MOBILE, Ala. – Antoinette Lewis posted a double-double, and both Mahogany Vaught and Jaylen Mallard scored in double figures as well to help lead the University of South Alabama to a 58-46 Sun Belt Conference women's basketball victory over Georgia State at the Mitchell Center on Friday.

Lewis finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds, Vaught recorded a game-high 12 points and Mallard chipped in with 11 to help the Jaguars (9-7, 6-4 SBC) split the two-game series over the weekend with the Panthers (7-6, 3-3 SBC).  Savannah Jones contributed eight points and 10 rebounds as well for South.

GSU had three individuals — Elexus Bell, Kamryn Dziak and Taylor Henderson — score eight points each, while Taylor Hosendove added seven-points and a team-leading nine rebounds.

South Alabama 58, Georgia State 46 (box score)

GAME FACTS
-An Ashley Foster layup in the final seconds of the opening period gave the Panthers an 8-7 advantage at the end of the first 10 minutes.
-The Jaguars closed with a 12-2 run over the last six-and-a-half minutes of the first half to take a 26-14 lead at the break.
-USA held the Panthers without a field goal until just over three minutes were left in the third quarter, extending its advantage to 20 points before ending the period up 38-23.
-A 12-0 GSU run closed the gap to 42-37 with five-and-a-half minutes to go, but that would be as close as the Panthers would get.
-South was able to convert 17-of-24 (70.8 percent) of its attempts at the foul line, while nearly doubling the Panthers' (9-of-15) free throw total.
-The Jags scored 21 points off 15 GSU turnovers and also held the Panthers below 30 percent shooting from the field in the contest.

NOTES
-South has now claimed seven of the last eight contests and leads the all-time series with the Panthers, 12-7.
-It was the second time this season that the Jaguars have not allowed an opposing player to score in double figures, having also accomplished the feat in a Dec. 8 win over William Carey.
-With a season-low seven turnovers, it was the first outing USA has been charged with fewer than 10 since defeating ULM on Feb. 8 a year ago.
-After forcing GSU to go 3-of-21 (14.3 percent) from beyond the three-point line, it marked the sixth occasion in 2020-21 that the Jags have held the opposition at or below 25 percent from long range.
-In the first quarter Lewis became the third individual in program history — and 13th ever in the Sun Belt — to record 1,000 rebounds in a career.
-She posted her first game scoring in double digits since a Jan. 9 victory over Coastal Carolina, while her most recent double-double before this contest came the previous day in a defeat of the Chanticleers.
-The senior is now tied for seventh place with Anne Donovan (Old Dominion, 1982-83) on the SBC's all-time blocks list as she now has 207 after equaling a season high with four in the game.
-Vaught has now posted 10 or more points in two of the last four outings.
-It's the first time Mallard has scored in double figures since posting a career-best 15 at Appalachian State on Jan. 15.
-After recording two double-digit rebounding games in 102 outings entering the season, Savannah Jones has now accomplished the feat on three occasions this year.
-Ashanti Lavergne connected on her first field goal since Nov. 26 when the Jags defeated Mobile in their initial contest of the season, and she also tied a career high with a pair of rebounds.
-Janelle Jones had not scored in Sun Belt action entering play, but she finished the day with four points and three rebounds; the former figure matched a career high set against WCU while the latter established a new personal best.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Terry Fowler
Opening statement: "It was the first time in league play that we lost the first game, so for us to come back, respond and take care of business on the second day was important to us.  I credit our team because in the first quarter it looked like the same old thing, but then we put together a really good second quarter and that propelled us.  Our defense really carried us and did a great job.  I thought tonight we had some balanced scoring.  Savannah Jones did other things for us tonight, she rebounded the ball and led us in assists.  The other key is we turned the ball over seven times tonight; that's incredible.  I am pleased with our effort and fight to get this game, we needed it."
On putting the game away in the fourth quarter: "They came out in the middle of the period and made back-to-back threes that were really big and we were in some foul trouble, but the crew that was in there weathered the storm for us.  Then Antoinette had an and-one that settled us down a bit, from there we were able to play and manage the clock the last three minutes of the ball game.  We got stops, made some shots and were able to get to the free-throw line and make those."
On having younger players step up: "Ashanti has been doing some really good things in practice, and last night I thought she played well.  We gave her the opportunity today because she had earned it; she is physical.  I can't say enough about Janelle, she really stepped up for us tonight.  She is a pretty good passer and has a good feel for the game.  She made some freshman mistakes, but tonight when we needed to make plays she made them.  She had great ball security, made a couple layups and rebounded the ball on the offensive boards a couple times as well.  It's crucial as we go down the stretch that these young players show us that they can play in the Sun Belt Conference."

Senior forward/center Antoinette Lewis
On hitting another career milestone: "I think that my success here is based on the belief, trust and faith this program has in me.  Even on my bad days when I am not making shots, they encourage me to keep running and keep pushing.  That belief is what has helped in my career."
On today's game: "I have been really frustrated, and as a team it feels like we are perfectionists; we think we should make every shot that we take, so we needed to put an emphasis on knowing that we are going to miss shots but you have to keep going and keep playing.  Having the mindset to just focus on the next play helps."
On bouncing back from the loss on Friday: "It was pointed out that this was the first time in conference [play] where we did not win the first game.  The importance and the want to win this game was a little stronger, so we focused in the locker room on having that common goal."

Sophomore forward Jaylen Mallard
On her success shooting from outside: "We put an emphasis on shooting outside of practice, and I took advantage of that.  After every practice, I stay around to shoot and the team does too.  Our mindset was to just win today, that's all that was on our minds today."
On the team's slow start in the game: "Our defense was great and we always say the offense will flow. We just know that we can't stop and it came in the end."

Up next: The Jags return to action on Friday, Feb. 5, with a 5 p.m. (CST) contest at Coastal Carolina.

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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