Box Score - South Alabama 59, UT Arlington 55 (.pdf)Post Game QuotesPhoto GalleryMOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women's basketball team got four defensive stops on UT Arlington's final possession of the game and Juliann Miller clinched the win for the Jaguars with a pair of free throws with 4.7 seconds remaining as USA picked up its second Sun Belt Conference win of the season Saturday afternoon with a 59-55 win over the Mavericks at the Mitchell Center.
"It was just an outstanding effort by our young ladies, they never gave in and kept fighting," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said. "We have been putting ourselves in position to win these types of games, and now we are starting to see we are able to win those ballgames. You have to be able to compete before you can start winning. It was an outstanding job by our entire program.
"We told our team yesterday in practice that we should be on a four-game winning streak, but we're not. I told them we have to take more pride in winning in the Mitchell Center, I thought that was the key and that our kids didn't want to let that happen today. We have to keep moving on — we go to Louisiana next week — so I'd like to build some momentum and keep going. I think the kids are understanding what it takes to prepare, and they are executing it on game day."
UTA (7-8, 2-3 SBC) missed a pair of three-pointers, had a shot blocked Chyna Ellis and was called for a travel with 6.4 seconds to go on their final offensive possession before the Miller free throws.
The Jaguars (6-9, 2-4 SBC) will now head out on the road for three-straight games, beginning with UL Lafayette on Thursday night. Tip-off versus the Ragin' Cajuns is set 5 p.m. at the Cajundome. Live stats and web streaming for the contest can be accessed at www.USAJaguars.com. Fans can also keep up with in-game updates by following action on the program's twitter account @SouthALWBB.
South Alabama was led offensively by a pair of sophomores – Ellis and Marquita Daniels – who each had 13 points apiece. Ellis was 5-of-10 from the floor and hit all three of her free-throw attempts, while also adding nine rebounds and five blocked shots.
Ellis now has 42 blocks on the season and is averaging 2.8 per game. The five-block game was her fourth game this season in which she has recorded five or more rejections. In her six conference games this season, Ellis is averaging 4.0 bpg.
Led by Ellis in the post, South Alabama registered its fourth 10-block performance of the season, matching its season highs set earlier this season against Florida (12/1), Arkansas State (1/2) and at Georgia State (1/9).
Daniels was 5-for-13 from the floor and hit a pair of three-pointers in the win. She also had four steals – which were one shy of tying a season-high – in her 23 minutes of action. Daniels was 4-for-7 from the field in the quarter and had two of her steals.
"I didn't give up on the play," Daniels said of her defensive play against the Mavericks. "I watched film on the last few games and I was letting people get past me instead of taking that extra step. So I took that extra step, and everybody else was there to be in a gap with help."
Daniels, who ranks second on the team with 24 steals, had not recorded a steal in either of her last two outings.
Of Daniels' 13 points, 10 came during the third quarter where South Alabama scored 20 points. Coming into the game, USA was averaging just 11.9 per game in the third period this season.
Miller also carded her third-straight double-figure outing of the season with 10 points. Miller was 6-of-6 at the line, while South Alabama ended the contest 17-for-22 for 77.3 percent.
Rebekah Van Dijk was the lone Maverick in double figures as she had 20 points and 12 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. Van Dijk was 6-of-14 from the floor and 8-of-11 at the foul line in the loss. As a team, UTA was 15-for-21 at the charity stripe for 71.4 percent.
Of her 12 boards, eight came on the offensive glass. UTA – which had 44 rebounds – finished with 21 offensive rebounds in the game, but was only able to get nine second-chance points off those opportunities. While UTA had 19 more shot attempts, the visitors were just 18-for-67 from the field for 26.9 percent. The Mavericks – who also entered the game leading the Sun Belt in three-point shooting (.346) – were just 4-of-17 from the arc in the loss for 23.5 percent.
Cierra Johnson, who had a career-high 26 points against Troy on Thursday, was held to nine points on 2-of-13 shooting. Johnson still managed to record six of UT Arlington's eight steals on the afternoon. Johnson entered the game ranked sixth in the nation with 3.43 steals per game.
Both teams got off to a slow start connecting on just three of their first 17 attempts during the first five minutes of the contest. Van Dijk led the Mavs during the first 10 minutes of action, scoring seven of the club's 13 points and gave the Mavs as much as a four-point lead (10-6) in the opening period.
South Alabama kept chipping away at the deficit and with under a minute to go in the first, Miller drove the left baseline for a reverse layup to tie the contest up at 13.
UT Arlington answered back at the other end of the floor on the ensuing possession though and retook the lead on a bucket by Morgan Hunt.
