Box Score - Arkansas State 58, South Alabama 51 (.pdf)

JONESBORO, Ark. – Marquita Daniels and Taylor Jenkins each recorded the first double-doubles of their careers, but Arkansas State hit three of its four free throw attempts in the final 22 seconds to hold off an upset bid by the University of South Alabama women's basketball team and win 58-51 Thursday night at the Convocation Center.  

"We just told the players in the locker room that we couldn't be more proud of the fight that they showed tonight," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said.  "We are continuing to grow as a team.  In the past, I think our team could have fallen apart (in a game like this), but we fought and kept going.  We told them at the beginning of the fourth quarter to make sure with four minutes to go in the ball game that we had a chance to win and we absolutely did during the last four minutes tonight.  We just have to learn to take advantage of opportunities when a championship program gives them to you like we had tonight."

The Jaguars (9-11, 5-6 SBC) will now head to Little Rock to take on the Trojans on Saturday.  Tip-off versus Little Rock is set for 4 p.m. at the Jack Stephens Center. Live stats and both audio 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.  

Arkansas State improves to 17-3 on the year and remains perfect in Sun Belt play with an 11-0 record.  The loss snaps USA's three-game win streak and extends Arkansas State's program record home win streak to 21 straight games.  Dating back to -13-14 season, the Red Wolves have also now won 23 consecutive home conference games.

Daniels led the club with 11 points and grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds – nine coming on the defensive glass, while also dishing out a pair of assists and recording two steals.  Jenkins was 3-of-5 from the floor and 4-of-6 at the foul line for 10 points and also pulled down 10 rebounds.  

The last time South Alabama had two players record a double-double in the same game Jan. 15, 2011 when Taylor Ammons (10 points, 11 rebounds) and Christian Shelter (22 points (11 rebounds) did so versus UL Monroe.

Juliann Miller added eight points of her own and Chyna Ellis nearly recorded a double-double with seven points and nine rebounds.  Ellis also posted a pair of blocks to increase her season tally to 58, which is fifth-most in a single season at South Alabama.  The 6-2 sophomore center has recorded two or more blocks in 17 of her 20 games played, including each of her last 13 outings.

As a team, South Alabama now has 125 blocks on the season, which is fifth-most in program history, passing the '14-15 squad which had 121.

The Red Wolves were led by two-time SBC Player of the Year Aundrea Gamble.  Gamble led all scorers with 20 points – the 45th 20-point outing of her career.  Gamble scored 16 of her 20 points in the second half, including nine in the third quarter.  The senior guard also recorded six of ASU's 12 steals in the game.

"That's why she's the reigning two-time player of the year in our league," Fowler said of Gamble's play in the second half.  "She just comes in and makes two or three unbelievable plays (late in the game) to give them a cushion again.  That's what a player like her is supposed to do and hopefully our young players learning and developing to be our future and the things that Gamble does."

Khadija Brown-Haywood posted her ninth double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds.  Amanda Lawson also ended the night in double digits with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting.  

Turnovers and points off those miscues proved to be a key stat in the contest as Arkansas State forced USA into 24 turnovers, converting those into 23 points.  South Alabama only managed to force the Red Wolves into 10 turnovers, leading to just eight points for the Jags.

Led by the play of Daniels, Jenkins and Ellis, South Alabama held a 44-40 advantage on the glass and held Arkansas State to just 28.4 percent shooting.  The Red Wolves were just 19-for-67 from the floor.  

The 58 points recorded by ASU were the second-fewest scored by the club this season and the fewest on its home floor.  The 28.4 field-goal percentage was also a new season-low for the Red Wolves.  Arkansas State entered the game ranked second in the conference in field-goal percentage, knocking down 44.8 percent of its attempts.  The previous low for the club was 36.1 percent in a loss at Nebraska on Dec. 21.

South Alabama got off to a quick start, grabbing a 10-6 lead three minutes into the contest.  Daniels, who had six of USA's first 10 points, gave the Jags the four-point advantage when she converted the and-one play with seven minutes, five seconds showing on the clock.  

A minute later, Arkansas State's Jessica Flanery and Brown-Haywood would drain back-to-back treys to ignite a 10-0 run for the Red Wolves.  ASU's first four field goals came from beyond three-point line as Flanery and Brown-Haywood had two apiece.

