MOBILE, Ala. – In a game that saw 10 lead changes and four ties, it was Old Dominion who came out on top, issuing South Alabama a 62-56 loss in the Sun Belt Conference opener.
Defense was on display from both squads, with South Alabama finishing the day with 10 steals, while Old Dominion had 17. South Alabama forced 18 turnovers while committing 28 of their own.
Three Jaguars finished in double figures in the contest, with
Rachel Leggett leading the way with 13.
Kelsey Thompson was right behind her with 12, while
Jordan Rosier added 11 of her own.
Zena Elias once again led the team in rebounding, bringing down nine boards. The loss was the sixth time this season Elias led the squad in rebounding.
Depth from the Old Dominion squad proved to be the difference in the contest, as 14 Monarchs played in the game, with 11 scoring points and three finishing in double figures. Jordan McLaughlin led the way for ODU with 12 points, while Kaye Clark and En'Dya Buford finished with 10 each.
Old Dominion held the advantage from the field and from behind the arc, finishing the day shooting 37.9 and 27.8% respectively, compared to 36% and 25% from the Jaguars. South Alabama held the advantage from the free throw line, going 18-of-21 compared to 7-of-14 from the Monarchs.
GAME FACTS
- The Jaguars and the Monarchs traded baskets to start the game, with ODU up 8-7 after three minutes of action.
- The Jaguars held with the Monarchs through the first, with ODU still holding the advantage, up 16-14 with two to play in the first quarter.
- The Jaguars capitalized on a Monarch scoring drought and took the lead with seven minutes left in the half, up 21-20.
- After a deep three from Jordan Rosier, the Jaguars led 30-24 with 4:30 left to play in the half.
- South Alabama then hit a scoring drought, allowing Old Dominion to cut the lead to 30-28.
- The Jaguars led 32-28 at the half.
- The Monarchs tied the game at 34 with 8:30 to play in the third, following a deep three from Brenda Fontana.
- The Jaguars hit a scoring drought midway through the third quarter, but kept it close with the Monarchs, down 42-47 to close the third quarter.
- The Monarchs took their largest lead so far with seven minutes left to play, up 53-44.
- Old Dominion hit a scoring drought midway through the fourth, allowing South to cut the ODU lead to 53-51.
- South then hit a scoring drought, allowing ODU to extend their lead again, this time up 57-51.
- The Old Dominion momentum was too much in the final minutes of the game, as South dropped the conference opener 62-56.
NOTES
- Jordan Rosier is the only player to start all 13 games this season.
- Rachel Leggett finished with 13 points, her fifth double figure game of the season.
- Kelsey Thompson added 12, her eighth double figure game of the season.
- Jordan Rosier finished with 11, her third double figure game.
- Old Dominion attempted 19 more shots than South Alabama in the contest.
- South Alabama totaled 19 bench points, compared to 14 from ODU.
- Nine Jags played in the contest and eight totaled points.
QUOTABLE
Head coach Yolisha Jackson:
On the game:
"Super proud of our group. The last time we played on the Mitch floor it didn't feel like we were us or we put a good product out there. We had four really good practices and we have talked a lot about culture and how we do things. I was super proud of our kids for displaying that today. I thought we played hard. It was an ugly game, but I thought we played hard and kept battling. On the flip side, as we try to get better, it's hard to win with 28 turnovers. When a team takes 19 more shots than you, it's hard to win. Hats off to ODU, they pressured, and they are one of the better teams in this conference, but you cannot beat many people with 28 turnovers and giving up 16 offensive rebounds."
On what you take from the game:
"Now we have to be consistent. The last four days we have established how we want to be, who we are and what we want to do, so now can we be consistent in that? We also take away a lot of confidence. This group last year, we hate to compare because every year, every team is different, but they wanted to get them back after what happened last year. We take away that we are a good basketball team, and there are just a couple of areas we need to focus on and clean up."
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