Game 29 - vs. Troy Game Notes (.pdf)MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women's basketball team will close out the 2014-15 campaign Saturday night when the Jaguars host in-state rival Troy on Senior Night. Tip off versus the Trojans is set for 2:05 p.m. at the Mitchell Center.
Prior to the game, senior guard Breanna Hall will be honored along with red-shirt junior Rachel Cumbo and senior student manager Amanda Patton who will be playing their final game in the Mitchell Center.
"First of all, Bre[anna] Hall has really tried to buy into what we brought here to South Alabama," South Alabama coach Terry Fowler. "She is one of the hardest working kids that I've been around. She has a plan and she has a purpose both on and off the court. She is an unbelievable young lady.
"Rachel Cumbo has shown a toughness and resiliency to be able to fight through multiple knee injuries and person tragedies. She is an outstanding student and is one of the toughest competitors that I've been around.
"I can't say enough about Amanda Patton. She is one of the most organized people I know and a genuine person. We're going to miss all three of these young ladies in our program. It's going to be tough to replace them."
Live stats, the Jaguars' audio broadcast and web streaming of the contest versus Troy can be accessed at www.USAJaguars.com.
South Alabama (5-23, 2-17 SBC) comes into its season finale against the Trojans after falling 70-60 at Arkansas State on Thursday night.
USA fought back from two different double-digit deficits in the second half to pull within three on three different occasions, but the Red Wolves pulled away in the closing minutes to pick up the 10-point victory. ASU controlled the offensive glass, 25-8, and converted those opportunities into 16 second-chance points.
Hall led the Jags offensively with 16 points in the loss, marking the 23rd time this season that she has recorded double figures and led the club in scoring 18 times.
Hall will be wrapping up a solid final season in a Jag uniform. Coming into her final game, she ranks fifth in the conference in scoring with 15.5 ppg. The Mesquite, Texas, native also ranks among the league leaders in free-throw shooting (3rd – .816), three-point shooting (2nd – .416) and three-pointers per game (2nd – 2.4). Hall is also 24th in the NCAA in three-point shooting.
She has scored 715 points during her four-year career, including 402 this season – the first time for a South Alabama player since the '08-09 season – and will leave USA ranked among the career leaders in free-throw shooting, three-pointers made and three-point percentage.
Cumbo has scored 377 points, knocked down 76 three-pointers and connected on 37.3 percent of her long-range attempts. She will leave South Alabama ranked among the program leaders in career three-point shooting.
Both Hall and Cumbo were named third-team all-Sun Belt Conference prior to the start of the '14-15 season.
Patton has served as student-manager the last four seasons and has been an integral part of the behind-the-scenes functions of the program.
South Alabama has also received a pair of strong performances from a pair of freshmen this season. Marquita Daniels is second on the club offensively with 9.5 points per outing. Daniels is tied for 10th in the SBC in steals and her 49 steals are second-most by a Jag freshman.
Chyna Ellis is averaging 7.9 ppg and 7.5 rpg – which is sixth most in the conference. Ellis also leads the Sun Belt in blocks (2.0 per game) and her 53 blocks are top USA's freshman list in that category.
Troy (19-9, 14-5 SBC) enter Saturday's contest after not having played for a week. Last Saturday, the Trojans picked up their seven-straight win with an 88-75 victory over Georgia State. Troy will be the third seed in this year's conference tournament.
A win over the Jags will give the Trojans their first 20-win season in nearly two decades.
The all-conference duo of Ashley Beverly-Kelley and Ronita Garrett has been instrumental in the success of the Trojans this season.
Beverly-Kelley enters ranked second in the SBC in scoring (17.6 ppg) and first in scoring in league games at 19.7 ppg. She has scored 20-plus in seven of her last 10 games, including an NCAA Division I leading 46 two weeks ago at Georgia Southern.
Garrett comes into the contest after registering her fifth-straight double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds against the Panthers. Garrett now has 20 double-doubles on the season, the most in the Sun Belt and eighth most in the NCAA. She ranks fourth in the Sun Belt in scoring (16.1 ppg) and first in rebounding (11.1 rpg).
As a team, Troy is averaging a Sun Belt-best 77.0 points per game (16th in NCAA) and also leads the league in assists (14.7), rebounds (43.1), opponent turnovers (22.7 per game – 4th in NCAA) and steals (12.4 spg – 3rd in NCAA).
NOTES: The meeting between South Alabama and Troy will mark the 41st in the all-time series between the two programs. Troy holds a 21-19 advantage in the series. The Trojans have won the last four meetings in the series. Troy took the first meeting this season, 78-67 on its home floor. South Alabama holds a 12-6 lead in games played in Mobile. Since the Trojans joined the Sun Belt (2005-06), the Jaguars have taken 15 of those 21 meetings.
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—
