Box Score - South Alabama 71, Appalachian State 55 (.pdf)Post Game QuotesMOBILE, Ala. – Marquita Daniels and Colby Davis combined to record 43 points for the University of South Alabama women's basketball team as the Jaguars captured their fifth Sun Belt win of the season with a 71-55 victory over Appalachian State at the Mitchell Center. The win was South Alabama's third straight and fourth in its last five games.
"They are just growing up," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said of his team following the win. "I see them every day come to practice and do their job, and we're having fun as well. We've asked over the last few ballgames 'When is the last bad practice that we've had?' and nobody can point to one. It started with our preparation and is carrying over in the game plan on game day. When we start getting away from that we just say 'game plan discipline' and everybody knows what we need to do."
Daniels posted a season-high 22 points in the victory on 7-of-15 shooting. She was also 7-for-8 at the foul line, and recorded six rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Davis notched a career-high 21 points and was 7-for-11 from the field. The junior guard also knocked down a career-best four three-pointers and was perfect from long range. Like Daniels, Davis also contributed in other areas as she had six rebounds, three assists and three steals.
The 20-point outings by Daniels and Davis marked the first time since last season's game at Georgia Southern (2/12/15) that USA has had two players record 20-plus points in the same game – Daniels (31) and Breanna Hall (20).
Davis came alive in the second half as she scored 15 of her 21 points during the final 20 minutes of play. She was 5-of-6 from the field and 3-of-4 as the foul line during that stretch. Davis (10) and Daniels (7) combined for 17 of USA's 21 points in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
The Jaguars (9-10, 5-5 SBC) will now head back out on the road for a pair of games, opening up at Sun Belt-leading Arkansas State on Thursday. Tip-off versus the Red Wolves is set for 5:05 p.m. at the Convocation 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.
Sophomore center Chyna Ellis had a solid game in the post for the Jags as she had eight points, eight rebounds and four blocks. With her four blocks, Ellis increased her season total to 56, tying the mark she set last season as a freshman, which ranks fifth-most in a single season in program history. Ellis passed former Jags Genevieve Delk (52 – seventh) and Orphie Moore (53 – sixth) during the game.
The Cordova, Tenn., native is averaging 2.95 blocks per game in her 19 outings and in Sun Belt play, she has been even better as she has 38 blocks in USA's 10 league games for a 3.80 bpg average. Ellis now has 112 blocks for her career, which is fifth on South Alabama's career list.
For the third-consecutive game, South Alabama shot over 40 percent from the field. The Jaguars were 25-for-57 for 43.9 percent. After shooting 90 percent in the second half on Tuesday night at Troy, USA again was outstanding offensively during the final 20 minutes of action, hitting 13 of its 23 shot attempts for 56.5 percent.
Appalachian State fell to 6-13 overall and 3-7 in Sun Belt play with the loss. Joi Jones and Madi Story paced the club offensively with 12 points apiece. Jones – who had all 12 of her points in the second half – also added a team-high eight rebounds. Kaila Craven just missed double figures, ending the night with nine points off the bench.
The Mountaineers shot 34.3 percent in the contest, but in the second half, they were held to just 12-of-40 shooting from the field – 30 percent – and just 2-for-11 from beyond the three-point line.
"We got off to a slow start — they opened up on a 7-0 run — and then we responded to that and were able to play the style of ball we wanted to," Fowler said. "They are a team that really likes to score the basketball; they had 96 points on Thursday, and we held them 41 points below that. Our kids are really taking pride on the defensive end of the floor, and offensively we are starting to understand what we want to do on that end and we're now making shots. And we're playing total team basketball and sharing the ball as well."
Another key stat in the game for the Jaguars was on the glass where USA held a 43-35 advantage. App State entered the game averaging a SBC-best 42.0 rebounds per game. The Mountaineers also pulled down 13 offensive rebounds against the Jaguars, but managed just three second-chance points.
App State got off to a quick start scoring the first seven points of the contest, but after missing its first five shot attempts from the field, USA knocked down three-straight to tie the contest up at 7-7 on a three-pointer by Davis. Davis' trey came at the 5:47 mark from the left wing.
