Game 23 - at Troy Game Notes (.pdf)

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women's basketball team will travel to take on high-scoring in-state rival Troy on Thursday night.  Tip-off versus the Trojans is set for 5:15 p.m. at Trojan Arena.  

Troy leads the Sun Belt in numerous categories and ranks among the nation's leaders in scoring, averaging 76.5 points per game.  The Trojans have scored 80 or more points nine times this season, including six conference games.

"Troy has five or six players on their roster that can just flat-out score," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said.  "They play multiple defenses and try to get you in an up-tempo game.  We've got to take care of the basketball and now allow them easy baskets."

Live stats, the Jaguars' audio broadcast and web streaming of the contest versus Troy can be accessed at www.USAJaguars.com.

South Alabama (4-18, 1-12 SBC) enters Thursday's game versus the Trojans after suffering its third-straight loss, falling 84-78 to Georgia State Saturday afternoon at home.  During the three-game slid, the margin of defeat for USA has been just 3.3 ppg.

"I thought that going into our last game that we had gotten better defensively over the last five games, but then we got into a high-scoring game against Georgia State, which kind of concerns me going into this game," Fowler said.  "We're going to have to slow the game down on Thursday.  If we are able to score 70 or more points, I'll take that, but we can't let the Troy get the game up into the high 70's.  We need to keep them around the mid 60's."

The Jaguars - who had held their last three opponents to an average of 49.3 points per game and held opponents to just 29.7 percent shooting and 18.8 percent from the arc - surrendered 84 points to GSU and allowed the Panthers to knock down 57.1 percent of their shot attempts, including eight of their 17 from long range.  

USA got as close as one (61-60) 7:44 remaining, but missed a free throw that would have tied it and then gave up an 11-0 run to Georgia State over the next two minutes.

Marquita Daniels had a record-setting night against her hometown team, GSU, as she was 13-of-18 from the field and 8-of-12 at the foul line for a career-best 37 points.  The 37 points eclipsed the previous Mitchell Center record by a Jaguar player of 32 points recorded by Lyletha Gamble versus New Mexico State back on Jan. 1, 2002 in a triple overtime win over the Aggies.  It was also the first time a USA player has had 35 or more points in a game since Adrian Vickers (35) versus Temple on Feb. 24, 1990.

The 37 points were almost the points scored by a Sun Belt player so far this season.

Following her performance against the Panthers, Daniels is now averaging 8.7 ppg.  She also leads the club with 36 steals and is tied for 12th in the SBC with 1.7 steals per game.  Daniels has had three or more steals in four of her last five outings, including a career-high five against GSU.

With her 13 points against the Panthers, senior guard Breanna Hall posted her 18th double-figure scoring game of the season.  She has now scored double figures in 30 of her last 34 outings dating back to last season.  

Hall leads the team and tied for sixth in the conference in scoring with 15.3 ppg.  The Mesquite, Texas, native also ranks among the league leaders in free-throw shooting (Tied-Second – .817), three-point shooting (First – .426) and three-pointers per game (Tied-Third – 2.3).  Nationally, Hall ranks 24th in three-point shooting in the NCAA in most recent stats release.

Troy (13-9, 8-5 SBC) comes into play this week sitting alone in third in the latest Sun Belt rankings.  In their last outing, the Trojans recorded a 108-87 win at Appalachian State over the weekend.  The 108 points are the most scored by a conference team this season and marked the sixth time in the last three years that Troy has eclipsed the 100-point mark.

The Trojans led wire-to-wire and shot 58 percent (44-of-76) from the field and was 11-of-19 from three-point range versus the Mountaineers.  Ronita Garrett led the club with career-high 28 points, while Ashley Beverly-Kelley scored 17 of her 25 points in the second half.  The 20-point performance by Beverly-Kelley marked the seventh time this season and four-straight game.

Garrett enters the game versus the Jags averaging a double-double with 15.5 ppg and 10.7 rpg.  The senior forward ranks fifth in the conference in scoring and leads the league on the glass.  Nationally, she is 28th in rebounding.  Her 15 double-doubles lead the SBC and rank ninth in the NCAA.  Prior to the App State game, Garrett had recorded six-straight double-doubles.  Garrett's 48.7 field-goal percentage is seventh in the Sun Belt, while she is also tied for third in steals with 2.6 per outing.  

As a team, the Trojans lead the conference and rank seventh in the NCAA in steals (12.0).  Troy also leads the SBC in scoring (76.5), rebounding (42.6), assists (14.6) and offensive rebounds (17.4).  Troy is also seventh in offensive rebounds, 20th in scoring, 24th in turnover margin in this week's NCAA statistical rankings..

A preseason first-team all-conference selection, Beverly-Kelley is third in the Sun Belt in scoring, averaging 16.3 points per game.  The junior guard is second in the conference with 2.6 steals per outing and ranks sixth in free-throw shooting, knocking down 79.8 percent of her attempts at the charity stripe.  Beverly-Kelley is averaging 4.3 boards per game and shooting 42.2 percent from the field.

Troy is the only team to have two players ranked in the top 10 in scoring in the Sun Belt.

NOTES: The meeting between South Alabama and Troy will mark the 40th in the all-time series between the two programs.  Troy holds a 20-19 lead in the series.  The Trojans have won three-straight in the series.  Prior to the three-straight losses, the Jaguars had won eight of the previous nine meetings.  Since the Trojans joined the Sun Belt during the 2005-06 season, South Alabama has taken 15 of the 20 meetings.  Troy also holds a 12-6 advantage in the series on its home floor, including a 78-53 win in Troy last season.  South Alabama is 2-20 in its last 22 Sun Belt games following the loss to GSU and has lost 12-consecutive league road games (16 overall).  In Sun Belt play, both South Alabama and Troy are averaging 5.5 three-pointers per game - second-highest amount in the league.

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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