MOBILE, Ala. – Down one with three seconds left, freshman Kelsey Thompson nailed the buzzer-beater to give South the rivalry win over Troy, beating the Trojans 60-59.
 
Thompson posted her fourth 20-point game of the season, totaling 22 points in the rivalry win. Senior Casey Ferguson posted a season-high 16 points in the game, her fourth double-digit game of the season.
 
Kiana Anderson brought down nine rebounds in the win, the 12^th time she's led South in that category. Kelsey Thompson was right behind her recording eight rebounds.
 
Troy had three players in double-figures and were led by Makayia Hallmon with 15 points.
  
South Alabama (7-22, 3-15 Sun Belt) will begin postseason play next week in Pensacola in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament with a matchup against No. 12 seed Georgia State on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 11:30 a.m. 
 
GAME FACTS

• The Jags and the Trojans traded buckets to start the game, tied at 11 with 4:50 to go in the first quarter.
• South led after one, up 25-16.
• The Jags stayed on top through the second quarter, leading 30-22 at the media timeout in the second.
• Both South and Troy had a slow second half of the second quarter, with South up 30-24 with two minutes left in the half.
• South led 30-28 at the half.
• The Trojans tied the game at 36 with six minutes left in the third quarter.
• Troy took the lead late in the third, up 41-40.
• Troy held the lead going into the fourth, up 47-44.
• The Jags tied the game at 51 with five to go in the game.
• Thanks to a Kelsey Thompson buzzer-beater, South won the rivalry matchup 60-59.

 
NOTES

• Casey Ferguson earned her eighth start of the season.
• Ferguson totaled a new season-high in the first quarter alone, recording 14 points.
• Ferguson tied a season-high with four made three-pointers.
• Ferguson recorded her fourth double-figure game of the season.
• Kelsey Thompson recorded her 13^th double-figure game and her fifth 20-point game of the season.
• South's win over Troy was the first since 2019.
• Anderson led South in rebounding for the 12^th time this season.
• Thompson's 22 field goal attempts are a season-high.
• In a game with eight lead changes, South held the lead for 22 minutes.

 
QUOTABLE
Associate head coach Dan Presel:
Opening statement:
"I am just so happy for our kids. It's senior day and you always wanna play your best on senior day. We tell our guys every year that it's everyone's senior day. What a way to go out on senior day. Casey Ferguson, what a first quarter but awesome all day. I can't say enough about our kids. What an awesome day."
 
On the importance of the win:
"We've talked about building belief all year long and you build belief by doing. You have to out and make the required plays to win and it's been a struggle for us all year, but tonight we did that. Everything that was needed to win, we were able to do it. From a belief standpoint, big win for us on senior day, if that's not a belief builder, I don't know what is."
 
On the final play:
"We were going to Kelsey Thompson no matter what. It's something we have run in practice but haven't run it all year. We had kinda been saving it. You're just trying to put the ball in your best player's hands and we did it. There was no doubt we were trying to get the ball to Kelsey."
UP NEXT
The Jaguars start postseason in Pensacola in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament with a matchup against No. 12 seed Georgia State on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 11:30 a.m. 
 
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