PENSACOLA, Fla. – South Alabama women's basketball (16-17, 5-13) defeated #5 seed Marshall for the first time in program history on Friday, 73-58. The Jaguars will now face the #4 seed James Madison in the Sun Belt Championship Quarterfinals at 12 p.m. CT on Saturday at Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Fla.

KEY MOMENTS:

• Though Marshall would open the contest with a quick layup, Diawna Carter-Hartley responded by draining a three-pointer at the wing. The Jaguars would maintain the lead for the rest of the matchup.
• With just over five minutes left in the quarter, Chrysta Narcisse broke free from Timaya Lewis-Eutsey – the league's Newcomer of the Year – to land a jumper from the top of the key. The Jaguars continued to dominate through the first quarter, going on three runs while holding Marshall to none.
• Once the Jaguars had reached a six-point lead in the second quarter, Cordasia Harris helped set the tone by blocking a jumper from Ni'kiah Chesterfield.
• Ronaltha Marc began to dominate late in the second quarter, earning six points out of a 9-0 South Alabama run. She then drained a corner-three to give the Jaguars a 12-point lead at the half, 36-24.
• The Thundering Herd turned up the heat in the third quarter, going on an early 9-3 run made entirely of three-pointers. Though Marshall would outscore South Alabama 22-20 in the quarter, the Jaguars would maintain a 10-point lead heading into the final 10 minutes.
• Though Marshall would earn four quick points in the first minute of the fourth quarter, Daniela Gonzalez would lead the Jaguars on a 7-2 run to bring the Jaguars' lead to 11 (63-52).
• South Alabama's backcourt dominated the last four minutes, not allowing a single field goal from the Thundering Herd. The Jaguars would then earn four late points at the charity stripe to earn the 73-58 win.

KEY STATS:

• The Jaguars earned their first victory over the Thundering Herd, their first victory out of five overall matchups.
• The Thundering herd only led the contest for 27 seconds.
• Ronaltha Marc recorded season-highs in points (17), free throws (4) and rebounds (6).
• South Alabama shot 50.0% from the field today, the highest since the team went 29-for-58 against Kennesaw State (11/25/25).
• The Jaguars made 40.0% of their three-point attempts, making their average in the conference tournament a staggering 41.6%.
• The last time a #12 seed in the Sun Belt Women's Basketball Tournament advanced to the quarterfinals was in 2010, when #12 New Orleans defeated #4 Denver 55-48 to advance to the semifinals.
• Coming into the matchup, the Thundering Herd ranked 13th in the nation in three-pointers per game (9.0) and 19th in blocks per game (5.0). The Jaguars limited Marshall to eight and two, respectively.

QUOTED:
Yolisha Jackson, Head Coach:

• On her team's capabilities:
  • "We're not supposed to be here from what everybody else says, but the people on that bus – not just our players and our coaches – know that we are more than capable, talented, prepared and ready to be here and go seven days. I'm so excited to be able to coach these kids one more day."
• On playing at the Pensacola Bay Center:
  • "We joke that whoever is coming up next for us has not won on this floor this year. We have won four now. The bracket is the bracket, and we're going to take it and make an advantage for ourselves…We feel very confident walking into the Pensacola Bay Center and trying to perform at a very high level."

Daniela Gonzalez, Forward:

• "It's always fun to win with the people that we've got. For me, I just feel so grateful that my team is given the opportunity to play one more day. We do it for each other, the coaches and the program. We just want to keep going."

SURVIVE AND ADVANCE:

• South Alabama will move on to the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and face James Madison for the second time this season.
• The Jaguars are 0-4 against the Dukes, their most recent contest an 88-52 deficit on Jan. 31 in Harrisonburg, Va.
• Saturday's matchup will be the Jaguars' first trip to the quarterfinals since the 2018-19 season and their first appearance in the fifth round in the Sun Belt's updated bracket system.

KEEP UP WITH THE ACTION:
Saturday's game will be streamed on ESPN+, and live stats will be available on StatBroadcast. Tickets may be purchased on Ticketmaster. Be sure to follow the Jags' social media for live updates.

FOLLOW THE JAGS:
For complete coverage of South Alabama women's basketball, visit the official home of South Alabama Athletics at usajaguars.com and follow the Jags on social media: @SouthAlabamaWBB (X), /SouthAlabamaAthletics (Facebook), @SouthAlabamaWBB (Instagram).