Game 27 - vs. Louisiana-Monroe Game Notes (.pdf)MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women's basketball team will welcome Sun Belt Conference foe Louisiana-Monroe on Thursday night for the program's annual "Pink Game" in support of breast cancer awareness. Tip-off versus the Warhawks is set for 5:05 p.m. at the Mitchell Center. Fans are asked to wear pink to the game.
Live stats, the Jaguars' audio broadcast and web streaming of the contest versus Louisiana-Monroe can be accessed at www.USAJaguars.com.
"I felt that we were able to put it together at both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor against Georgia Southern," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said. "We limited our turnovers and made free throws. It's been rare this season that we've been able to do all four of those things in a game. Hopefully moving forward, we can see that more out on the court."
South Alabama (5-21, 2-15 SBC) comes into Thursday's game against Louisiana-Monroe after picking up an 80-63 road win at Georgia Southern this past weekend. The win versus the Eagles snapped an 18-game road losing streak for the Jaguars, which included 14 consecutive SBC road losses.
After shooting just 29.4 percent during the first 20 minutes of action and trailing by four at the intermission, USA exploded for 51 points and shot 73.1 percent in the second half to rally back and pick up the 17-point victory.
Leading the way in the victory for the Jags was Marquita Daniels and Breanna Hall. Daniels posted her second 30-point outing in the past two weeks as she finished with 33 points on 13-of-19 shooting, including four three-pointers and three free throws. Daniels also dished out four assists, while committing just one turnover. Daniels became the first Jag to record two 30-point outings in the same season since Phyllis Kelley during the 1995-96. Kelley had 31 points vs. Spring Hill (12-11-95) and 30 points vs, UAB (11-24-95).
Hall registered her fifth 20-point game of the season with 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Hall did most her damage from the outside as she had five three-pointers to help USA tie a season-high with 10 treys.
Daniels and Hall were instrumental in the second-half eruption as they combined for 39 of USA's 51 points and knocked down 15 of their 19 shot attempts. Daniels had 25 points in the final frame, while Hall added 14.
Over the last five games, South Alabama has been led offensively by the duo of Breanna Hall (18.0 ppg) and Marquita Daniels (17.8 ppg). Daniels is averaging 16.1 points per game during the month of February after averaging just 7.3 ppg in January.
Hall leads the team and ranks fourth in the conference in scoring with 15.9 ppg coming into play this week. The Mesquite, Texas, native also ranks among the league leaders in field-goal percentage (12th – .442), free-throw shooting (Tie-second – .813), three-point shooting (first – .438) and three-pointers per game (first – 2.5). Hall is also 11th in the NCAA in three-point shooting.
Daniels now sits just outside double figures for the Jaguars as she is averaging 9.4 points per outing. The Atlanta native is also tied for 10th in the Sun Belt in steals. She leads the club in that category and of her 44 take aways, 35 have come against league foes (2.1 spg). Her 44 steals are the fourth-most by a Jag freshman.
Fellow freshman Chyna Ellis is also coming off a solid performance against the Eagles. Ellis posted her fifth double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Ellis is averaging 7.8 ppg and 7.4 rpg - sixth-most in the SBC. She is shooting 41.3 percent from the field and is also tied for third in the conference in blocks. Ellis has 45 on the year and had three in her last outing. She sits just one block behind LaSandra Jenkins (1981-82) for the single-season record for blocks by a freshman at South Alabama.
Louisiana-Monroe (10-15, 6-10 SBC) enters the game versus the Jaguars fighting for one of the final spots in next month's tournament. The Warhawks are currently tied with Appalachian State for eighth and a game behind Georgia State, who sits in seventh.
The Warhawks won the first meeting of the season versus the Jags, 55-53 in Monroe. One of the key stats in that contest was on the glass where ULM held a 38-24 advantage and outscored USA 16-0 in second-chance points.
"Louisiana-Monroe is a team fighting for one of the last spots in the tournament, so we know that we're going to get their best shot," Fowler said. "For us, we have to contain their inside game. (Sharnice) Brooks is as good [of a player] in our league as there comes. We have to make sure that we are able to contain her. In the first meeting, they also hit a couple of big threes late in the game, so we have to make sure that no one else hurts us in that area. We need to capitalize on opportunities when we get them. We weren't able to do that in the first game against ULM."
The post trio of Sharnice Brooks, Alishia Hunter and Christina Gray combined for 33 points and 18 rebounds.
ULM has lost three straight and four of its last five, and fell 69-61 to Arkansas State at home on Saturday.
Brooks ranks among the conference leaders in five different categories. She is seventh in the SBC in scoring (14.9) and tied for 10th in rebounding (6.5). Brooks is also tied for fourth in the league in field-goal percentage, connecting on 50.7 percent of her shot attempts. She has also been one of the top shooters at the charity stripe this season as her 81.0 free-throw percentage is fifth. Brooks' 2.0 blocks per game are most among any Sun Belt player.
Gray (6.4) and Hunter (5.8) also rank among the conference leaders on the glass, coming in at 12th and 14th, respectively. Hunter sits just outside double figures with 9.3 points per outing. Hunter is also sixth in field-goal percentage (.481) and tied for sixth in blocks (1.4).
NOTES: The meeting between South Alabama and Louisiana-Monroe will mark the 20th in the all-time series between the two programs. South Alabama holds a 12-7 advantage in the series. USA has won three of the last five meetings with Louisiana-Monroe. The Warhawks took the first meeting this season, picking up a 55-53 win in Monroe. The Jaguars hold a 7-2 lead in games played in Mobile. The Jaguar women will wear pink uniforms for just the fifth time in the program's history against the Warhawks. USA holds a 3-1 record in those uniforms. Freshman center Chyna Ellis is nearing a program record for a USA freshman coming into the game against ULM. With her 45 blocks this season, she is just one block shy of tying LaSandra Jenkins freshman mark of 46 set during the 1981-82 season. Fellow freshman Marquita Daniels is climbing another freshman season chart. Daniels' 44 steals this season are the fourth most for a South Alabama freshman. She sits just one steal out of third (Stephanie Richardson – 45) and two steals out of second (Jessica Webb – 46) entering the game against the Warhawks.
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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