Game 24 • South Alabama Jaguars (18-5, 7-5 SBC) vs. Georgia State (14-9, 8-4 SBC) • February 16 2019 • 3:00 p.m. • Mitchell Center • Mobile, Ala.

THE COACHES
SOUTH ALABAMA
Terry Fowler, (Lane [Tenn.], '86)
at USA: 78-97, 42-64 SBC (6)
Overall: 285-275 (20)
vs. Georgia State: 8-4

GEORGIA STATE
Gene Hill, (Coker [S.C.], '97)
at Georgia State: 14-9, 8-4 SBC (1)
Overall: 14-9, 8-4 SBC
vs. South Alabama: 0-1

LAST GAME
The University of South Alabama women's basketball team improved to 18-5 (7-5 SBC) with a 73-60 victory over the Georgia Southern Eagles on Thursday night at the Mitchell Center. 

While the Jaguars maintained a steady lead for the majority of the game, Georgia Southern held it close until the fourth quarter. In fact, Alexis Brown hit a three-pointer for the Eagles at the start of the fourth to give her team a 45-44 advantage. The Jaguars took back their lead on the next possession as Antoinette Lewis layed one in for two to spark a 13-3 run for South, and take the game out of Georgia Southern's reach. 

The Jaguars put up 30 points and shot a stout 68.8 percent from the field in the fourth quarter, and after Alexis Brown's made three-pointer the Eagles went on a five-minute long field-goal drought that they did not recover from.Brown finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Eagles, putting up her second-consecutive double-double vs. the Jags.

MULTIMEDIA
Television: ESPN +
Radio: 710 AM WNTM
Live Stats: USAJaguars.com
Live Audio: USAJaguars.com
Live Video: USAJaguars.com

SERIES NOTES    
South Alabama and Georgia State have met a total of 15 times with South owning a 9-6 advantage in those matchups. The two teams met in Atlanta, Ga., previously this season on Jan. 17. South Alabama won that contest 68-59. Since Georgia State joined the Sun Belt in 2014, the Jaguars are 8-4 in all matchups, 7-4 during the regular season and 1-0 in the conference tournament. South has won the last four matchups, including the 49-44 tournament win in 2017, and haven't lost to the Panthers since Jan. 26 2017 (45-55) at the Mitchell Center. 

OPENING TIP
Savannah Jones had a 28-point night against Ga. Southern and tied a career high with seven three-pointers made in the game. Jones went 7-of-11 from behind the arc, and increased her three-point FG percentage to .461 on the season, moving her up to the one spot in the Sun Belt standings. It was Jones' fourth game this season scoring at least 20 points, and the sophomore guard is averaging 15.4 points per game. 

The Jaguars shot 68.8 percent in the fourth quarter against Georgia Southern, marking the ninth time this season they have shot at least 60 percent from the floor in the fourth. The Jags shot a season-high 73.7 percent against ULM back on Jan. 26. 

Damaya Telemaque tied her Sun Belt high with 13 points in the game vs. Georgia Southern, and added four rebounds and five assists. The freshman guard has led the Jags in assists 13 times this season while averaging 9.0 points per game. 

South Alabama is shooting .434 from the floor and .357 from three, both good for second in the conference. Antoinette Lewis leads the Sun Belt with a .594 FG percentage, while scoring 14.3 points per game. 

Shaforia Kines and Antoinette Lewis both put up 18 points and nine rebounds against Georgia State when the two teams met in Atlanta on Jan. 17 earlier this season. Kines added seven assists to that effort. Savannah Jones posted 13 in the win, and went 3-for-7 behind the arc to help the Jaguars post 10 three-pointers in the game. 

Georgia State comes to Mobile after defeating Troy 85-70 on Thursday night in Troy, Ala. The Panthers swept the season series vs. the Trojans and will face the Jaguars riding a four-game win streak. The Panthers are scoring 63.7 points per game, while shooting .408 from the floor, .315 from three and .689 from the charity stripe. Georgia State averages 8.2 steals per game and has a turnover margin of +1.2. 

Jada Lewis plays a league high 36.2 minutes per game and leads the Panthers in points per game (14.9), steals (40), and assists (61). Shaq Miller-McCray leads the Sun Belt with 1.8 blocks per game, 42 for the season. 

Lewis led the Panthers with 14 points when South Alabama visited Georgia State this season. Walnatia Wright (13) and Allison Johnson (12) joined their teammate in double figures in that contest. Georgia State shot 2-for-20 (.100) from behind the arc in the 59-68 loss. 

The Jaguars are in fifth place in the Sun Belt standings right behind Georgia State heading into the action on Saturday. 

They Said It
Head Coach Terry Fowler 
On playing the team right ahead of the Jags at this point in the season: "Yeah, the stakes are a little higher. You're battling for position in the conference tournament. You get to that point where every possession matters, so the intensity level raises." 

On Jada Lewis and Allison Johnson: "Lewis, freshman of the year two years ago. Can score with the three-pointer and can put it on the floor and get to the basket. Allison Johnson has really given them a different dimension. Her versatility being able to post up and face up. She's a tough matchup for everybody in the league."

NEXT GAME
South Alabama hits the road to take on in-state rival Troy on Saturday, Feb. 23. Tip-off vs the Trojans is set for 2 p.m. at Trojan Arena in Troy, 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—