RALEIGH, N.C. – After only trailing by one at the end of the first quarter, the University of South Alabama women's basketball team (1-1) fell to North Carolina State (4-0) on the road 71-50 on Friday (Nov. 17).
 
The Jags went on an 8-2 early in the first after the Wolfpack scored the opening point on a free throw. USA finished the quarter strong as it only trailed 16-15 after the opening frame, but NC State did not relinquish the lead the rest of the way.
 
Senior Chyna Ellis tied for the game-high and led the Jaguars with 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Ellis also brought down a team-high seven boards and recorded three blocks despite not playing in the final 11:30 half minutes of the first half after picking up her second foul late in the first quarter.
 
Redshirt freshman Savannah Jones had her second-consecutive game with double-digit points scoring 12 against the Wolfpack.
 
Senior Genesis Perrymond led the team in assists (5) and steals (4), both were game highs. The senior guard also scored five points and brought down six rebounds.

GAME FACTS
- South Alabama and NC State both shot 40 percent from three-point range in the first quarter. However, the Jags outshot the Wolfpack from the field in the opening frame shooting 33.3 while NC State shot 31.6.
- Antoinette Lewis was 3-of-7 from the field, including 1-of-2 from the three-point arc, for seven points while bring down five boards, recording an assist and a rejection.
- USA was out rebounded 63-36 in the contest.
- The Jags led for 4:46 during the road matchup.
- The Jag defense held the Wolfpack's leading scorer Chelsea Nelson to 10 points. Nelson came into the game averaging 15.7 points per game.
- USA scored 19 points off 20 Wolfpack turnovers, 10 of which were steals.
- The Jags scored 24 points in the paint and 21 off the bench.

NOTES
- Ellis' 13 points was a season-high and it marks the 35th double-digit scoring effort of her career.
- Ellis also led the Jags in blocks for the 71st game of her career.
- Perrymond's four steals tied a career-high for a game and marks the fifth time of her career she has recorded four steals in a game.
- Perrymond's six rebounds was a season-high.
- Shaforia Kines set a season-high with three steals coming up one short of tying her career-high of four.
- The Jags shot over 33 percent in three of the four quarters

THEY SAID IT
Head Coach Terry Fowler
Opening statement: "I was really pleased with or effort early. I thought we played the first quarter as well as we could play it. It came down to the things we talked about. I thought we did a good job on transition defense, but the rebounding got us. We knew that was going to be an issue. I was pleased with how we kept fighting and hanging on. I felt if we could have got a couple of shots to drop in the third quarter we would have had an opportunity."
 
On playing without Chyna in the second quarter: "It was great that the team was able to hang in there without Chyna. I know she wasn't pleased with sitting out, but that's our philosophy if you get two fouls you sit. We go into halftime with her only playing a little over five minutes in the half and we were only down 12 heading into the half. We were pleased there. It was great to see Antoinette [Lewis] come in there and do some positive things. I thought Erin Autio and Savannah [Jones] did some positive things. I thought we got a great team effort to keep us in there during that stretch in the first half.."
 
On holding NC State's leading scorer Chelsea Nelson to 10 points: "We wanted to make her [Nelson] do some things she hasn't done. I thought our post players did great against her. She hit a three, but we were settling for that and it was fine. It was a great job defensively for us."

UP NEXT
The Jaguars close out their first road trip of the season with the program's first meeting against the North Carolina Tar Heels on Sunday. The game is scheduled for an opening tip of 2 p.m. (C.T.) at the Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C.

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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