Game 9 • South Alabama Jaguars (8-0, 0-0 SBC) vs. Faulkner Eagles (8-3, 2-2 SSAC)
December 17, 2018 • 7:00 p.m. • Mitchell Center • MOBILE, Ala.

THE COACHES
South Alabama
Terry Fowler, (Lane [Tenn.], '86)
Record at USA: 68-92, 35-59 SBC (6)
Overall: 275-270 (20)
vs. Faulkner: —

Faulkner
Reed Sutton, (Grand Valley State, '00)
at Faulkner: 164-94, 97-65 SSAC (9)
Overall: 164-94, 97-65 SSAC (9)
vs. South Alabama: —

LAST GAME
The University of South Alabama women's basketball team improved to 8-0 with a 77-65 non-conference home victory over Alabama State on Sunday afternoon at the Mitchell Center. After an electric start to the game that saw the Jags head into halftime with a 17-point lead, the Lady Hornets battled back and trailed by only two at the end of the third. The Jags didn't flinch in the face of adversity and out-shot Alabama State 27-17 in the fourth to seal up the win.

South held on and took control in the fourth thanks in large part to the reigning Sun Belt Player of the Week, Antoinette Lewis. Lewis shot 6-6 from the floor and 7-13 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, turning in 19 of her 21 points in the final quarter of action. The sophomore forward from Memphis Tenn., finished with a team-high 21 points and brought in five re-bounds. 

Jayla Morrow made her fourth start of the season and put up a career-high 16 points. Morrow connected on 67 percent of her shots from the floor and nailed all three of her three-pointers. It was the sophomore guards first-career game finishing in dou-ble digits, scoring 12 in the first half alone. 

NEXT GAME
South Alabama travels to Miami, Fla., for the FIU Holiday tournament to play New Mexico State on Dec. 20. Tip off vs. the Aggies is slated for 1 p.m. 


MULTIMEDIA
Television: ESPN +
Radio: 99.5 The Jag FM
Live Stats: USAJaguars.com
Live Audio: USAJaguars.com
Live Video: USAJaguars.com

 
SERIES NOTES    
This marks the first regular season matchup between Faulkner and South Alabama. South beat Faulkner 88-48 in an exhibition last year on Nov. 2. The Jags are 15-2 all-time vs. the Southern States Athletic Conference. 

OPENING TIP
South Alabama (8-0) is coming off a home 77-65 win against  Alabama State on Sunday, Dec. 9. The 8-0 start for the Jaguars is the first for the program since the 1984-85 season when they opened the year with a 12-0 mark.
The Jags remain one of 17 unbeaten division one NCAA teams, and the only remaining undefeated team in the Sun Belt. 

The Jags have won their first eight games of the season with an average scoring margin of +10.6 South tied its largest margin of victory against Alabama State, beating the Lady Hornets by 22; they also beat Tennessee State by 22 on Nov. 29 in Nashville. 

Sophomore Forward Antoinette Lewis was named Sun Belt Women's Basketball Player of the week for the second consecutive week on December 11th. Lewis is the first South Alabama player to win the award in back-to-back weeks since Tamara Carter accomplished it in the 1996-1997 season, and is the first Jaguar to win the award twice in one season since Chyna Ellis did it last season. 

Lewis averaged 17.5 points and 7 rebounds per game in the Jags wins over Alabama & Alabama State last week. Against Alabama State, Lewis led the Jags with 21 points, shooting 6-6 from the field in the fourth quarter and laying in 19 of her 21 points. The sophomore forward leads the Jags in scoring and rebounding with 14.4 points and 8.3 rebounds respectively. 

Jayla Morrow is coming off a career-high game vs. the Lady Hornets. Morrow shot 6-9 from the field and put up a career-high 16 points, It was the first game of Morrow's career scoring in double figures. 

Damaya Telemaque was one of four Jags to score in double digits against Alabama State. Telemaque connected on 4-12 shots for 13 points, and was the fifth time in her eight-game career the freshman has scored in double digits. After coming off the bench in the first game of the season, Telemaque has been a main stay in the starting lineup for the last seven games. 

This will be the last non-conference game at the Mitchell Center this season for the South women and the last home game until Arkansas State comes to Mobile on January 10. The Jags have outscored opponents 77.5-66.0 on average, shooting .477 from the floor and .407 from beyond the arc. Lewis has connected on 31-39 shots from the floor for a .795 field-goal percent-age, and averages 19.5 points per game at home. Lewis, Shaforia Kines, and Christen Carter have started all three games at the Mitchell Center for the Jags this year. 

Faulkner is coming off a 64-61 road win over William Carey on Sunday afternoon. With the win, the Eagles improved to 8-3 on the season. 



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 vis-it: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/give

—USA—