Game 1 • South Alabama Jaguars (0-0, 0-0 SBC) vs. Spring Hill Badgers (0-0, 0-0 SIAC)
Nov. 7, 2018 • 7:00 p.m. • Mitchell Center • Mobile, Ala.
THE TEAMS
South Alabama
'18-19: 0-0, 0-0 (Sun Belt)
Rankings: -- (AP)
-- (Coaches)
Head Coach: Terry Fowler (Lane [Tenn.], '86)
at USA: 60-92, 35-59 SBC (7)
Overall: 267-270 (20)
vs. Spring Hill: 4-0
Returning Statistical Leaders
Pts: Savannah Jones (12.1)
Rebs: Antoinette Lewis (6.1)
Asts: Shaforia Kines (116)
Stls: Shaforia Kines (51)
Blks: Antoinette Lewis (43)
Spring Hill
'18-19: 0-0, 0-0 (SSAC)
Rankings: -- (AP)
-- (Coaches)
Head Coach: Karen McConico
at Spring Hill: 86-105 (8)
Overall: 204-199
vs. South Alabama: 0-6
Returning Statistical Leaders
Pts: Tiffany Valentine (17.5)
Rebs: Tiffany Valentine (7.1)
Asts: Elise Reilly (63)
Stls: Elise Reilly (34)
Blks: Tiffany Valentine (14)
LAST GAME
Alexis Sykes hit four three-pointers in the first four minutes of the second quarter, sparking a 12-1 run in the South Alabama's 82-38 exhibition victory over William Carey last Thursday at the Mitchell Center. Sykes finished the night with a game-high 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc, with Antoinette Lewis adding 15 points and three blocked shots in 15 minutes for the Jaguars. South shot 44.9 percent from the field overall while recording 22 assists on 31 baskets.
NEXT GAME
South Alabama will host Southern Mississippi on Wed., Nov. 14 at 7 p.m.
ON THE AIR
ESPN+: www.espn.com/watch/_/id/ed77357c-08a1-4f23-a971-eedb60ae29e1/spring-hill-vs-south-alabama
On the air: www.iheart.com/live/995-the-jag-mobile-7117/; 99.5 FM The Jag
Live Stats: statb.us/b/236941
RANKINGS (Final 2017-18 RPI Rankings)
USA: #179 RPI
Spring Hill: N/A
THE SERIES
The two teams have meet 34 previous times during the regular season with South Alabama holding a 31-3 series advantage … The Badgers have served as the Jaguars' season-opener five times, the most recent being to open the 2015-16 campaign (W, 64-49) … South has won 18 straight in the series dating back to the Feb. 15, 1982 when Spring Hill picked up a 73-59 win, the lone victory in the series on the Jaguars' home floor … Spring Hill was the program's very first opponent back during the 1974-75 season with South Alabama picking up a 53-37 win in that contest …The last meeting between the two clubs during the regular season came on Nov. 17, 2016 in which the two teams combined for just 71 total points at the Mitchell Center.
SCOUTING THE JAGUARS
- South Alabama enters its season opener against its cross-town rival after picking up an 82-38 exhibition win over William Carey last week.
- Alexis Sykes (18) and Antoinette Lewis (15) led the Jaguars as the duo each finished the night in double figures, while all 13 Jaguars who got in the game scored at least one field goal.
- Sykes had the hot hand early as she connected on her first four three-point attempts, knocking down 6-of-9 from beyond the arc for the game.
- Lewis, who had a solid freshman season a year ago, went 6-of-10 from the field and hit 3-of-4 at the free-throw line in the win. Last season, Lewis scored 10 or more points in eight of her last 11 games and also had three doubles-doubles during that span as she started the final seven games.
- The sophomore averaged 9.0 ppg and 6.1 rpg, while also blocking 43 shots last season.
- 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.
- The Jaguars also return Savannah Jones, the Sun Belt's reigning Freshman of the Year. Jones had her initial freshman campaign cut short due to injury, but returned in 2017-18 averaging 12.1 points per outing, which was second-most on the roster.
- The preseason first-team all-league selection 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.
- As a team, South posted a 21-13 record a year ago and advanced 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.
- 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.
SCOUTING THE LADY BADGERS
- Spring Hill comes into the 2018-19 season ranked ninth in the D2SIDA Women's Basketball Preseason Media Poll that was announced earlier this fall.
- Last season, the Badgers completed their full transition to the Division II level and finished with a 22-6 overall record and a 15-3 mark in conference play.
- SHC returns nine of its 16 players from last season's roster, including all-league performers Tiffany Valentine and Elise Reilly.
- Valentine ranked second on the club in scoring a year ago as she averaged 17.5 ppg in 27.6 minutes of action on the floor. The six-foot-one post player was named the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and first-team all-conference as she shot 53.1 percent from the floor.
- Reilly, an honorable mention all-SIAC selection, started all 28 games for SHC and averaged 15.5 points per game and 32.0 minutes on the floor. Reilly pulled 94 rebounds and dished out 63 assists, while also carding 34 steals. She set a new program single-season three-point record with 98 treys, connecting on 38.9 percent of her long-range attempts.
Reilly also set Spring Hill's career three-point record with 170 made treys.
- Spring Hill also welcomes eight newcomers to the squad.
SOUTH ALABAMA SEASON OPENERS
- In its 44 seasons of play, South Alabama holds a 22-22 record in season openers. The Jags also hold a 35-9 record in home openers, including a 15-4 mark in home openers at the Mitchell Center. Last season, the Jaguar women defeated Georgia Southwestern 73-42 to open the season.
THEY SAID IT
Head Coach Terry Fowler
- On what he learned about his team from the exhibition win: "We have the ability to go on long runs because we can shoot the ball really well. I thought that was the case before the William Carey game, but you never know until you get under the lights and have the uniforms on. It was pleasing to see that we can come off the bench with some different people and really get going."
- On what is going to be important early on this season for his young team: "It's going to be crucial for us to be able to handle adversity when it happens. The games are going to have a lot of ebbs and flow. It's going to be important to see how we respond as a young team when we get hit in the face."
- On Spring Hill: "They're a team that's made the transition from NAIA to Division II. Coach [Karen] McConico has done an excellent job. Spring Hill expects to come in here and win; that's the mentality and attitude that she's built there for them. When you have the success that they had last year, which only furthers that expectation. Spring Hill also brings back the reigning conference player of the year in Tiffany Valentine. You also have a player like Elise Reilly who can score the basketball and that helps exude confidence in their team."
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 South Circle, the unrestricted giving option of the University of South Alabama Athletics. Contributions to South Circle 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—
