MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women's basketball team (4-1) defeated Alabama State (1-6) in a road contest on Tuesday, 59-47, as senior Erin Autio led the way with a career-high 20 points. The 4-1 start for the Jags is best five-game start to a season under head coach Terry Fowler, and is the first time South Alabama has started the season 4-1 since the 2012-13 campaign.
 
Autio shot 7-of-10 from the field, including 6-for-9 from three-point range, en route to her career-night. The senior guard added three boards and a steal in the victory.
 
Sophomore Shaforia Kines snagged a career-high nine rebounds, all in the first half, while collecting nine points on a 4-of-9 shooting night. Kines also had five assists, three steals and a rejection.
 
Chyna Ellis had eight points, while shooting 4-of-8 from the field and LaNeetra Guillory contributed eight points, while going 4-of-10 from the field.
 
Antoinette Lewis had a team-high three rejections and collected five points, three rebounds and a takeaway.

GAME FACTS
- The Jags never trailed during the contest as they led for 37:42 and the game was only tied for 2:18.
- For the second straight game, South Alabama held a team to under 10 percent from the field for a quarter as it held the Hornets to just four points on 1-of-14 shooting from the field.
- The Jags held the Hornets to a 32.2 percent shooting night, the second-lowest by an opponent this season.
- The matchup with the Hornets saw South Alabama turn the ball over just 11 times, the fewest in a game this season by the Jags.
- ASU and USA were tied on the evening with 39 rebounds each, with each team collecting 9 offensive and 30 defensive boards.
- South Alabama went 8-of-24 from three-point range, with Autio making six of the eight three-point buckets.
- USA led the takeaway battle 6-5.
- Alabama State was led by Jordyn Holmes and Kenya Pye, who scored 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting and 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting off the bench, respectively.
- The Jags lost the battle in the paint 24-16, but outscored the Hornets on points off turnovers 6-3 and on second-chance points 8-7.

NOTES
- The Jaguars are 2-1 on the road.
- This was the first time the Jags did not have multiple double-digit scoring efforts this season.
- Tonight was the first game of the season Chyna Ellis did not score 10 or more points.
- Autio's 20 point evening was the first 20 point game of her career and she became the third different Jag to score 20 in a game this season.
- Autio's six three-pointers ties for the fourth-most in game in program history and is the first time a Jag has made six three-point buckets since Sarda Peterson, who is tied for first, made seven against Mobile on Dec. 15, 2010.
- Sophomore Savannah Jones, the Jags' scoring leader this season, was held out due to injury.

THEY SAID IT
Head Coach Terry Fowler
Opening statement: "I thought the first-half we played well. We left some baskets on floor. We knew this team [Alabama State] was going to come back and fight, which they did and got themselves back in the game. We just kept making play after play when we needed to. We were making the right decisions, but the ball just wasn't going into the basket at times. I was pleased with that and Erin Autio set the tone for us, got it going and kept it going. I was happy for her because everything is about confidence and that's a boost for her to keep playing well. We went to her and ran stuff for her and she made us look good. It's always good when a player makes the coaches look good."
 
On Autio stepping up in Jones' absence: "It was huge for us, but we have been saying all year long that we are not a one-person team. We have three, four or five players that can get 20 points on any given night. That makes it tough on the scouting report when you have balanced scoring."
 
Erin Autio
On her rhythm early in the game: "My teammates have always had faith in me, especially Genesis Perrymond. She always tells me one of her favorite things in games is giving me and everyone assists. She and my teammates have had faith in me and knowing that gives me confidence when they pass me the ball."
 
On the excitement of seeing her teammates succeed and hit big shots: "It's a lot of fun when my teammates get and-ones and threes. We love seeing each other succeed. We all believe in each other and it's fun to cheer everyone on."

UP NEXT
The Jaguars play another road contest in their second game of a three-game week at Southern Mississippi on Thursday. Opening tip is scheduled for 6 p.m.

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).

Join the Jaguar Athletic Fund (JAF) Priority Fund, the unrestricted giving option of the University of South Alabama Athletics. Contributions to the Priority Fund directly support all 17 sports in addition to various support programming. For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/give

—USA—