Game EXH. • South Alabama Jaguars (0-0, 0-0 SBC) vs. William Carey Lady Crusaders (0-0, 0-0 SSAC)
Nov. 1, 2018 • 7:00 p.m. (C.T.) • Mitchell Center • Mobile, Ala.

THE COACHES
South Alabama
Terry Fowler (Lane [Tenn.], '86)
Record at USA: 60-92 (6th year)
Overall Record: 267-270 (20th year)

William Carey
Tracy English (29th year)
 
LAST GAME
South Alabama fell in overtime to Yale, 74-76, in the semifinals of the Women's Basketball Invitational.

NEXT GAME
South Alabama will open the 2018-19 regular season at home against Spring Hill on Wed., Nov. 7 at 7 p.m.

ON THE AIR
On the web: Here
On the air: Here; 99.5 FM The Jag (PxP Steve Goldberg)
Live Stats: Here

RANKINGS (Final 2017-18 RPI Rankings)
South Alabama: #179 RPI
William Carey: N/A

THE SERIES
The Jags hold a 3-1 series lead and have taken the last three meetings from the Lady Crusaders.

OPENING TIP
- South Alabama enters its lone exhibition contest after finishing with a 21-13 record a year ago and advancing to the semifinals of the Women's Basketball Invitational.
- The 21 victories were the most for the program since the 2008-09 season and the WBI appearance was the first postseason bid for the Jaguars since the 2003-04 campaign.
- Junior Shaforia Kines is the lone returning starter for South Alabama.
- As a sophomore, Kines ranked fourth in assists to turnover ratio (1.6) and eighth in assists (116) in the Sun Belt.
- She also had 14 games in double-digit points, including dropping 10 or more in eight of the final 10 contests.
- In her first full season, Savannah Jones made an impact on the Jaguar line up as she was an important piece of the South Alabama bench where she averaged 12.1 points per outing, which was second-most on the roster.
- Jones scored 10 or more points in 22 contests, including four of 20 or more. Her 400 points were the fourth-most and her 141 made field goals ranked as fifth most by a freshman at USA.
- The Ocean Springs, Miss., native was also a threat from outside the arc as her 70 three-pointers a year ago ranked as third-most in a season at South Alabama.
- Jones started the final seven games of the season for the Jaguar women and was named the Sun Belt Conference's Freshman of the Year at the conclusion of the regular season, making her the first Jag to receive the honor since Whitney Woodard (2003-04).
- Earlier this month, Jones was named to preseason all-conference first-team.
- South Alabama will have to replace three-time all-league selection and two-time Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year Chyna Ellis. Ellis concluded her career with
338 blocks and 1,247 points, finishing 12th all-time in latter category in program history.
- Ellis - who ended her career holding both the Sun Belt and South Alabama career marks for blocks - helped the Jaguars lead the nation a year ago in blocks with 254.
- Ellis was also the team's leading scorer last season averaging 13.7 points per game.
- Sophomore Antoinette Lewis will be looked upon to fill in for Ellis. Last season, Lewis averaged 9.0 ppg and 6.1 rpg while also blocking 43 shots.
- Lewis closed out her freshman campaign strong as she scored 10 or more points in eight of her last 11 games. She also had three doubles-doubles and started the final seven games as part of that stretch.
- William Carey is coming off a season in which the Lady Crusaders finished with an 8-15 overall record. WC was just 1-6 a year ago in non-conference action.
- Junior guard Tamia Stinson led the club a year ago in both scoring 12.0 points per contest and 34 steals, while she was also second on the roster in both rebounds (6.0) and assists (51). Stinson was the lone Crusader to average double figures during the 2017-18 season.
- Shantavius Hughes is the second-leading returning scorer coming into the season as she average 8.8 ppg in 32.8 minutes of action. Hughes led the club from outside the arc, knocking down a team-high 59 three-pointers for 33.0 percent.
- The Lady Crusaders averaged 59.9 points while giving up 64.8 per contest last season.
- William Carey had an even rebounding margin.
- Following its exhibition game against South, William Carey will take on Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg on Nov. 6.
 
THEY SAID IT
Head Coach Terry Fowler
On what he's looking for in the exhibition: "We're looking for effort, energy and a team attitude. We're starting to gel and come together now. Those are the big keys from a general standpoint. Defensively is where we are going to be seeing what kind of progress we made there. I think we'll score the ball okay. I think we'll be fine there. It's just how are we going to play on the defensive end of the floor."
 
On returning just one starter from last season and how the new spots will be determined : "We've had 25 practices prior to this game. A lot of those spots have been solidified through the practices, but you never know how the players react when the lights and uniform are on. We'll play our rotations and we'll try to get some young players in there and see how they respond to in-game action."
 
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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—USA—