MOBILE, Ala. –  The University of South Alabama women's basketball team (13-5, 6-1 SBC) powered past the Appalachian State Mountaineers (5-13, 3-4 SBC), 54-52, with a fourth-quarter rally to win its fourth game in-a-row and remain undefeated at home in conference play on Saturday at the Mitchell Center. The Jaguar win ended the Mountaineers' three-game win streak.
 
Chyna Ellis stepped for USA after her historic night on Thursday. The senior center recorded a team-high 13 points, on a 6-of-11 shooting night, and eight rebounds. She also rejected three shots and collected a steal and a helper.
 
Candice Williams came up big in the fourth quarter draining 5-of-6 attempts from the free-throw line as part of her seven-point game. LaNeetra Guillory had five of the Jaguars 10 blocks in the game.
 
Antoinette Lewis was the only other Jag to reach double-digit points with 12, while shooting 6-of-9 from the field. The freshman forward brought down four rebounds and rejected a shot in the win.
 
Shaforia Kines recorded eight points on two made buckets and went a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe. The sophomore guard also collected seven rebounds, dished out four assists and had a steal.
 
South Alabama held Bayley Plummer to just two rebounds before she fouled out with 2:39 in the fourth. Plummer averaged over 12 boards per game coming into the contest.
 
The Mountaineers offense was led by LaPresha Stanley and Nicola Mathews who had 15 and 13 points, respectively. Stanley also brought down a game-high nine rebounds, while Mathews had six.
 
GAME FACTS
- The Jags and Mountaineers went back-and-forth in the first quarter as each team scored 14 points.
- South Alabama shot 50 percent, 7-for-14 from the field, in the opening frame.
- The second quarter saw USA struggle as it shot 3-of-11 and finished with 22 points for the half, tied for the lowest in the first-half this season.
- The Jags trailed 28-22 at the half, and went 0-for-9 from beyond the arc in the first two quarters.
- USA came out gunning in the third, opening the quarter on a 7-0 run and grabbing its first lead since midway through the first on an Ellis layup.
- However, the Jags trailed 43-40 at the end of the third quarter.
- South Alabama trailed by 2 with just under three minutes remaining in the game.
- USA closed out the contest on a 7-2 run in the final 2:38 to take the nail-biter from App State.
- The Jags blocked 10 Mountaineer shots without having one of their attempts rejected.
- South Alabama had four steals to App State's two.
- USA took points in the paint and off the bench 32-18 and 21-7 respectively.
- The Jags only allowed four second-chance points off 13 Mountaineer offensive rebounds, while converting eight points off nine offensive boards.
- South Alabama won the turnover battle 9-10.
- USA only led for 7:44 while App State held the lead for 27:35 during the contest.
 
NOTES
- South Alabama is 9-2 at home this season, including 5-0 in SBC action.
- This was the fourth time this season South Alabama did not have a shot attempt get rejected.
- USA's 13-5 record is the best since the 2008-09 squad possessed the same win-loss total.
- South Alabama's 6-1 SBC record is the best since the 2009-10 squad started conference play 7-0.
- The five-game home SBC win streak is the first for the program since the 2015-16 season.
- This was the Jags second-time this season that they came back from a half-time deficit and  their second victory when trailing after the third quarter.
- USA only turned the ball over nine times, tied for the fewest in a game this season when they had the same amount at Southern Miss (Nov. 30).
- Guillory's five blocks are a career-high besting her previous record of three, which she had done six times.
- Ellis had more than 10 points for the seventh consecutive game.
- Williams' seven points is a season-high.
- Lewis collected her third double-digit scoring effort of the season.
- The Jags have played 107 consecutive games without going to overtime.

THEY SAID IT
USA head coach Terry Fowler
Opening statement: "I'm just so proud of our young ladies, to just hang in there and fight when we weren't playing our best, really on the defensive end we did a great job. Shots just weren't falling for us tonight, we were 2-for-19 from three. We couldn't miss a shot against Coastal Carolina [on Thursday] in the first half and in the second half we couldn't make a shot, we were hoping we could flip it today in the second half. Our defense was lock-down down the stretch and we made plays when we had to, and that's a credit to our young ladies."
 
On winning without playing their best: "What we've talked about with this group all year long is let's not focus on results, it's a next-play mentality. We've gone three or four plays where we can't get a basket but let's get stops on this end, that's what we can control. I thought we had some key rebounds, Sha[foria] Kines came in and got some and I remember one where Chyna just reached up over somebody and went and scored, those were big plays and momentum boosters for us. This group has been fighting and digging, there was never any give up in our huddles. I was real excited for them."
 
On the team's energy: "With four minutes left to go in the ball game we get there, and I thought the crowd picked us up as well.  Our bench was outstanding, they were energetic and pumped. Then we started making plays and feeding off of each other. I thought Candace Williams gave us great defense on [LaPresha] Stanley, because she was going we decided to make a change and put her in the game and she took on the challenge of guarding her one-on-one; that was a big difference for us."
 
Senior C Chyna Ellis
On having to come from behind to win: "We just had to keep our composure, that's the first time this season in conference play that we've been down for that long. We knew it was going to take 40 minutes and we had this. It shows our character, and the will and desire to win, that we can get defensive stops when we need to and do what we need to do to come out victorious."
 
Senior G Candice Williams
On the team's defensive play: "We just made sure that we focused on it, we were talking and we were in our areas covering, we won our one-on-one battles as well.  It was huge and shows how special this team can be."

UP NEXT
The Jaguars travel to Lafayette to take on Louisiana on Thursday. Opening tip is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Cajundome.
 
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—USA—