MONTGOMERY, Ala. – University of South Alabama women's basketball's Genesis Perrymond led the club with 12 points and sealed the 47-43 victory Thursday night with a clutch free-throw with 10.5 seconds remaining as the Jaguars defeated Alabama State at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome.

"I think it was great that we got off to a quick start in this game," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said.  "We were able to carry that on through much of the game.  At the end of the game, we had some crazy things happen, but we were able to finish, and that's the thing that this grouped needed to be able to do.  This past week, we've talked about competing, staying together and believing in ourselves, and we needed to have something like this to happen.  It was good for us to win a close game, especially on the road.

"Genesis was solid for us tonight and that's what we've got to have from her.  I think she only came out of the game one time.  She's really maturing into the point guard role and more importantly, becoming a leader on our team and really controlling things on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor for us."

Perrymond was 4-of-7 from the field and 3-of-4 at the foul line.  She also added four steals, three rebounds and four assists in 36 minutes of action.

"In our last two games, we've shown that we can compete with top caliber teams," Perrymond said. "I think that everyone on our team tonight stepped up.  We didn't play our best tonight, but we still played a solid game and did the things that we needed to do to get the job done."

The Jaguars (2-3) will now close out their two-game road trip when they travel to take on Southern Mississippi.  Tip-off versus the Golden Eagles is set for 2 p.m. on Sunday at the Reed Green Coliseum.  Live stats and web streaming for the contest can be accessed at www.USAJaguars.com.  Fans can also keep up with in-match updates by following action on the program's twitter account @SouthALWBB.

LaNeetra Guillory had eight points and six rebounds for the Jaguars, while Colby Davis and Juliann Miller chipped in with six points apiece.

With her five blocks, sophomore center Chyna Ellis moved past former Jag Valerie Richardson (63 - 1990-91) into ninth on the program's career blocks chart.

Alabama State fell to 1-4 with the loss and was led offensively by Britney Wright's game-high 13 points and eight rebounds.  Wright was 5-of-12 from the floor.  Jasmine Peeples also ended the night in double figures with 11 points and added six rebounds. 

The Hornets shot just 26.4 percent from the floor (14-of-53) and was just 2-for-17 (11.8 percent) from beyond the arc.  South Alabama connected on 15 of its 47 shot attempts for 31.9 percent.

After ASU picked up the first two points of the game on a pair of free throws, South Alabama rattled off eight-straight points to take a six-point lead.  Guillory did the scoring early on for the Jaguars as she had four of USA's first eight points.

The Hornets finally recorded their first field goal at the 4:50 mark on Wright's layup.  Wright would go on to have six points in the first period of play.  Alabama State later tied the contest up at 9-9 on a pair of free throws from Peeples at the 3:15 mark and then took its first lead of the contest (11-10) with two minutes, 27 seconds to go in the quarter on a layup by Shamyiah Smith.

The Jaguars reclaimed the lead a minute later following another bucket by Guillory and then took a 13-11 lead into the second quarter after India Hall hit one of two at the line.

South Alabama scored the first four points of the second quarter and extended its lead out to 17-11.  Ellis knocked down a jumper in the lane on the Jaguars' first possession of the period and a little over a minute later, Davis knocked down two more free throws to give USA the six-point advantage.

Peeples hit two free throws of her own on the Hornet's ensuing possession, but those would be the only points of the period for ASU as it went 0-for-8 from the field and turned the ball over six times.

True freshman Alyese Givens, playing her first significant action of the season, scored South Alabama's final five points of the period – a three-pointer from the left wing and a pair of free throws – and sent South Alabama into the locker room with a 24-13 halftime advantage.

Neither team shot the ball well during the first 20 minutes of action as the Jaguars were 8-of-28 from the field for 28.6 percent, while Alabama State was 3-of-21 for 14.3 percent. 

Peeples bucket at 8:32 snapped a streak of 16-straight missed field goals for the Hornets going back to the end of the first quarter.

Perrymond would provide the offense for the Jaguars in the third as she scored 11 points in the frame.  The redshirt freshman had been held scoreless during the first half.  With ASU pressing, Perrymond got behind the defense for a layup with seven minutes to go in the third to put the Jags up by 14 (30-16).

That basket would start a stretch in which Perrymond would score 11 of the Jaguars' next 12 points.  Following the layup, Perrymond converted two-straight and-one opportunities.  She then drained a three-pointer from the left wing with less than two to go in the quarter to give South Alabama its largest lead of the game at 40-23.

Holding the double-digit lead entering the fourth, South Alabama began to struggle on the offensive end with missed shot attempts and turnovers.

Alabama State took advantage of the miscues and battled back, pulling within three in the closing seconds.  Peeples, who eight of her 12 points during the final 10 minutes of action, led the charge.

USA led by 12 with just under six to go and over the next four-plus minutes, held South Alabama scoreless and scored six-straight points to pull within six (44-38) at the 1:42 mark. 

Colby Davis looked as if she had give the Jags the momentum back as she hit a pair of free throws with 19.9 remaining, but after calling a time out and advancing the ball to mid-court, the Hornets found Peeples open in the lane for a quick scorer.  Pressuring the ball on the inbounds, ASU forced South Alabama to turn the ball over and Wright banked in a three-pointer from the top of the key to cut the deficit to 46-43 with 12.2 showing on the clock.

Forced to foul, South Alabama go the ball into Perrymond and she hit one of two to put USA up by four.  The Hornets then were unable to score, sealing the win for the Jaguars.

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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