ARLINGTON, Texas – The University of South Alabama women's basketball team received significant contributions from all four upperclassmen in the starting lineup Tuesday in earning an 82-71 win over No. 7 seed Arkansas State In the opening round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament at the College Park Center.

Savannah Jones and Antoinette Lewis each recorded double-doubles, Shaforia Kines scored 21 points and handed out seven assists and Kennedi Centers grabbed 17 rebounds to help the sixth-seeded Jaguars (15-16) advance to take on No. 3 seed UTA on Wednesday.  Jones posted a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Lewis finished with 20 points and added 12 boards.

Morgan Wallace (18 points, 10 rebounds) and Peyton Martin (16 and 10) also had double-doubles in the contest for the Red Wolves (11-19), who had five players finish in double figures scoring.  Payton Tennison contributed 12 points and eight rebounds, Jada Ford scored 11 and Jireh Washington supplied 10.

South Alabama 82, Arkansas State 71 (box score)

GAME FACTS
-USA shot 6-of-11 from beyond the arc — with three of those coming from Jones — to go ahead 27-13 at the end of the opening period.
-After going scoreless for two-and-a-half minutes in the second quarter, the Jaguars scored six straight points over the last 94 seconds and led 46-27 at halftime.
-The Red Wolves totaled 30 points on 9-of-13 shooting in the third quarter to cut their deficit to 63-57 heading to the final 10 minutes.
-Ford opened the final quarter with a three in the first six seconds to make it a three-point contest, but South responded with nine straight points — seven from Jones — and were up by at least eight points the rest of the way.
-The Jaguars finished with a 49-39 rebounding edge, with 18 offensive boards leading to 24 second-chance points.
-USA committed only 12 turnovers, limiting A-State to just nine fast-break points.

NOTES
-It was the 100th win for the Jaguars under the direction of head coach Terry Fowler.
-South won two of the three meetings between the two programs in the last two-and-a-half weeks.
-The Jags have now won the last two matchups with the Red Wolves at the Sun Belt Tournament.
-The Jaguars hit 12 or more three-point field goals in all three contests against A-State, with the 13 in this contest tying a season high in the category first recorded on Feb. 15 at Coastal Carolina.
-It was the third time in as many meetings with the Red Wolves this season that Jones has scored in double figures.
-Jones' last double-double prior to this game came on Feb. 23 last year when she had 14 points and 12 rebounds at Troy.
-Lewis scored 20 points for the first time since posting 25 in a victory at Georgia Southern on Jan. 18, while it marked the second occasion she has recorded a double-double against the Red Wolves in the last two weeks.
-It was also the first game that South has had a pair of individuals record a double-double in the same outing since Lewis and Centers turned the trick in the opening round of last year's SBC Tournament against Louisiana.
-With Kines adding 21 points, it was the first time the Jags have had three 20-point scorers in a contest since Annette Jones (26), Adrian Vickers (22) and Jill Harrison (21) accomplished the feat against New Orleans on Nov. 28, 1987.
-Kines' assist total was a season high as well for the senior.
-Centers also recorded a career-best rebounding total while reaching double digits in the category for the second time in the last four outings.
-It was the first contest that three Jaguars have pulled down 10 or more boards since the trio of Taylor Ammons (13), Veronica Cherizol (10) and Mary Nixon (10) did so against Louisiana on March 3, 2012.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Terry Fowler
Opening statement: "We got off to a great start — all three times we played them this season we had that kind of start — but they played great in the second half and it looked like it was headed toward a result like last Thursday's game.  I thought our kids did a good job of holding them at bay.  The thing we really talked about was not giving them transition baskets and we held them to nine fast-break points.  We wanted to keep the ball out of the paint, they did a great job getting it in to Peyton Martin in the third quarter but we held them to 29 points [in the paint] when they had 42 last Thursday.  Sha Kines goes in and knocks down 11 out of 12 free throws to seal the deal for us."
On what the team did at the start of the fourth quarter to hold off the rally: "We went to the 2-3 zone, and that slowed them down a little bit but the biggest things for us offensively is we were shooting some quick threes in the third quarter and we talked about getting the ball inside.  Antoinette had two three-point play opportunities and Savannah completed a three-point play, those were the things that held them at bay."
On playing UTA on Wednesday night: "We have to make sure our kids get some rest, get some food in them and really hydrate to be ready to go for UTA.  They did a great job at our place earlier in the year, and I'm sure they remember what happened in the conference tournament last season.  I know we are going to get their best shot tomorrow night, but we're excited and it should be a great ball game."

Up next: The Jaguars will take on host UTA at the College Park Center, with opening tip slated for 7 p.m. (CDT) on Wednesday.

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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