MOBILE, Ala. - The University of South Alabama women's basketball team came from behind to down Georgia State 62-59 on Saturday Afternoon at the Mitchell Center. The Jaguars improve to 19-5 on the season, 8-5 in the Sun Belt, and are now tied for fourth in the conference with Georgia State.

South Alabama scored just 19 points in the first half and went into the break down by nine. Things heated up and the Jaguars went on a 9-0 run to tie the game at 35 in the third quarter. Savannah Jones hit a three one-minute later to give the Jags their first lead of the game, and South went into the fourth with a two-point lead. Jones finished 4-of-9 from behind the arc and posted 18 points. 

Georgia State, who led for over 27 minutes in the contest, did not go down without a fight. The Panthers tied the game up at 52 with four minutes left to play, but once again Jones hit a three to give the Jags a lead and South outlasted Georgia State for the home win. 

Antoinette Lewis had a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds. Lewis shot 9-of-11 from the floor en route to picking up her seventh double-double of the year. 

GAME FACTS
- The Jaguars shot 30 percent from the floor in the first quarter and trailed Georgia State 6-13 at the end of the first. The Jags six points are the lowest they have put up in the opening quarter all season. 
- South Alabama committed 17 turnovers in the first half, but put it together in the second half turning the ball over just six times, finishing up with 23 for the game. 
- Georgia State built its lead up to a high-point of 13 in the second quarter before allowing the Jags to get back into the game. 
- The Jaguars rejected nine of Georgia State's shot attempts, their most blocks in a game since putting up 10 at Appalachian State on Jan. 5. Lewis finished with four blocks of her own.
- Jayla Morrow returned to the starting lineup this afternoon. It was Morrow's first start since Dec. 9 vs. Alabama State. The sophomore guard posted 12 points, five assists, and five rebounds. 
- Damaya Telemaque posted a career-high eight rebounds, five on the offensive side of the glass. Telemaque added six points and two assists in the win. 

NOTES
- The Jaguars improve to 10-6 all-time vs. Georgia State. South Alabama swept the series vs. the Panthers this season and will not match up against them again in the regular season. 
- Jones gave the Jaguars a lead with a made three-pointer three times in the second half, and put up 16 of her 18 total points in the second half. 
- Kennedi Centers led the Jags in assists for the first time with a career-high six helpers in the game. 
- South Alabama recovering from their nine-point deficit at the half marked its largest comeback of the year. 
- The Jaguars ended Georgia State's four-game winning streak with the win. 

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Terry Fowler
Opening statement: "I think the game was a tale of two halves. In the first half I thought it really took us awhile to settle down. We turned the ball over 17 times in the first half. As badly as we played, we were still down single digits going into halftime. Jayla Morrow hit a big three to give us some momentum. From there, the third quarter was big for us. Once we got to the fourth quarter we said, 'it's a 10-minute ballgame. Let's go play.' We did a great job and dominated the glass. We only turned it over six times in the second half and I thought those stats were the big difference-makers in the ballgame." 

On letting go of initial challenges: "The thing about this team is that as the coaches entered the locker room, we could hear their talk and chatter. They were saying a lot of things that we were about to say to them. There was not a lot of talking from the coaching staff. They already have an idea of what to do; we just give them some vital stats that indicate exactly what is happening. We were able to make a few adjustments. It was more about our pace. You saw us get out and get in transition in the second half. It still starts and stops on the defensive end of the floor. We weren't getting those plays early in the first half."

On the win: "It was huge. Our records are right there together and if it comes down to a tiebreaker situation, we own the tiebreaker against them right now. As we get moving, everybody is fighting for position in the conference tournament. Every day is a big day. Today was really crucial for us, especially playing at home."  

Sophomore guard Jayla Morrow
On today's performance: "I just went out there and executed. I did everything Coach Fowler said. My teammates are always picking me up in practice, so we just went out believing and having faith in each other. They picked me up."

On the team being able to overcome challenges: "We're fighters. We're brave. We encourage each other; that was the pregame speech and we kept that faith throughout the whole game." 

Sophomore forward/center Antoinette Lewis
On halftime adjustments: "We were saying that we were playing to their pace. We were allowing them to impact us. They really weren't pressuring that much. We knew that if we were to limit our turnovers, take care of the ball, and go play how we were going to play that it would be a different ballgame."

UP NEXT
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/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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