MOBILE, Ala. – Antoinette Lewis made 1-of-2 free throws with 17 seconds to go to lift the University of South Alabama women's basketball team to an 83-82 double-overtime victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in a Preseason WNIT consolation game Thursday at the Mitchell Center.

It capped a performance in which the junior posted 24 points and 18 rebounds — the latter figure was the most ever for a Jaguar in the arena — as South (1-2) earned its first win of the season.  Savannah Jones matched Lewis with 24 points, Shaforia Kines and Damaya Telemaque each scored 11 while Jala Buster finished with 10 for the Jags, who hit 10 three-point field goals to overcome a 54-43 rebounding deficit.

The Islanders (1-2) had both Alexes Bryant (26 points, 12 rebounds) and Emma Young (14, 18) record a double-double, with Dalesia Booth adding 16 points and La'Janeira Robinson scoring 14 as well.

South Alabama 83, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 82 (2ot) (final stats)

GAME FACTS
-Eight forced turnovers and a 12-0 run helped the Jaguars establish a 19-14 advantage at the end of the opening period.
-Telemaque scored seven of USA's 10 points in the second quarter, but the Islanders recorded the final seven points over the last three minutes of the period to take a 31-29 halftime lead.
-TAMUCC held the Jags without a field goal over the final two minutes and 51 seconds of regulation to force overtime.
-The Jaguars never trailed in overtime, leading by as many as five points in the first extra period and four in the second.
-Both teams committed 21 turnovers, but USA scored 10 more points — posting a 24-14 advantage — off those miscues.
-The Islanders finished with a 44-30 edge scoring in the paint, but were only able to connect on three three-point field goals.

NOTES
-The Jaguars will now take on Miami (Ohio) — a 65-52 winner over Prairie View A&M earlier in the day — in their final game of the tournament at 7 p.m. (CST) on Friday.
-TAMUCC will face the Panthers in the prior contest, with tipoff scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
-This was the first meeting between USA and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi since a Dec. 22, 2001, match-up at the Central Florida Classic in Orlando.
-It was the first overtime game for the Jags since they defeated Troy 87-74 in the third round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament on March 14 last season, and their first to go to a second overtime since a Dec. 21 84-77 victory at FIU last year.
-South finished with a season-high five individuals in double figures scoring.
-While recording her second double-double in three outings this year, Lewis posted a career high on the boards and her first 20-point effort since ending up with 27 points at Lamar on March 22 last season in a two-point victory over the Cardinals in the first round of the WNIT.
-After making three three-pointers in the Jaguars' first two contests this year, Jones connected on four against the Islanders while finishing with a season-high point total as well.
-Kines' five assists were the most handed out by a Jag this month, and she was also was credited with five rebounds.
-As a freshman Buster scored 10 or more points once in 14 appearances, a feat she has now accomplished in back-to-back outings after recording 10 at UAB last week.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Terry Fowler
Opening statement: "I'm happy for our young ladies to get that win, we talked about how we were going to have to fight and go out there and take it if we wanted it.  We knew Corpus Christi was a really good team, they came in and gave us everything they had, making play after play to force us to answer them.  Anytime you can earn a win in the WNIT is special as well."
On the difference in the game: "We got stops when we needed to and we gave ourselves a cushion, although we were battling back and forth we were always playing with a two- or three-point lead. Ultimately we emphasized getting stops and rebounding the ball down the stretch and taking care of the ball once we got it."
On being tested early in the season: "It's a good thing, we talked about that in the locker room.  But what we really talked about was how this was like the opposite of our tournament at FIU last year where we had a miraculous game-winning shot the first night and had to turn around and play double overtime the following night.  Today we got the double overtime game and now we need to somehow recover and get our bodies ready to come back and go tomorrow."

Junior C Antoinette Lewis
On earning the win in double overtime: "At shoot-around today the team was determined to get the first win of the season.  Throughout the last couple days of practice, we stressed defending our home court and doing what we do best.  In the huddle we were all tired, but we challenged each other to push through.  We've had times where we played back to back to back, so we said we know how to push through the tired."
On her thoughts after missing her first free throw at the end of double overtime: "When I got fouled I was frustrated that I missed the shot.  I wanted to make both, but I told myself I had to make one to give us a chance win, and to put more pressure on them and hopefully not send us into another overtime.  After I missed the first one I shook it off, we do 'win the game' — which is a free-throw shooting game — very often in our pregame and that prepared me for the situation I was in."

Up next: USA will face Miami (Ohio) Friday at 7 p.m. (CST) in its final contest of the 2019 Preseason WNIT.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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—USA—