Game 23 • South Alabama Jaguars (17-5, 6-5 SBC) vs. Georgia Southern (7-15, 2-9 SBC) • February 14 2019 • 7:00 p.m. • Mitchell Center • Mobile, Ala.

THE COACHES
SOUTH ALABAMA
Terry Fowler, (Lane [Tenn.], '86)
at USA: 77-97, 41-64 SBC (6)
Overall: 284-275 (20)
vs. Georgia Southern: 6-3

GEORGIA SOUTHERN
Kip Drown, (SW Missouri State, '77)
at Georgia Southern: 32-79 (4)
Overall: 490-405 (31)
vs. South Alabama: 1-4

LAST GAME
The University of South Alabama women's basketball team lost 44-47 amidst a highly contested fourth quarter to the first place Little Rock Trojans on Saturday afternoon at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock, Ark. 

The Jaguars ended the third quarter on an 8-0 run to make it a two-point game heading into the fourth. That run continued into the quarter and was capped off by a Mahogany Vaught steal and layup to put the Jags ahead 33-31 with eight minutes left to play. Tori Lasker hit a three for the Trojans to end the 12-0 run and give Little Rock back the lead. From there, the game went back and forth, with the Jags holding the lead for a total of five minutes in the quarter. 

Ronjanae DeGray gave the Trojans the lead with just under three minutes to go and South Alabama did not regain control of the ballgame. Aided by four Jaguar turnovers, Little Rock went on a 7-0 run to turn a 39-36 South lead into a 43-39 advantage. South Alabama did not let up off the gas and turned the game into a one-point game several times over the final minutes of play, but the Trojans went 7-for-8 from the free-throw line in crunch time to seal the deal.

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

SERIES NOTES    
South Alabama is 9-7 all-time vs. Georgia Southern and is currently riding a three-game win streak against the Panthers. The Jaguars beat Georgia Southern 69-53 earlier this season in Statesboro. South Alabama swept their two matchups last season, beating them 79-52 at home and 81-74 in Statesboro. 

The Jags own a 6-3 record vs. the Panthers since they joined the Sun Belt for the 2014-2015 season, the two teams have never met in the Sun Belt tournament. The Jags and Panthers met for the first time on Nov. 30 1985 in the Georgia Southern Invitational, with South losing 76-85 in overtime. 

OPENING TIP
South Alabama enters the contest with three players averaging 14-plus points per game, the Jags boast the league's fourth ranked offense (70.7 points per game) and rank second in three-point shooting; making 7.4 threes per game and shooting .357 from behind the arc. On the other side, Georgia Southern is averaging 61.4 points per game while allowing opponents to score 71.6 per contest. The Eagles are shooting .378 from the floor while opponents are shooting .456.

Savannah Jones leads South with 14.8 points per game, improving on that in Sun Belt play with 16.5 points per game. Jones has connected on 58-of-130 threes this season for an outstanding .446 percentage that ranks 4th in the Sun Belt and 15th in the NCAA. 

Shaforia Kines is right up there with Jones when it comes to three-point shooting. The junior guard has hit 55 threes on the season and is shooting .401 from deep. Kines is averaging 14.2 points per game while leading the team in assists with 75. 

Antoinette Lewis posted her sixth double-double of the season against Little Rock this past Saturday before fouling out of the game with just over two minutes left to play. Lewis put up 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the contest. For the season, Lewis is shooting .590 from the floor, ranking first in the league, and 21st in the nation. 

The Jaguars posted five players in double figures for the third time this season when they last faced off against Georgia Southern (1/19/19). Jones led the team with 17 points, Damaya Telemaque and Lewis both had 13, while Kines and Jayla Morrow posted 10 apiece.

Georgia Southern is coming off of a 62-80 defeat at the hands of ULM on Saturday in Statesboro. The Eagles started off conference play losing their first seven games, but have won two of their last four, most recently besting Louisiana 79-71 at home (2/7/19), and sit at 12th place in the standings. 

Georgia Southern's offense boasts two players atop the Sun Belt in key categories. Junior guard Alexis Brown leads the conference in scoring at 17.5 points per game, while Amira Atwater leads the league with 119 assists (5.4 per game). 

Alexis Brown posted a double-double the last time the Jaguars played the Panthers. Brown put up 15 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and shot 3-of-8 from three. Atwater and Brown are joined by teammate Hailey Dias-Allen to form a trio that has started every game for the Eagles this season. Dias-Allen brings in 6.4 rebounds per game to lead Georgia Southern in the category.

They Said It
Head Coach Terry Fowler 

On getting five players in double figures last time out vs. Georgia Southern: "Yeah it is, it's one of the things we talk about; we talk about sharing the juice. That's the thing where everyone is going to touch the basketball, and have a chance to go out and contribute. Anytime you have five players scoring in double figures you have a pretty good chance to win the game. It's just a fact when every one touches it on the offensive end, the defense picks up as well." 

On Alexis Brown and Amira Atwater: "Well Amira Atwater just really pushes, she forces the issue and you have to try and slow her penetration down. She gets it and she finds Alexis Brown to create open shots for her. We need to make sure we can stop the dribble penetration and we have to make sure we stay in close proximity to Brown. We can't foul; they do a great job at the free-throw line. We have to force her to make tough shots." 

NEXT GAME
South Alabama remains at home to take on Georgia State on Saturday Feb. 16. Tip-off vs. the Panthers is slated for 3 p.m. at the Mitchell Center in Mobile, Ala. 

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—