Box Score - UL Monroe 67, South Alabama 54Post Game QuotesPhoto GalleryMOBILE, Ala. – UL Monroe dominated the glass, holding a plus-14 advantage on the boards en route to defeating the University of South Alabama women's basketball team 67-54 Thursday night at the Mitchell Center to snap the Jaguars' four-game win streak. The win also ended a six-game skid for the Warhawks.
"The big key in the game was rebounding," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said. "They outrebounded us at their place by 18, and tonight they just really manhandled us down there on the glass, which I thought was the big difference in the game. It wasn't just Chyna [Ellis], I think all the post players had two fouls in the first half."
The Warhawks outrebounded USA 41-27 in the contest and their 27 defensive rebounds, matched South Alabama's total for the game.
"I definitely need to tip my hat to UL Monroe, they did an outstanding job of executing their game plan," Fowler said. "They did things we knew they were capable of, and we told our young ladies that they were going to play hard and compete for 40 minutes; I thought they came out and did that.
"I'm disappointed that we just didn't have any energy tonight — even making the run [in the fourth quarter] we didn't. Our bench has been good for us in providing energy and we've been able to take that out on to the court, but today we just didn't. It's during tough times when we need each other more and we didn't do that tonight."
The Jaguars (13-13, 9-8 SBC) will now play their final home game of the '15-16 season as they welcome UL Lafayette on Saturday. Tip off versus the Ragin' Cajuns is set for 2 p.m. at the Mitchell Center. Prior to the game, South Alabama will honor its three seniors – Jennifer Towne, Juliann Miller and Taylor Jenkins. Live stats and web streaming for the contest versus the Warhawks 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 was led offensively on the night by Taylor Jenkins who recorded a career-high 13 points as she was 5-of-7 from the floor and 2-for-2 at the foul line in 27 minutes of action.
Joining Jenkins in double figures was Chyna Ellis. Ellis recorded 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting and led the club both on the glass and in blocks with six and five, respectively. Ellis however was limited to just 15 minutes of action on the court as she was plagued by foul trouble all evening, eventually fouling out.
With her five blocks, Ellis posted her sixth game with five or more blocks on the year. She continues to lead the Sun Belt in blocks and now has 71 this season. In league play, the 6-2 center is averaging 3.12 per game.
As a team, South Alabama posted its fifth 10-block outing of the season. With the 10 blocks, the Jaguars moved to 155 on the year, tying the program mark set during the 2008-09 season. USA entered the game sitting in fifth in that category on the single-season chart.
Three other players for the Jags just missed double figures as Marquita Daniels and Juliann Miller had nine points apiece, while Colby Davis chipped in with eight.
One other key stat in the game was behind the three-point line where UL Monroe (10-16, 4-13 SBC) was 8-of-19 for 42.1 percent, while USA was just 2-for-11 from beyond the arc.
Chelsea Tieuel led the long-range attack for the Warhawks as she was 5-of-10 from the three-point line. Tieuel was also 8-for-10 from the foul line and dropped in a career-high 25 points.
"She's a great shooter," Fowler said of Tieuel. "We missed her on two stagger screens on the baseline where she came up and knocked them down wide open; she gained some confidence from that and took it from there. She is a heck of a player and did an outstanding job."
Tieuel had most of her points (14) in the second half with nine coming in the third quarter.
Also finishing in double figures for ULM was Alayshia Hunter who just missed a double-double, finishing with 13 points and nine rebounds. Hunter was 5-for-11 from the field.
South Alabama held the lead early on, leading by as much as four in the first three-plus minutes, but behind the play of Tieuel, the Warhawks would battle their way back. ULM tied the contest back up at 9-9 after Journee Beard hit one of two at the line with four minutes, 23 seconds showing on the clock. Then following a bucket by Ellis, ULM would hold USA to just one made basket and close the period on a 9-2 run. Stephanie Ratliff began the scoring for the visitors with a bucket with under four to play. Tieuel then recorded five-straight points – a deep three from the top of the key, her third of the game, and then a pair of free throws at the 1:28 mark. Tieuel would post nine of her 11 first-half points in the opening quarter.
Miller would end a three-plus minute scoreless drought for the Jaguars with a runner in the lane with just over a minute remaining. At the other end of the floor, Ratliff pulled down an offensive rebound and laid the ball back off the glass to give the Warhawks an 18-13 advantage at the end of the first.
In the second quarter, USA would get as close as three on four different occasions, the last coming with a minute-and-a-half to go in the quarter, but each time ULM would have the answer. After Davis drove the left side of the lane for a layup at the 1:32 mark, UL Monroe would close the period strong. Andreanna Jackson – who had nine points in the game – drained a trey from the right corner with just over a minute to go before the half, igniting a 7-0 run. Hunter then hit a pair of free throws with 39.2 showing on the clock. After a Jaguar turnover, it was Jackson again for the Warhawks as she knocked down a jumper with 10 seconds remaining to send ULM into the locker room with a 36-26 halftime lead.
Both teams shot over 40 percent during the first 20 minutes of action, but the key stat in the contest was on the glass where ULM held an 18-10 advantage. The Warhawks also pulled down six offensive boards, while USA didn't have an offensive rebound in the second half. South Alabama's leading rebounder, Ellis was limited to just four minutes of action in the first half as picked up her second foul with just over a minute to go in the first quarter and didn't play at all in the second.
ULM was also 6-of-11 from the three-point line in the first half, while South Alabama hit just one of its four attempts.
The Warhawk lead would grow to as much as 18 (48-30) seven minutes into the third as Tieuel had six of ULM's seven points during a 7-0 run. Ellis would end the run and a five-minute scoreless drought for the Jags with a pair of free throws. The sophomore then scored on USA's next possession to trim the deficit to 48-34.
UL Monroe wouldn't let South Alabama continue to gain anymore momentum as the Warhawks answered back with back-to-back buckets by Jackson and Hunter with just over a minute to go in the period.
The Jags struggled offensively in the third quarter, posting just three made field goals and shooting 21.4 percent in the period.
ULM extended its lead out to 22, hitting three quick field goals less than a minute into the period. Emery Wilson's layup at the 9:10 mark put the Warhawks up 58-36.
South Alabama tried to make a late rally with less than nine to go, scoring seven-unanswered points. Jenkins' putback with just under seven minutes remaining in regulation trimmed the deficit to 58-43.
The Jaguars would get as close as 12 in the closing seconds after a steal and a layup by Daniels – her fourth swipe of the game.
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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