MOBILE, Ala. — The University of South Alabama women's basketball team fell 50-59 to the Appalachian State Mountaineers in the Sun Belt Conference Regular season finale on senior day at the Mitchell Center.
Heading into halftime the Jaguars were down by seven to App State. South Alabama made a run late in the third quarter to tie things up at 38 apiece and head into he fourth down by just three. The Mountaineers responded early in the fourth, went on a 7-0 run to take the lead, and the Jags couldn't get the game within four points for the rest of the contest.
South Alabama shot a season-low 25 percent from the floor and went 4-of-23 from the three-point line. Alexis Sykes went 3-of-6 from three, while the rest of the team combined to go 1-of-17.
Freshman guard, Damaya Telemaque posted 16 points and 10 rebounds notching the first double-double of her young career. Telemaque set a personal Sun Belt high with 16 points, and added a team-high three blocks and two assists.
South Alabama moves to 20-9 on the season, 9-9 in the Sun Belt, and will be the seven seed in the Sun Belt conference tournament.
GAME FACTS
The Jaguars and Appalachian State were tied up at 14 heading into the second quarter. South Alabama shot 1-of-17 (5.9 %) from the floor in the quarter and allowed App State to build a seven-point lead heading into the half. The Mountaineers started the quarter on a 9-0 run.
The major difference in the fourth quarter was Appalachian State hitting 6-of-13 from the floor and making 5-of-6 free-throws down the stretch. The Jags connected on 4-of-13 in the fourth and hit just one of their last 11 shots.
Baylee Plummer was big for the Mountaineers down low this afternoon. Plummer went for 13 points and 13 rebounds as App State beat the Jags 28-22 in the paint.
Plummer was key for App State, holding Antoinette Lewis to seven points and nine rebounds. Lewis did grab four offensive boards as the Jags made 13 second-chance points.
Sykes and Shaforia Kines joined Telemaque in double figures for the game. Sykes, making her third consecutive start, went for 12 points while Kines went for 10 and added six rebounds.
NOTES
The Jaguars fall to 5-6 all-time vs. Appalachian State and lost both regular season games to the Mountaineers this season.
The Jags were out-rebounded 48-46, and are now 8-8 on the season when getting beat out on the glass.
South Alabama had a season-low five assists in today's effort.
The Jaguars celebrated Senior Day in a presentation prior to tonight's contest. Redshirt Junior Christen Carter and India Hall played in their final regular season home game for South Alabama. Carter made her 28th start of the season for the Jags tonight, and had two points, four rebounds, and one assists in 20 minutes. Hall played six minutes and grabbed one rebound.
THEY SAID IT
Head coach Terry Fowler
Opening statement: "Coming into the game, there was a lot to play for; it's basically been just like the Sun Belt Conference Tournament the last few nights playing for seeding and positioning. I thought in the first quarter we came back and made some good runs and got it to a tie ball game and were looking good, but in the second quarter they took advantage and got a lead at halftime. We just couldn't get the ball in the basket. In the third quarter we made another run, but I always say it's easy to make a comeback, it's hard to come back and win. We just expended so much energy getting back in the ball game that at the end of the third quarter they made some plays and we were able to make some."
On the team's three-point shooting performance: "We told them at halftime to keep shooting them and that they would fall for us, and they just didn't tonight. App State did a great job of being there with a hand in the face, but they were shots we're capable of making. Today just wasn't our day from the three-point line."
On preparing for the start of postseason play Monday: "It's a situation where you have a quick turnaround, fortunately we are at home so we don't have to travel. Let's just make sure we get our bodies rested up, get our preparation for Louisiana done and be ready to go for 40 minutes on Monday night to earn a trip over to New Orleans."
UP NEXT
The Jaguars will take on the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns in round one of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament on Monday night at the Mitchell Center in Mobile, Ala at 7 p.m.
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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