Game 30 • No. 5 South Alabama Jaguars (18-11, 11-7) vs. No. 12 ULM Warhawks (4-25, 1-17)
March 6, 2018 • 2:00 p.m. (C.T.) • Lakefront Arena • New Orleans, La.

THE COACHES
South Alabama
Terry Fowler (Lane [Tenn.], 1986)
Record at USA: 57-90 (5th year)
Overall Record: 264-268 (18th year)

ULM
Jeff Dow
(Oregon, '88)
Record at ULM: 34-83 (4)
Overall Record: 256-189 (15)
 
LAST GAME.
South Alabama closed out the regular season with a 70-69 win at Georgia State.

NEXT GAME
If the Jags defeat the Warhawks, they will face No. 4 Troy on Thursday at 2:00 p.m.

ON THE AIR
On the web: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3303922/sun-belt-womens-basketball-championship
On the air: https://www.iheart.com/live/995-the-jag-mobile-7117/; 99.5 FM The Jag, pbp JT Crabtree
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=210014&confid=sbelt

RANKINGS (Games played through Mar. 4)
USA: #165 RPI
ULM: #337 RPI

THE SERIES
The Jags lead the all-time series 16-9 and have won the last three.
 
OPENING TIP
- The Jags defeated Georgia State on Saturday, 70-69, with a block at the buzzer by Antoinette Lewis.
- USA was led by doubles-doubles from Lewis and Chyna Ellis who had 13 points and 16 rebounds and 16 points and 11 rebounds, respectively.
- The win on Saturday was the 600th in program history.
- Ellis was named first-team all-conference and Defensive Player of the Year by the league office on Mar. 5, while Savannah Jones was named Freshman of the Year.
- Ellis 93 blocks and is one block away from breaking the program's single-season record she set last season.
- Against Coastal Carolina (Jan. 18), Ellis' 10 rejections were a career-high and is now the individual record for a women's basketball player at the Mitchell Center.
- Since Ellis has been at South Alabama, the Jaguars have had 693 blocks. The team only had 697 blocks the previous nine seasons combined.
- South Alabama is 8-6 on the road and 10-5 at home this season.
- South Alabama received a vote in the USA Today Top 25 Coaches' Poll during week 9 of the poll, marking the first time since the 2008-09 season the Jags have received a vote in the poll.
- Genesis Perrymond recorded a career-high 9 assists, the most by a Jag this season, when they faced Central Arkansas.
- South Alabama has had at least two players score 10 or more point per game in every contest except for one.
- USA has had 13 20 or more point scoring efforts this season. Ellis has had seven, including a career-high 24 points against Southern Mississippi.
- Ellis has 12 double-doubles this season and Lewis has three.
- Ellis has had double-digit points in 22 games, while recording double-digit rebounds in 13.
- Jones has scored in double-digits 19 times this season, while Shaforia Kines and Lewis have nine and Genesis Perrymond and Erin Autio have scored double-figures in six games.
- South Alabama has four scorers averaging eight or more points per contest, Ellis (13.8), Jones (12.4), Kines (8.9), Lewis (8.6).
- USA has had three players record three blocks in a game this season, Ellis 17 times, Lewis five times and Guillory four times.
- Jones has made 58 three-pointers this season, the second-most by a freshman in program history, and is in the top-10 for freshman scoring in a season with 346 points.
- Lewis has the sixth most blocks by a freshman in a season with 34.
- Ellis became the 19th women's basketball player in program history to reach 1,000 points earlier this season.
- Ellis has 324 blocks for her career and is in the top-10 for blocks for a season during all four-years of her career at South Alabama. No other player has done that in any category in program history.
- South Alabama is 7-4 in games decided by single digits.
- The Jags have won 11 of their 18 games by double digits, including six by 20 or more points.
- USA is 13-0 when outrebounding its opponent.
- When scoring 70 or more, South Alabama is 11-1.
- The Jags have only given up a halftime or third-quarter lead three-times this season.
- The Warhawks are 4-25 this season, with a 1-17 record in conference play.
- Gabriella Cortez leads ULM in points (15.7).
- Arsula Clark leads the team in rebounds (5.4) and steals (40)
- ULM's lone conference victory came on Jan. 6 against Appalachian State.
 
THEY SAID IT
Head Coach Terry Fowler
On the matchup with ULM to start the tournament: "Once you get into tournament time, you have to survive and advance. Everybody has a shot. When I think about ULM last year, they played Louisiana in a tight game in the first round. We have to come in focused and ready to play. We have to utilize our inside game and try to get the ball inside and play off of that. We have to improve defensively and that's the thing we have to focus on, but we have to limit their opportunities. They have some kids that can score."
 
On limiting ULM's free-throw opportunities: "We have to move our feet, not reach, and not go for their shot fakes. We have to contest all shots and try to block out at the same time, though. We are 13-0 when we out rebound our opponents. We need to get on the glass and limit their scoring opportunities."
 
On Ellis' postseason accolades: "Chyna has earned her accolades with the hard work she has put in. The coaches understand her importance to what we do defensively. She anchors us defensively. She is a great rim protector and she's done it for four years. For her to be a first-team all-conference selection as well shows her hard work paying off. I've seen her do it from the time she's gotten here."
 
On Jones winning Freshman of the Year: "With Savannah, unfortunately she had the torn ACL last year, but she's done what she's able to do. She puts the ball in the basket and it's awesome that the coaches in the league recognize that as well."
 
On Lewis' play down the stretch: "Antoinette has just really come on the last few games of the season. You could see glimpses of it throughout the year and these last four or five ballgames she's been a force to reckon with. She's going to be somebody that Sun Belt is going to be recognizing down the line."
 
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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