JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – East Tennessee State began the final period on Friday with a 7-0 run and would go on to earn a 65-60 non-conference victory over the University of South Alabama women's basketball team at Brooks Gym.
Micah Scheetz led all players with 29 points after she made 16-of-18 free-throw attempts, adding eight rebounds, three assists and three steals. E'Lease Stafford added 14 points for the Buccaneers (4-9), while Tijuana Kimbro just missed a double-double after finishing with 11 points and nine rebounds.
Savannah Jones recorded a season-high 25 points to lead the Jaguars, who concluded non-conference play 5-7. Antoinette Lewis finished with seven points and seven rebounds before fouling out, while Jaylen Mallard added eight boards as well.
East Tennessee State 65, South Alabama 60 (box score)
GAME FACTS
-The Jags were just 6-of-25 from the field in the first period, but outrebounded the Bucs by nine to trail just 17-15 after 10 minutes of play.
-Jones scored 11 of the South's 14 points in the second quarter to help the Jaguars remain behind by three, 32-29, at the half.
-After connecting on three threes in the first half USA sank three in the third period and were down 45-44 at the end of the quarter.
-Once ETSU extended its advantage in the final period, it hit 14-of-17 free-throw attempts to close out the contests.
-The Jags outrebounded the Bucs 51-36, and scored 23 second-chance points off 24 offensive boards.
-The Buccaneers limited South to 30.6 percent shooting from the floor while also forcing 21 turnovers.
NOTES
-The two teams split a home-and-home series, with the Jaguars claiming the first match-up last year in Mobile.
-After using just two different starting lineups in their first nine games the Jags have now recorded three different starting fives this week with Casey Ferguson making her first career start against the Buccaneers.
-For the second game in a row, the Jags had an individual go over 1,000 career points after Lewis accomplished the feat with her first basket of the second half.
-Jones posted her first 20-point game since USA defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Nov. 14, while it was the 10th time in her career she has reached the 20-point plateau.
-The redshirt junior hit a season-best five three-point field goals while also tying a career high with three blocked shots.
-It was a career-high rebounding total for Mallard, giving her 13 in the last two contests after posting three total in the previous three outings combined.
-Not only was it the first time the freshman has led the team on the glass, it marked the first time this year someone other than Lewis has paced South in the category.
-Devyn Lowe was credited with three steals on the night, marking the second game in a row she has finished with three thefts while leading the team.
THEY SAID IT
Head coach Terry Fowler
Opening statement: "We were playing once again in early foul trouble, we thought if we could keep the deficit to four or five [points] we would get our people back and then we could go. I was pleased that we continued to fight and we were right there, but they made free throws when they had to down the stretch and we missed a couple of plays that could've cut into their lead a little more."
On the Buccaneers' run to open the fourth period: "We turned it over and gave them some easy buckets, and on one possession there was an and-one that was a key play. And we just couldn't score on the other end."
Up next: The Jaguars will be off until Thursday, Jan. 2, when they open Sun Belt Conference action with a 7 p.m. (CST) tip against Appalachian State at the Mitchell Center.
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).
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
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