With less than three to go in the opening quarter, Jennifer Towne gave South Alabama its first lead of the afternoon when the senior drained a trey from the right corner. Towne's three-pointers sparked the Jags as they erupted for a 10-0 run to close the period.
After Towne went one of two at the line, Daniels rattled off four-straight points. The sophomore knocked down a step-back jumper and then at the other end of the floor, she intercepted a pass and raced down the floor for a layup. On the Jaguars' next possession, Daniels did it with her passing as she found Erin Autio open for a easy bucket after she had slipped the screen. Autio's bucket put South Alabama up 19-11.
Craven knocked down a jumper at the 9:20 mark of the second quarter, which was the Mountaineers' first points in four minutes.
South Alabama kept the momentum thought and grabbed its largest lead of the first half a minute-and-a-half later. Davis knocked down her second three-pointer of the game, this one form the right wing, then after coming up with a steal at the other end of the floor, Genesis Perrymond delivered a beautiful pass in transition to Juliann Miller. Miller's layup with less than eight minutes showing on the clock extended the Jags' advantage out to 12 (25-13). It was the first action for Perrymond, as the redshirt freshman had missed USA's last three games due to injury.
Over the next seven-plus minutes though, South Alabama would struggle offensively as it would hit just one field goal and score four points. Appalachian State took advantage of the offensive woes and fought its way back, cutting the deficit to 29-24 after a trey from the left corner by Story with a minute, 32 seconds remaining before the half.
Daniels though would end the 11-4 Mountaineer run and give USA a 31-24 lead with under a minute to go as she recorded her second steal of the afternoon and went coast-to-coast for a layup. Daniels led all scorers with 12 first-half points as he was 5-of-11 from the field.
Taylor Jenkins scored USA's first five points to start the second half and stretch the Jaguar lead back out to double digits (36-24). Ellis delivered a nice interior pass to Jenkins for a layup on South Alabama's first possession. The senior forward then drained a three from the top of the key on the Jags' next possession to give USA the 12-point advantage.
App State closed the gap below single digits (36-27) a minute later after one of two free throws by Bria Carter, but Daniels and Davis would each knock down a trey to give the Jags some breathing room. Davis added another bucket with just over five minutes to go in the third that extended South Alabama's lead back out to 15 (44-29).
With USA leading 50-39 with 30 seconds remaining, the Jags looked as if they were going to take a double-figure lead into the final quarter, but Jones's runner just as the buzzer was about to sound again narrowed the South Alabama lead to nine.
The two clubs would go scoreless for nearly the first four minutes of the final quarter. Jasmine Ogunjimi ended the drought for the Mountaineers and cut the Jag lead to seven (50-43) with a bucket at the 6:16 mark. ASU wouldn't hold the momentum long though as Davis again had the answer for the Jags. Davis sank a pair of free throws with just over six to go and less than a minute later, connected on her fourth trey of the game, this one coming from the left wing and stretching USA's lead back out to 55-43.
Jones would score six-straight points for App State in less than a minute as the junior trimmed the deficit to 55-49, forcing USA to call a 30-second time out with under five minutes showing on the clock.
South Alabama did not panic though and with three minutes, 48 seconds remaining in regulation, Ellis found Davis open underneath for a layup. On USA's next trip down the floor, it was Miller coming up with the big bucket as the senior knocked down an eight-foot jumper.
Craven would answer with a three-pointer at the other end of the floor, but over a two-minute stretch, South Alabama would put the game away with a 12-0 run. Daniels began the scoring with a layup at the 2:13 mark and then went on to record seven of the Jags' 12 points during the pivotal run. The run was capped off by an and-one play by Davis with 31.1 remaining and then a pair of free throws by Daniels with 18.9 showing.
App State would get an and-one play of its own in the closing seconds, but the Jaguar lead would be too great as South Alabama ran off the clock and picked up the 16-point win.
USA, which has struggled a bit at the foul line during the first 38 minutes of the game was clutch at the stripe in the final two minutes, connecting on six of its seven opportunities – Daniels hitting five of those six 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).
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