STATESBORO, Ga. – Antoinette Lewis and Savannah Jones each scored over 20 points and the University of South Alabama women's basketball team used a 16-2 run at the start of the final period to earn a 71-65 Sun Belt Conference win over Georgia Southern at Hanner Fieldhouse Saturday.

Lewis posted a double-double with game-high totals of 25 points and 10 rebounds while Jones shot 5-of-10 from three point range en route to 23 points as the Jaguars (9-9, 4-2 Sun Belt) picked up their third victory in a row.  Shaforia Kines added 14 points and six assists while Damaya Telemaque recorded eight rebounds for South.

Jaiden Hamilton led the Eagles (5-12, 2-4 SBC) with 14 points while Nikki McDonald scored 10, with both players — along with Alexis Brown — grabbing six boards.  GS's Hailey Dias-Allen recorded 10 points also.

South Alabama 71, Georgia Southern 65 (box score)

GAME FACTS
-Jones hit three three-pointers and scored 11 points in the opening 10 minutes as the Jags built a 27-19 lead.
-USA didn't record its first points of the second quarter until three minutes were left in the period, but were still up 35-30 at the half.
-The Eagles went on a 9-0 run late in the third period, tying the game 47-47 heading to the final quarter.
-The Jaguars' run at the start of the fourth period featured six points each from Jones and Lewis, with Jayla Morrow and Jala Buster adding baskets as well.
-South posted 22 points off 21 GS turnovers, recording a 16-9 edge in fast-break points.
-The Jags went to the line 32 times while the Eagles attempted just 13 foul free throws.

NOTES
-It was USA's fifth straight victory over the Eagles, extending their advantage in the all-time series to 11-7.
-The Jaguars have now swept their two-game trip to Georgia — they defeated Georgia State in Atlanta on Thursday night — each of the last four seasons.
-It was the first time this season the Jags have won when the opposition has shot better than 40 percent from the floor; the Eagles connected on 43.1 percent (25-of-58) in the contest.
-Lewis posted her second double-double in conference play and her conference-leading eighth of the year, with the effort the 30th of her career in which she has finished with 10 or more rebounds.
-Jones tied a season high for three-point field goals while scoring 20-plus points for the first time since South opened league play with a win over Appalachian State on Jan. 2.
-It was the third time this season that USA has had multiple individuals score 20 or more points in the same contest, and the second occasion the two juniors have accomplished the feat after also combining to turn the trick in a win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Nov. 14.
-Not only does Kines lead the squad with 15 games scoring in double digits, her assist total was the highest recorded by a Jag during Sun Belt play this season.
-Both Lewis and Kines passed Jessica Webb (1998-00) on the school's all-time scoring list with the performance — they now have 1,089 and 1,082 points, respectively — while Jones became the 17th member of the program to post more than 1,100 points in a career.
-Telemaque's rebound total was her highest of the season, and the most she has been credited with since pulling down 10 in the Jags' regular-season finale on March 9 a year ago.
-Kennedi Centers has posted five or more rebounds in five of the last six contests after finishing with six against the Eagles.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Terry Fowler
Opening statement: "It was great to get off to a fast start, that ended up being really important.  I thought we played as well as we have played in the first quarter moving the ball and hitting outside shots, we were able to get the ball inside and play good defense.  In the second quarter we were getting the same shots, we just weren't making them.  They played the foul game down the stretch — we shot 50 percent from the line so that was smart on their part — but we were able to make some adjustments and got the ball in the right players' hands to be able to finish the game."
On the start of the fourth period: "We were able to get stops on the defensive end.  They were trying to spread us out and drive, but we were able to close up some of that space in the lane and got our hands on some balls which let us get some fast breaks.  We ended up with those layups and Savannah hits two big threes in transition.  We felt that if we could put the pressure on them to have to make shots then we would be fine, we didn't need it to be a close game."
On Antoinette Lewis: "I really expected them to double her more than they did, they played her one-on-one and that was probably because we got off to a hot start shooting threes.  Once they decided to play her one-on-one we knew we were going to try and throw the ball inside to her."

Junior C Antoinette Lewis
On her performance: "Honestly it's just my team, they find me very often and even when I miss or I get down on myself everybody tells me to keep pushing.  They build my confidence, they find me and they believe in me, and I just go and try to produce."
On the run at the start of the fourth quarter: "We just told ourselves to stay even-keeled, we know this is a game of runs so we couldn't let their runs get to us.  We stayed patient and were able to have a great start to the final quarter."

Up next: USA will play host to UTA on Thursday at 7 p.m. (CST) 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).

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—USA—