Gamble then knocked down a jumper at the 4:31 mark and after a Jaguar turnover at the other end of the floor, the reigning preseason player of the year in the conference found Lawson open for a layup to cap off the scoring and give Arkansas State a 16-10 advantage.

With less than a minute to go in the first, Brown-Haywood drained her third three of the contest to stretch ASU's lead to 23-14.  The Red Wolves were 9-of-19 in the opening quarter, including 5-for-6 from beyond the arc.  South Alabama shot 50 percent during first 10 minutes of play, but turned the ball over six times, leading to 11 points for Arkansas State.

The Red Wolves continued their hot long-range shooting to start the second, knocking down two more treys two minutes into the period.  Brown-Haywood, who had 12 first-half points, drained the first one on ASU's second possession of the quarter and Dominique Oliver connected from the left corner with just under eight minutes remaining on the clock.  Oliver's three-pointer increased ASU's lead to 13 (29-16) and was the Red Wolves' seventh of the first half.

USA kept battling and cut the deficit to single-digits on Miller's three-pointer from the left wing with five minutes, 46 seconds left on the clock.  Miller was able to get a good look at the basket as the Jaguars worked the ball around the perimeter.

Following Miller's bucket, both teams would struggle offensively over the remainder of the first half as there would only be one point scored.  Jenkins hit one of her two free-throw attempts at the 1:29 mark to cut the ASU lead to 31-24.

South Alabama knocked down just one of its last nine shots and missed its last seven attempts, with four turnovers, while the Red Wolves, did not score a point over the final six minutes, 36 seconds and missed their last 13 attempts from the field.  

Arkansas State was just 3-of-19 in the second quarter for 15.8 percent, while the Jaguars were 3-for-13 in the period for 23.1 percent.

With ASU continuing to struggle with its shooting, missing its first six field-goal attempts and scoring just one point over the first three minutes of the third, South Alabama was able to make it a one-possession game.  Jenkins knocked down a pair of free throws and Daniels then drained her second three of the night, this one coming at the 7:32 mark from the right wing to trim the deficit to 32-29.

Brittney Gill ended a string for 19-straight missed field goals for the Red Wolves with a basket with just over seven minutes showing on the clock.  Gill's basket was the first made field goal for ASU in nearly 10 minutes.

The Red Wolves later extended their lead out to eight (39-31) after back-to-back baskets by Gamble with less than six minutes remaining in the third, but on the ensuing Jaguar possession, Miller would connect from the left corner to narrow the deficit to five.

Still leading by just five (41-36) with under two minutes remaining in the third, Arkansas State would used the foul line to stretch its lead back out to double figures, hitting all six of its attempts at the charity stripe.  Gamble had the first four and then with 0.1 remaining, Amanda Lawson sank a pair to give Arkansas State a 47-36 lead.

The Jaguars kept battling in the fourth and eventually cut the deficit to four a little over three minutes into the fourth quarter.  Colby Davis, who had been held scoreless over the first three quarters, got things going for the Jags when the junior guard drove towards the basket and converted an and-one opportunity after being fouled.  Daniels then hit a runner on USA's next offensive possession to make it a two possession game.  A little over a minutes later, Davis again drove towards the basket for another basket to trim the deficit to 49-45 with six minutes, 44 seconds to go.

Over the next minute, USA would have two opportunities to cut it to a two-point game, but on each of those possessions, the Jags would turn the ball over.  

Gamble and Arkansas State would make the Jags pay as the senior would quickly give the Red Wolves a 10-point advantage.  Gamble knocked down a three-pointer from the top of the key and then after grabbing a defensive rebound at the other end of the floor, the senior guard went the length of the floor for a layup.  She was fouled on the play and coming out of the final media time out, she hit the free throw.  

As it had done all night, the Jaguars refused to roll over and again fought their way back.  With just over four minutes showing on the clock, Jenkins hit a pair of buckets and then both her and Ellis each hit one of their two free-throw attempts to cut the deficit to 55-51 with one minute, 32 seconds remaining.  

That would be as close as South Alabama would get though as the Red Wolves didn't allow USA to gain another point and hit three of its last four at the charity stripe to seal the seven-point win.

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—