when we play together, play unselfish and we're all into the game and not into ourselves, that we have the ability to play as well as anyone," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said. "Hopefully we can carry this momentum over into our next game against Louisiana-Monroe."
USA ended the skid with a 57-47 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette in its annual "Pack the House" game. The Jaguars held ULL to 23.9 percent shooting and knocked down a season-best 47.4 percent of its shot attempts. USA also held a 49-34 advantage on the glass, including a 40-16 margin at the defensive end of the floor.
The key stat in the second half for both clubs was at the foul line where South Alabama was 14-of-19, while the Ragin' Cajuns were 6-for-14.
Chyna Ellis recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Ellis was 6-of-7 from the field and the 13 rebounds tied a season high for the freshman center. Ellis ranks second on the club in scoring with 7.4 points per game and her 7.2 rebounds rank seventh in the Sun Belt. Ellis added to her team-high block total with three rejections versus ULL. She has 33 on the year and is averaging 1.7 per outing.
Fellow freshman Marquita Daniels is also averaging 7.4 ppg. Daniels leads the Jags with 25 steals this season.
Offensively, USA is paced by senior guard Breanna Hall. Hall leads the team and ranks third in the conference in scoring with 15.5 ppg. The Mesquite, Texas, native also ranks among the league leaders in free-throw shooting (fourth – .813), three-point shooting (second – .422) and three-pointers per game (Tied-third – 2.2). She has also scored double figures in 27 of her last 31 games dating back to the '13-14 season.
Rachel Cumbo did not play versus the Ragin' Cajuns as she was out with an illness. Her status for Saturday is still to be determined.
Louisiana-Monroe (8-11, 4-6 SBC) had its three-game win streak ended on Thursday with a 90-51 loss at Troy.
The Trojans recorded 23 steals and forced ULM into 39 turnovers, scoring 41 points off of them. The Warhawks were also held to just four points over the first 11:30 of the game and shot just 21 percent during the first 20 minutes of play as Troy headed into the locker room with a 47-14 halftime lead.
Sharnice Brooks is the lone Warhawk averaging double figures. The 6-2 senior center enters the weekend ranked seventh in the league in scoring with 13.8 ppg. She is also averaging 15.0 points per outing in Sun Belt play. Brooks was held to just five points on Thursday in the loss to Troy.
Brooks also ranks among the conference leaders in field-goal percentage (.502 – fifth), rebounds (6.4 – 11th), free-throw shooting (.750 – 10th) and blocks (1.9 – second).
Christina Gray paces ULM on the glass with 7.1 boards per game, while Alayshia Hunter is pulling down 5.3 rebounds.
"There are a couple things that makes ULM a tough opponent," Fowler said. "First off, they play really hard. Coach (Jeff) Dow has done a really great job with them. On the offensive end of the floor, they use multiple sets to get their post players into positions close to the basket. At the defensive end, they play multiple defenses. They use three-quarter traps, half-court traps. They trap out of their zone and play straight man. We will have to be prepared to face multiple looks. With just one day of preparation, we are going to have to be focused and locked in as we prepare for them."
As a team, the Warhawks are third in the SBC in field-goal percentage defense, holding their opponents to 37.9 percent shooting. Louisiana-Monroe is also fourth in the conference in field-goal percentage (.404), free-throw shooting (.705) and rebounding defense (37.2).
ULM is also tied with the Jaguars for third in blocked shots per game with 3.9 per outing. Along with Brooks, Hunter has also been a defensive presence in the post as she has 25 blocks this season and is averaging 1.3 rejections per game – tied for seventh in the Sun Belt.
NOTES: The meeting between South Alabama and Louisiana-Monroe will mark the 19th in the all-time series between the two programs. South Alabama holds a 12-6 advantage in the series. USA has won three of the last four meetings with Louisiana-Monroe picking up the most recent, 76-70 in Monroe. The Jaguars hold a 5-3 lead in games played in Monroe. The Jaguars have lost 15-straight road games dating back to last season – which is the third-longest streak in program history – and 23 of their last 24 away from the Mitchell Center dating back to the end of the 2012-13 season. The lone road win during that stretch came at Texas-Arlington on Jan. 25, 2014 when the Jags defeated the Mavericks 73-72 in overtime. USA has also lost 11-straight Sun Belt road contest – third longest streak in that category in program history.
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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