Game 24 - vs. Troy Game Notes (.pdf)

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women's basketball team will close out its three-game Sun Belt Conference homestand Tuesday night when the Jaguars welcome Troy.  Tip-off versus the Trojans is set for 5 p.m. at the Mitchell Center.  

Live stats and web streaming for the contest versus the Trojans 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.  

"Our last two games were really contrasting games for us," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said.  "We probably played about as well as we have all season against Georgia State on Thursday night and then on Saturday, we didn't play as well, and Georgia Southern had a lot to do with that – but our team was able to find a way to win.  That type of game is a sign of our team growing, so we need to just continue to do that as we head into our game Tuesday night against Troy."

The Jags trailed by seven to the Eagles midway through the fourth quarter, but held the visitors to just one point over the final six minutes of the contest and used a 10-0 run to rally back and pick up the three-point win.  Marquita Daniels and Colby Davis led the way offensively for the Jaguars, scoring 16 and nine points respectively.  The double-figure outing was Daniels' sixth in her last seven games.  

Over South Alabama's last seven games, the duo of Daniels and Davis has led the way.  During that time, Daniels is averaging 14.6 points per game and has 17 steals, while shooting 40.2 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from long range.  Davis is averaging 11.7 ppg and has dished out 26 assists, while knocking down 47.2 percent of her shot attempts and 56.3 percent of her three-point attempts.

Daniels is averaging 11.0 ppg, which is 16th-best in the conference, and had 10 steals in her last two outings.  She ranks fourth in the Sun Belt in that category with a 2.2 per game average.  The Atlanta, Ga., native has recorded 29 of her 43 steals in conference play.

South Alabama currently leads the Sun Belt and is tied with Texas and Stanford for seventh in the NCAA in blocks, averaging 6.0 per game.  The Jaguars are also 19th nationally in field-goal percentage defense (.353), 35th in three-point field-goal defense (.276) and 50th in scoring defense (57.6).  USA leads the league in field-goal defense, three-point field-goal defense and on the defensive glass (27.1).  USA has 137 blocks on the season, which ranks as 14th-most in the NCAA in the latest national stats.  

Chyna Ellis ranks first in the Sun Belt and ranks 19th in the NCAA in blocks – fourth-most among sophomores nationally – with 2.83 per game.  The 6-2 sophomore center averaging 3.36 bpg in conference play and has had two or more blocks in 20 of her 23 games, including each of the last 16.

Troy (12-11, 7-7 SBC) snapped a six-game losing streak with a pair of wins last week, defeating Georgia Southern (84-68) and Georgia State (89-78) at home.

Ashley Beverly Kelley (29) and ArJae' Saunders (23) combined for 52 points in the win over the Panthers on Saturday.  The duo enters play this week after combining for 50-plus points in each of the last two games.

The Trojans built a 14-point lead at the half after holding GSU to 3-of-18 shooting in the second quarter and outscoring the Panthers 15-6 in the period.  Troy also held a season-high plus-16 advantage on the glass, outrebounding Georgia State 52-37, grabbing 20 on the offensive glass.

Beverly Kelley continues to battle for player of the year honors as she leads the SBC in scoring with 20.3 ppg and free-throw shooting (.865).  She is also second in steals (2.7), third in assists (3.6) and assists/turnover ratio (1.3), seventh in three-pointers per game (1.8), 15th in three-point percentage (.315), averaging 32.0 minutes per game on the floor.  She is 28th nationally in scoring, 26th in free-throw shooting and 34th in steals.

The senior guard has recorded 20 or more points 14 times this season, including each of her last four outings, and has now scored 1,784 points in her career, moving her into 22nd on the Sun Belt's all-time scoring list.

Also averaging double figures for the Trojans are Caitlyn Ramirez (12.2) and Saunders (11.4), which is tied for ninth and ranks 13th in the Sun Belt, respectively.  Ramirez is second in the SBC in field-goal percentage (.553) and 11th in rebounding.  Saunders leads the conference from the outside, connecting on 47.6 percent of her shot attempts.  She is shooting 51.4 percent in league play and has scored double figures in seven of her last nine.

Troy leads the Sun Belt in scoring (82.7), assists (14.9), steals (10.7) and offensive rebounds (15.4), while ranking second in the league in field-goal percentage (.423), rebounding (40.3) and three-pointers per game (7.6).  The Trojans are fifth in the NCAA in turnovers forced (22.65), sixth in scoring, 17th in steals and 32nd in three-pointers per game.  Troy had 11 three-pointers against the Panthers and has hit 23 in its last two games.  

"Troy wants to have a faster-paced game, while we want the pace to be a little slower, so we are going to have to try to control the tempo," Fowler said of Tuesday night's matchup.  "I'm sure Troy feels like they left some points on the floor in our last meeting with them.  We are going to have to be able to take care of the basketball.  I don't expect us to be able to go 18-for-20 in the second half like we did in the first there, so we are going to have to take care of the basketball and slow their transition game down."

South Alabama picked up a 75-71 win on the Trojans home floor last month.  USA turned the ball over 32 times, but shot a season-best 59.6 percent, including an astounding 90 percent (18-of-20) in the second half.  The Jags were 11-for-16 at the foul line in the fourth quarter after getting to the foul line just nine times in the previous three quarters.

The Trojans do rank 11th out of 11 teams in the Sun Belt in scoring defense (78.5), field-goal defense (.446) and three-point field-goal defense (.340).

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—