JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of South Alabama women's basketball team (3-3) had its three game-winning streak snapped by Jacksonville (4-2) in the final game of the Jacksonville Thanksgiving Classic 62-55 on Saturday afternoon at Historic Swisher Gym.  The Jaguars led by one point with 1:36 remaining but the Dolphins ended the game on an 8-0 run.
 
"I thought it was an extremely good game, and both teams played well," said head coach Terry Fowler.  "To be a fan at that game, it would have been exciting.  We had some stretches on both sides of the ball where we didn't execute that led to us getting down and eventually a win for Jacksonville."
 
Brandi Buie gave Jacksonville the lead for good on a layup with a minute and 18 seconds left.  South Alabama turned the ball over and missed a shot in its next two possessions, and Jacksonville's Christen Mercer split a pair of free throws.  After a missed layup by Colby Davis that was contested, Mercer made the front end of her two free throws.  The Dolphins were able to grab the board following the miss, and Buie would hit two pairs of free throws to preserve the victory for Jacksonville.
 
"We hit a stretch where we missed some shots," said Fowler.  "They were able to go down and convert. It was the exact opposite of us.  We had to be the team to comeback and make some shots that we needed to, and then we couldn't get the stops either."
 
Entering the fourth quarter tied at 44-44 Jacksonville started the quarter on an 8-2 run.  Jillah Moede started the run with a layup and was followed by a jumper by Mercer.  After Kennedi Centers made a layup, Buie hit a jumper, and then Mercer scored on a layup to cap the run.
 
South Alabama responded with a 9-2 run that covered over six minutes.  Davis and Chyna Ellis both made a pair of free throws, and Erin Autio cut the Jaguars' deficit to one on a three-pointer with almost four minutes left.  Candice Williams gave the Jags the lead on two free throws in what would be the final points for the Jags in the game.
 
The first quarter featured runs by both teams.  After Williams banked in a three-pointer with the shot clock winding down in the first possession of the game, Jacksonville went on a 10-0 run.  Kayla Gordon made a layup on the Dolphins' first possession, and Kimberly Dawkins would score six of the next eight points on two jumpers in the paint and a layup.
 
The Jaguars would then go on a 15-3 run to take the lead for the last three minutes of the quarter.  Davis hit a three-pointer off a pass by Williams, and Erin Autio made two layups in the next two trips on the offensive end.  After a Dolphins' three-pointer Williams tied the game up with her second three of the quarter, and Davis grabbed the lead for South Alabama.  Savannah Jones ended the run with a three on a dish by Genesis Perrymond.
 
Davis had the first four points of the second quarter for South Alabama.  After Kayla Gordon cut the Dolphins' deficit to one following a layup and two free throws, they took a one-point lead into halftime by outscoring the Jags 7-3 over the last seven minutes of the quarter.
 
The third quarter went back and forth between the two teams.  A 11-2 run by South Alabama on a bucket by Autio, an Ellis' layup and two free throws and another three-pointer by Jones gave it a five-point lead over four minutes into the quarter.  Jacksonville ended the quarter by outscoring South Alabama 10-4.
 
Jacksonville finished with the advantage on the glass, outrebounding South Alabama 44-35 that included 19 offensive boards.  The Dolphins outscored the Jags 32-12 in the paint and 18-8 in second chance points.
 
South Alabama went 7-13 (53.8%) from behind the three-point line, but only shot 31.4 % (16-51) from the field.  The Jags also turned the ball over five more times (20-15).
 
Autio led the Jags in scoring with a dozen and also had six boards and a game-high three blocks.  Davis was the only other double-digit scorer for South Alabama with 11 points.  Ellis finished with nine rebounds, seven points and one block.  Williams had a game-high five assists and eight points, all on three's (2-4) and free throws (2-2).
 
Jones was the top bench scorer for the Jags with eight points by making two of three three-pointers and both free throw attempts.  Kines, LaNeetra Guillory and Centers all had two points.
 
The loss concludes a six-game stretch in November that saw the Jags play away from home five times.  After dropping two games in Florida to then No. 20/24 Florida 85-33 and UCF 70-58 to start the season, South Alabama defeated Spring Hill in the only home game 38-33, won at New Orleans 65-62 and beat North Florida 62-55 in the previous game of the Jacksonville Thanksgiving Classic.
 
"I thought we improved every game," said Fowler.  "I really saw us improve not only from game-by-game but quarter-by-quarter.  We're excited to get back to the Mitchell Center and play this next stretch of games at home, and we'll finish up at UAB before the holiday break.  To not leave the state of Alabama with a majority of those games in Mobile is a blessing for us."
 
South Alabama returns home for a four-game home stand, and will only play once on the road in the month of December.  The first home game will be against Southern Miss next Sunday at 2:00 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).