Game 21: at Little Rock Game Notes (.pdf)

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The University of South Alabama women's basketball team will close out its two-game road trip through the state of Arkansas on Saturday when the Jaguars travel to take on Little Rock.  Tip-off versus the Trojans is set for 4 p.m. on Saturday 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.  

"Just watching Little Rock on film over their last four games, you can see that they are really playing with a great sense of urgency right now," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said.  "They seem like they've amped things back up and are playing like a Little Rock team that we are used to seeing.  They are playing with a great physicality and really concentrating on not letting their opponents score.  They seem like they are starting to get into a rhythm and make a push as we head towards the remaining part of the season.

"We are going to have to make sure that we don't turn the ball over and keep Little Rock off the glass.  The biggest thing for us is that we need to play with confidence and really attack them. We need to try to get the ball inside and finish around the basket."

South Alabama (9-11, 5-6 SBC) comes into the game against Little Rock after having its three-game win-streak snapped with a 58-51 loss at Arkansas State on Thursday night.  The Jaguars trailed by as much as 13 against the SBC-leading Red Wolves and twice got as close as four in the final quarter, but ASU hit three of four at the foul line in the final 22 seconds to hold on for the seven-point win.

Marquita Daniels (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Taylor Jenkins (10 points, 10 rebounds) each recorded the first double-doubles of their career, while Chyna Ellis just missed a double-double of her own with seven points and nine rebounds.

During South Alabama's recent three-game win streak, Daniels and junior guard Colby Davis led the way for the Jaguars.  Daniels averaged 18.0 ppg and shot 46.2 percent from the floor, while Davis averaged 13.7 ppg and shot 53.8 percent.

Daniels leads the club offensively with 10.8 ppg this season, but six other players on the Jaguar roster are averaging 6.2 ppg or better – Ellis (7.7), Davis (7.6), Genesis Perrymond (7.1), Juliann Miller (7.0) and Jenkins (6.2).

Ellis leads the Sun Belt and ranks 17th in the NCAA in blocks with 2.90 per game.  Her 58 blocks this season are fifth on South Alabama's single-season blocks chart.  Coming into Saturday's game, Ellis is just three blocks behind Adrian Vickers (61 – 1989-90) for fourth and four behind LaSandra Jenkins (62 – 1983-84) who sits in third.

Ellis has recorded five or more blocks five times this season and in her 11 conference games this season, and is averaging 3.64 bpg.  She has had two or more blocks in 17 of her 20 games, including each of her last 13 outings.

South Alabama currently leads the Sun Belt and is tied for sixth with West Virginia in the NCAA in blocks, averaging 6.3 per game.   The Jaguars have 125 blocks on the season, which is fifth-most for a single season in program history and rank as 11th-most in the NCAA.

The Jaguars are also 22nd nationally in field-goal percentage defense (.348) and 49th in three-point field-goal defense (.277).  USA leads the league in field-goal percentage defense, three-point field-goal defense and on the defensive glass (28.0).  

Like the Jaguars, Little Rock also enters play this weekend with a 9-11 overall record.  The Trojans currently sit in third place in the latest Sun Belt standings with a 7-4 league record.

On Thursday, Little Rock won its fourth-straight game, defeating Troy 79-64 at home.  The Trojans trailed by 12 at the half, but recorded 51 points during the final 20 minutes of play to rally back and pick up the 15-point victory.  Little Rock also held Troy – one of the top scoring teams in the country – to just 24 points in the third and fourth.

Sharde' Collins and Shanity James each had a team-high 18 points apiece, while Alexius Dawn registered a double-double with 15 points and a career-high 11 assists.  Monique Townson also in double figures with 11 points and led all players with five steals.  Kaitlyn Pratt just missed a double-double of her own with 12 rebounds and nine points.

The Trojans have been tough at home in Sun Belt play as they are 5-1 against league foes at the Jack Stephens Center following their 15-point win over Troy.

James is one of two players averaging double figures for the Trojans this season.  Her 14.6 points per game average leads the club and is eighth in the SBC.  James is also eighth in the conference in rebounding (7.0) and her 53.5 field-goal percentage is tied for third in the Sun Belt and ranks 38th in the NCAA.

Also averaging double digits for Little Rock is senior guard Alexius Dawn.  Dawn is tied with USA's Daniels for 17th in the SBC in scoring with 10.8 ppg.  Dawn is also tied for second in assists-turnover ratio (1.2), tied for fifth in assists (3.2), tied for eighth in three-pointers per game (1.6) and 11th in steals (1.8).  She has 32 treys on the season.

Collins is just shy of double figures with 9.4 ppg and is knocking down 40 percent of her three-point attempts, which ranks fifth in the league.

Kaitlyn Pratt is averaging 8.7 points per game and ranks ninth in the SBC on the glass with 6.9 boards per game.

Little Rock is tied with South Alabama for third in scoring defense (58.0).  The Trojans are also second in rebounding defense, holding opponents to 32.3 rebounds per game.  Little Rock also ranks among the league leaders in several other categories – tied for second in assists-turnover ratio (0.8), and fourth in field-goal percentage (413), assist (12.2) and turnover margin (+1.5).

In Sun Belt play, the Trojans have been even better in certain categories.  Little Rock is holding Sun Belt foes to a league-best 53.7 points per game and is allowing opponents to grab just 29.4 rebounds per contest.

The Trojans are also second in scoring margin (+7.6) and field-goal percentage (.427) in SBC action.

Little Rock won the first meeting this season between the two clubs, defeating the Jags 47-34 in Mobile. In the 25 previous meetings in the series, Little Rock has scored 1,450 points (58.0 ppg), while South Alabama has scored 1,378 points (55.1 ppg).

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—