Game 19: vs. Appalachain State Game Notes (.pdf)

MOBILE, Ala. – Coming off a three-game road trip, the University of South Alabama women's basketball team returns home this weekend to host Appalachian State.  Tip-off versus the Mountaineers is set for 5 p.m. on Saturday at the Mitchell Center.

Live stats and web streaming for the contest versus the Mountaineers 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 (8-10, 4-5 SBC) comes into Saturday's game against App State after picking up a 75-71 win at Troy earlier this week.  The win versus the Trojans as USA's second-straight road victory and third in the Jaguars' last four outings.   

USA placed four players in double figures and posted a season-best 59.6 field-goal percentage Tuesday night.  The Jags were a blistering 18-for-20 in the second half against Troy for 90 percent shooting.

Marquita Daniels paced the club offensively with 17 points.  Daniels did most of her damage at the foul line, connecting on eight of her 10 attempts, including all four in the final 21 seconds of action.

Daniels leads the team offensively with 10.0 points per outing and has now scored double figures in three of her last four games.  Over that four-game stretch, Daniels has averaged 11.8 ppg.  The sophomore guard leads South Alabama defensively as well as she has 29 steals in her 15 games of action.

Colby Davis also chipped in with 11 points, five rebounds and six assists against the Trojans Tuesday night.  – Starting in place of Genesis Perrymond, who has missed the last three games due to injury, Davis has been solid directing the Jags in her last two outings as she is averaging 6.5 assists in those games.  Davis now leads the club with 47 assists on the year and ranks 13th in the Sun Belt in that category.

As a team, South Alabama currently leads the Sun Belt and is tied with Chattanooga for seventh in the NCAA in blocks, averaging 6.3 per game.   USA has 114 blocks on the season, which ranks sixth-most for a single season in program history and ranks as 14th-most in the NCAA.

The Jaguars are also 27th nationally in field-goal percentage defense (.352) and 49th in three-point field-goal defense (.277).  USA leads the league in field-goal percentage defense and three-point field-goal defense and on the defensive glass (27.4).  The Jags are also third in scoring defense (58.2).  

South Alabama is led in the post by Chyna Ellis is first in the Sun Belt and ranks 20th in the NCAA in blocks with 2.89 per game. Her 52 blocks this season are tied with former Jag Genevieve Delk (2004-05) for seventh on USA's single-season blocks chart.  Ellis has recorded five or more blocks five times this season and in her nine conference games, and is averaging 3.78 bpg.  She has had two or more blocks in 15 of her 18 games, including each of the last 11.

Appalachian State (6-12, 3-6 SBC) comes into play this weekend after picking up a 96-81 conference road win at Troy on Thursday night, which snapped a four-game skid for the Mountaineers.  The 96 points were a season-high for the Mountaineers and marked the third time that the club has eclipsed the 90-point mark this season.   

App State placed six players in double figures in the 15-point win over Troy, led by Joi Jones' 18.  Jones also dished out a career-high eight assists in the road win.  Bria Carter and Ashley Bassett-Smith each added 15 points of their own, while Madi Story and Kaila Craven had 12 apiece and KeKe Cooper finished with 10 points and 16 rebounds.  

As a team, ASU was 37-of-73 from the field for 50.7 percent, a new season-best for the club.  App State also new season-best in points in the paint (46) and bench points (42).

"Appalachian State is a team that really likes to get up and down the floor," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said.  "They really like to push the ball and try to score in transition and as quick as possible.  They do multiple things at the defensive end of the floor from how they handle ball screens, to what they do when they are in zone or man defense.  They can play with either a small or a big lineup, and with a short preparation, there are a lot of things we will have to plan for."

App State is averaging 78.6 possessions per game this season, while also averaging 62.8 shot attempts per outing.

Offensively, the Mountaineers are led by the trio of Story (11.2), Jones (10.7) and Craven (9.7), who are averaging 48.4 percent of the team's points this season.  

Story has been outstanding as of late for ASU as she is averaging 16.2 ppg and shooting 43.1 percent over her last four games.  Story also recorded her first double-double against Troy, pulling down 10 boards.  Story also had 31 points on Jan. 16 against Texas State.

Appalachian State leads the Sun Belt in rebounding offense (42.0 rpg) and ranks second in the conference in blocks (4.6), offensive rebounds (15.6) and defensive rebounds (26.4).  

The Mountaineers have four players ranked in the top 20 of the league on the glass.  Cooper's 7.6 rebounds per game are tied with USA's Ellis for fourth, while Mia Marshal is ninth with 6.8 per outing.  Bassett-Smith (5.2) is 16th and Jones (4.8) is 20th.

Marshall is also sixth in the conference in offensive rebounds (2.7) and tied for 11th in defensive rebounds (4.1), while Cooper is in a three-way tie for seventh on the offensive glass (2.3) and fourth on the defensive with 5.3.

Bassett-Smith, Cooper and Marshall also rank in the top seven of the league in blocks.  Bassett-Smith is tied for third with 1.5 blocks per game.  Cooper is sixth with 1.3 and Marshall is seventh with 1.1.

ASU's Cooper also leads the Sun Belt in shooting, knocking down 57.8 percent of her field-goal attempts.

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—