JONESBORO, Ark. – The University of South Alabama's women's basketball (7-10, 2-4) team's rally came up just short as they fell to Arkansas State (4-14, 2-4) 56-53 on Thursday night at the Convocation Center.  The Jaguars trailed by 23 points in the third quarter, and a potential game-tying three-pointer by Candice Williams to send the game into overtime was short as time expired.
 
"I thought we played 15 good minutes," said South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler.  "Arkansas State got off to a good start in the second half, carrying over from the first half to get its lead up to 23 points. From that point we did fight back to get back into the game.  The coaches talked about character with these last 15 minutes going to define the team. Are we a team that's going to fight, or one that folds up? I was proud that we were able to give ourselves a chance to win that game."
 
A 13-0 run that covered over seven minutes in the fourth quarter spurred South Alabama's comeback attempt.  After Arkansas State scored on a tip-in with 8:25 remaining in the quarter, the Jags forced the Red Wolves to miss six-straight field goal attempts and turn the ball over six times in the long run.  Kennedi Centers started it with a put back layup, and Camryn London added another layup on a fast break off a Colby Davis steal.  Davis would then make a pair of free throws with 5:35 remaining.  Candice Williams made a jumper in the paint after the Jaguars got three offensive rebounds on the possession, including Kennedi Centers collecting her own miss off a free throw attempt.  Genesis Perrymond made her fourth three-pointer of the game after a steal by Kennedi Centers to cut the Jags' deficit to seven points at 52-45, and it was the first time they didn't trail by double-digits since the beginning of the second quarter.  Chyna Ellis made it a two-possession game with a jumper on the right block with 1:33 remaining.
 
Arkansas State's Dominique Oliver ended South Alabama's run by splitting a pair of free throws in the next possession.  Williams made it 53-49 off another steal by Centers with 42 seconds left in the game.  After the Jags forced another turnover, Davis drew a foul off a drive to the hoop and made both free throws with 21 seconds remaining.  The Red Wolves' Tahlon Hopkins would split a pair of free throws, and Davis then made another pair of free throws on a blocking foul with just 12 seconds left.  Hopkins made both of attempts at the charity stripe afterwards with 10 seconds remaining, and Williams was unable to send it into overtime with a three as the final horn sounded off right after it fell short.
 
The Red Wolves scored the first five points in the first two possessions of the third quarter for a 45-22 lead, and the Jags responded with a 9-2 run.  Ellis sank a pair of free throws to start the rally, and added a layup off a dish by Davis afterwards.  Williams hit two jumpers in the paint, and London scored on a fast break layup off a steal by Centers.  Hopkins made one of two free throw attempts with less than a minute left in the quarter as Arkansas Stated entered the final quarter leading 50-34.
 
Arkansas State had jumped out to an early 7-0 lead that they would never relinquish.  Perrymond got South Alabama on the board in the first quarter at the 5:44 mark on a layup after a steal near half court.  After a Red Wolves' made jumper, the Jags cut their deficit to one point with a 6-0 run with two three's by Perrymond.  Arkansas State ended the quarter with a 9-0 run.
 
The big lead by Arkansas State was acquired in the second quarter.  The Red Wolves' Brittany Fowler sparked a 9-3 lead to start the quarter with a three-pointer eight seconds in.  Arkansas State outscored South Alabama 20-11 for the second-straight quarter to enter halftime with a 40-22 lead.
 
The Jag's defense stepped up in the second half for the almost successful comeback attempt.  The Red Wolves shot 58.6% (17-29) from the field in the first half, including 5-9 (55.6%) from three, with 12 assists.  The Jags limited them to 5-27 (18.5%) from the field and 1-8 (12.5%) from three in the second half, including 1-11 (9.1%) and 0-4 in the fourth quarter.  While Jag's shooting from the field only increased in the second half (28.6%-30.6%), the Jags went to the charity stripe six more times and went 8-10 at the line.  Also 11 offensive rebounds in the second half led to twice as many second chance points (10) in the half.
 
The Jags won the turnover battle (25-17) as they forced the Red Wolves to a season-high by opponents, and South Alabama capitalized for a 29-13 edge in points off turnovers for another season-high mark.  The Jags also had a season-high 14 steals in the game.
 
Perrymond scored a team-high 16 points and went 6-11 from the field, including tying her season-high in three's by making half of her eight attempts from deep.  She also had four steals, three rebounds, one block and an assist.  Williams was the only other double-digit scorer for the Jags with a dozen points and also grabbed five rebounds.
 
Ellis was two points short of her third double-double with eight points and 11 rebounds, including a career-high nine offensive rebounds.  With one block this game Ellis now has sole possession of second place in the program's all-time career blocked shots leaders, moving ahead of Genevieve Delt (2002-05) with 184 career rejections

Accumulating five fouls in the game limited Ellis to just 21 minutes of action, and Centers came off the bench to produce five rebounds, including four offensive boards, four points, two assists and a game-high and career-high six steals, the most by a Jaguar this season.
 
"Kennedi Centers provided great energy off the bench," said Fowler.  "That's what we need her to do, and that's what the coaching staff thought she was going to be for us this year prior to her getting injured a little bit in the preseason.  She's just starting to get herself back in great basketball condition and having the ability to play as hard as she's accustomed to."
 
"What I always tell the team about the game of basketball, you have to move onto the next game," said Fowler.  "We only have one day to prep for Little Rock, who's the top team right now in the Sun Belt Conference.  We have to let this one go, move forward, and give our best effort on Saturday."
 
South Alabama heads to Little Rock for its next game, and will face the Trojans on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with the men's teams.
 
The 2017 Sun Belt Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championships are scheduled for a week of March Madness in the Big Easy.  New Orleans will once again be home to the two championships that will take place at Lakefront Arena from March 7-12 and ticket books can now be purchased from your our ticket office.  For more information, visit the Sun Belt Conference's championship central websites - Men's Championship – Women's Championship – and be sure to follow the @FunBelt on social media - @SunBelt.
 
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).