ORLANDO – The University of South Alabama's women's basketball team lost its second-straight game on the road to start the 2016-17 season to UCF 70-58 at CFE Arena on Sunday afternoon.  After the Jaguars led 40-39 with 4:26 left in the third quarter, the Knights outscored them 31-12 in the next 13 minutes to pull away with the victory.
 
After UCF's Fifi Ndour made a layup a minute into the third quarter to give UCF a four-point advantage, South Alabama went on a 7-0 run in just a minute to retake the lead.  Junior Colby Davis hit a three-pointer, and junior Chyna Ellis made two-straight layups.  The two teams traded baskets over the next few minutes, and a free throw by Davis gave the Jaguars the 40-39 lead.  Ndour tied it up on a free throw 14 seconds later, and she made a layup with 3:37 left in the quarter to give UCF a lead it would never relinquish.
 
UCF ended the third quarter on a 10-2 run.  With both teams both in the bonus, the Knights' Jamesha Paul split a pair of free throws, and Zykira Lewis hit a three the next possession.  After Erin Autio made a layup off redshirt-sophomore Candice William's pass at the top of the key, a pair of free throws by Paul and layups by Ndour gave UCF a ten-point lead to start the fourth quarter.
 
The Knights began the fourth quarter on an 8-1 run.  The Jaguars missed 10-straight shots and turned the ball over twice in the first three minutes before Davis hit a three 3:25 into the quarter to end the drought.  Williams cut the Jags' deficit to a dozen off two free throws with 1:45 left, but the Knights ended the comeback attempt by responding with a 7-1 run.  South Alabama went 3-16 (16.7%) from the field in the quarter, including 1-12 (8.3%) on two-point shots.
 
The two teams went back and forth in the first half, with the score tied six times and the lead changing four times.  UCF scored the first five points of the game in two minutes, but South Alabama responded with five points of their own when Davis made a pair of free throws and Ellis hit a three-pointer at the top of the three-point line.
 
Redshirt-sophomore Erin Autio gave the Jags their first lead on a layup with 3:10 left in the quarter.  South Alabama possessed the lead most of the last three minutes, and two free throws by junior Marquita Daniels with a minute left gave the Jags a 17-15 lead entering the second quarter.
 
After Daniels hit a three just past five minutes into the second quarter, South Alabama possessed the lead until the last 30 seconds of the half.  The two teams traded baskets until UCF's Lewis and Korneila Wright hit a pair of layups in the last two possessions of the half.
 
UCF had the advantage in the paint, enjoying a 40-28 rebounding advantage that included 17 offensive boards.  It outscored South Alabama 34-18 in the paint and 12-6 on second chance points.  Turnovers hurt the Jags for the second-straight game as they committed 21 with only 10 assists.
 
Davis and Daniels both had 11 points to lead the Jags in scoring.  Daniels went 2-5 from three and made all three free throw attempts.  Autio had nine points, a team-high seven rebounds, a block and one steal.  Ellis had nine points with four made field goals in six attempts and a game-high four blocks, but was limited to only 18 minutes due to foul trouble and eventually fouled out with four minutes remaining in the game.
 
Williams had seven points off the bench and tied redshirt-sophomore Genesis Perrymond for the team-high in assists (3).  Freshman Kennedi Centers had five boards, including three on the offensive glass, and two points.  Five different Jags came off the bench and scored (Williams, Autio, Centers, freshman Savannah Jones and sophomore India Hall).
 
South Alabama will return home for its home-opener of the 2016-17 campaign on Thursday against Spring Hill.  Tipoff will be at 7:00 p.m.
 
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).