In the second quarter, South Alabama scored the first four points of the period and claimed its first lead of the afternoon at 17-15 after a pair of free throws by Davis at the 8:24 mark.
UTA went back out on top on its next possession after a three by Amara Wainwright from the left wing, but USA would answer back with four more points. LaNeetra Guillory's 15-foot jumper from the left elbow gave the Jags their largest lead of the game to that point (21-18) with six minutes, 45 seconds showing on the clock.
The Mavericks would score on each of their next two possessions and go up 22-21 following Wainwright's pull up jumper with less than to six remaining before the half.
The two teams would exchange the lead five times for the remainder of the half. With less than 30 seconds remaining, Davis stole the ball from Wainwright and went the length of the floor for a layup to put the Jaguars up 28-27. The Mavericks' three-point attempt by Miranda LeJune from the left corner was off the mark in the closing seconds and Miller grabbed the rebound and held onto it as the horn sounded for the intermission.
UTA turned up its defensive pressure to start the second half and rattled off a quick 7-0 run to take a 34-28 lead two minutes into the third. As they did in the first quarter, the Mavs fed the ball into the post to Van Dijk where she scored the first five points of the run. Johnson then hit a pair of free throws to give UT Arlington the four-point advantage.
Trailing by five (35-30), South Alabama began to again claw its way back. Guillory hit one of two at the line, and after the missed free throw, Miller came up with the offensive rebound. The senior was fouled and hit two free throws of her own to cut the deficit to two. After a two UTA free throws, Daniels drained her second trey of the contest, this one coming at the 5:39 mark from the left wing to cut the Maverick lead to 37-36.
With just over four to play in the third, Daniels recorded another steal and went the length of the court for a layup to give USA a one-point advantage. The Jaguars added three more free throws over the next minute and went up 41-37 after two by Ellis at the 3:05 mark.
UTA would answer the 11-2 Jaguar run with a run of five unanswered points over a 72 second stretch and go back out in front 42-41. The Maverick run was started by Morgan Holly's basket, which was their first made field goal since the 8:39 mark of the third and snapped a streak of eight-straight misses with three turnovers.
Daniels had the answer for the Jaguars again as the sophomore forced a UTA turnover and went in for another layup. With under a minute to go, Daniels then recorded another bucket to put USA up three. South Alabama would get a defensive stop at the other end of the floor and take advantage of the extra offensive possession. Taylor Jenkins banked in a three-pointer from the left wing to send USA into the fourth with a 48-42 advantage.
While UTA was just 3-of-15 from the floor in the quarter, the Mavericks were able to remain in the game hitting nine of their 11 free-throw attempts.
Trailing by six entering the final quarter, UT Arlington held the Jags scoreless for the first four minutes of the period and rattled off six unanswered points. Van Dijk scored five of UTA's six points during the run and hit one of two at the line with six minutes, 48 seconds remaining to knot the contest up at 48-48.
Following Van Dijk's free throw, Ellis ended the scoreless drought for the Jaguars with a bucket and on USA's next possession, Jenkins converted an and-one play to extend South Alabama's lead out to 53-48.
UTA would again quickly tie the contest back up though. LaShanda Green knocked down a three from the left wing with just over five to go and then coming out of a media time out, Johnson recorded a steal when USA was inbounding the ball underneath the Mavericks' basket. Johnson's layup at the 4:32 mark tied the game back up at 53-53.
Still tied at 55-55 with under a minute to go, Davis drove to the basket and was fouled. The Wylie, Texas, native calmly went to the line and hit both of her attempts with 39.6 remaining.
UT Arlington would have four different scoring chances over the next 30 seconds. Green missed a three from the top of the key and after a Jaguar foul on the rebound, the Mavericks looked as if they were going to tie the game up as Van Dijk cut to the basket on the inbounds and looked like she was going to have a clear path to the basket. Ellis, however, recovered on the back side of the defense and swapped Van Dijk's shot out of bounds.
"On that last play with the block, I got lost because I didn't see her cut," Ellis said. "When I saw her catch it I had to hurry up and recover, I didn't want her to get the shot up because that would've tied the game and it would have been a momentum changer. I was glad I could get there to get that stop."
Green would miss another three-point attempt, but Holly came down with the offensive board for UTA. After a 30-second time out, Johnson was called for a travel, giving South Alabama possession of the ball.
South Alabama called its final time out and advanced the ball to half-court where the Jags were able to get the ball into Miller. She was fouled and got both free-throw attempts to fall to seal the win. UTA was unable to get a shot off in the closing seconds before the final horn sounded.
UTA missed its last six shots and eight of its last nine, while also turning the ball over three times in the last three minutes.
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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