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MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women's basketball team scored 25 points and shot 66.7 percent from the field in the fourth quarter, but it wasn't enough as the Jaguars dropped a 66-53 Saturday afternoon to Arkansas State at the Mitchell Center.  

"It was just another disappointing night from an offensive standpoint," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said.  "Opening the game, we got some looks on the inside that we really wanted, we just weren't able to get those to fall for us; if some of those shots fall and we get off to a good start, you have an opportunity for our team to build some confidence.  Unfortunately those shots didn't fall and (Arkansas State) was able to make us pay for those opportunities that we missed.  They do a good job scoring off of turnovers — they average 25 points off turnovers, that's the exact number that they got — and present a lot of different problems just because Aundrea Gamble makes it easy for everyone else.

"The bright side for us is that we were able to get Marquita Daniels back into a flow, hopefully she can build some confidence and be able to take this into our road trip to Georgia next week"

The Jaguars (4-7, 0-2 SBC) will now head out on the road for a pair of Sun Belt Conference games, beginning with Georgia Southern on Thursday night.  Tip off versus the Eagles is set for 4 p.m. (CT) at Hanner Fieldhouse.  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.

Marquita Daniels led the club with 17 points off the bench on 7-of-16 shooting and also added three rebounds, three assists and three steals.  Of her 17 points, 14 came in the second half, including nine in during the final 10 minutes of the contest.  Daniels was 6-of-10 from the floor in the second half and hit four of her seven shots in the final period.

"She's been struggling a little bit lately," Fowler said of Daniels.  "Players need to see the ball go through the basket, hopefully she can build off tonight.  I thought she played with a reckless abandon and was able to penetrate and get to the basket, and that's what we need her to do.  We don't need her to play tentative, she is the most aggressive kid we have; we need her to be aggressive and feed off of that."

Joining Daniels in double figures for the Jaguars was Juliann Miller who chipped in with 11 points on 5-for-8 shooting.  Chyna Ellis nearly recorded USA's first triple double in 26 years as the sophomore finished with eight points, eight rebounds and a career-high seven blocks.  The seven blocks were also one block shy of tying a Mitchell Center record as Genevieve Delk had eight on Feb. 3, 2005 against Arkansas State.

With her seven blocks, Ellis also moved into seventh place on South Alabama's career blocks chart as she now has 83 during her time in a Jaguar uniform.  Ellis passed former Jag Carla Mathis, who lettered at USA from 1984-87 and recorded 82 blocks during that time.

Arkansas State improved to 8-3 on the season and 2-0 in league play.  The Red Wolves were led offensively by the duo of Khadija Brown-Haywood and Amanda Lawson who combined to record 45 of ASU's 66 points.  Brown-Haywood led all scorers with a career-best 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting.  Brown-Haywood was also 4-of-6 from beyond the three-point line and pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds for her third double-double of the season.  She has now scored double figures in seven-straight games.  

Lawson, who scored a career-high 23 points against Troy on Wednesday night, posted her second-straight 20-point outing.  Lawson recorded 20 points on 9-of-15 shooting and had four of ASU's 13 steals.  Brittney Gill led the club in the latter category with five steals of her own.

The Red Wolves forced South Alabama into 23 turnovers, leading to 25 points for Arkansas State. 

Midway through the first quarter, Arkansas State used an 11-2 run over a two minute stretch to turn a two-point advantage into a 10-point lead.  Amanda Lawson knocked down a three-pointer from the top of the key at the 5:21 mark to ignite the run for the Red Wolves.  After a bucket by USA's Ellis, ASU would scored eight unanswered points and take a 16-6 lead following a layup by Dominique Oliver.

LaNeetra Guillory would end a nearly three-plus minute scoreless drought for the Jaguars with jumper in the lane with just under two minutes remaining in the quarter.  Genesis Perrymond would add another basket for South Alabama in the closing seconds to trim the deficit to six (16-10) after one quarter complete.  

South Alabama shot 35.7 percent from the field during the first quarter, but turned the ball over eight times.

The Red Wolves quickly stretched their lead back out at the start of the second quarter as they opened the period up on a 9-0 run.  Lawson would score four of her 15 first-half points during the run.  Lawson was 7-for-10 from the field during the first 20 minutes of action.

Jessica Flanery gave ASU a 15-point advantage (25-10) with a pair of free throws at the 6:22 mark of the second quarter.

After not scoring for nearly the first five minutes of the quarter, Daniels connected from the right wing and then on USA's next possession, Ellis pulled down an offensive rebound and laid the ball back off the glass for a layup to pull South Alabama within 10 with four-and-a-half minutes showing on the clock.

Arkansas State didn't let the Jaguars gain any more momentum as the Red Wolves sank their third trey of the afternoon, this one coming from Brown-Haywood from the left side of the floor.  After a pair of South Alabama free throws, Lawson would again spark ASU as she scored six-straight points of an 8-0 run.  Brown-Haywood capped off the scoring and gave Arkansas State its largest lead of the first half at 35-17 when the senior hit one of two at the foul line.

USA's Jennifer Towne banked in a runner in the lane just before the halftime buzzer to send the two clubs into the locker room with ASU holding a 35-19 lead.  

Led by Lawson, Arkansas State outscored the Jaguars 19-9 in the second quarter.  ASU also knocked down seven of its 14 shot attempts, while USA was shot just 18.8 (3-of-16) and turned the ball over 13 times, leading to 13 points for the Red Wolves.

Led by the reigning Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Aundrea Gamble, Arkansas State quickly extended its lead out to 20 points less than five minutes into the third quarter and took its largest lead of the game a minute into the fourth after five points from Brown-Haywood.  Brown-Haywood's trey at the 9:11 mark increased the visitors' lead to 53-28.

Less than a minute later though, South Alabama began to claw its way back with six straight points coming on a field goals by Daniels and Ellis and then a pair of free throws by Taylor Jenkins.

Following a basket by Lawson, USA rattled off nine-straight points and pulled within 12.  Daniels found Miller open in the left corner with just under five minutes to go and the senior drained a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 55-43.  Miller recorded seven of her nine second-half points during the 9-0 Jaguar run.

The duo of Brown-Haywood would again have the answer as they combined for nine quick points over the next two minutes to again stretch ASU's advantage out to 21.  Brown-Haywood had seven of Arkansas State's points during the run.

South Alabama kept fighting though and scored eight of the final 10 points of the contest to narrow the final margin of defeat to 13.

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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