SBC Tournament Quarterfinal Results
The South Alabama Lady Jaguars advanced to the semifinals of the Sun Belt Tournament on a strong defensive performance against Troy on Saturday. Their next opponent is the top seeded MTSU Women at 12:30pm on Monday.
Troy would take the early lead by as much as four points two times in the first nine minutes of the game but USA would take the lead for the first time in the game at the 11:06 mark of the first half. But USA’s lead would be short lived when Troy connected on a jumper less than a minute later.
USA would take the lead again when Tashley Gaines was fouled by Kirsten Smith and connected on both of her foul shots. This would spur the beginning of an 11-2 run by USA over the next four plus minutes to take a seven point advantage 20-13.
USA’s largest lead of eight points would come at the 2:53 mark of the first half and would go into the locker room with a seven point lead at 28-21.
The second half would begin with nearly two minutes of scoreless play with USA missing three shots and blocking three shots on the defensive end. USA would extend their lead to 13 points with a 7-1 run in about a minute and a half.
Troy could not cut the USA lead any closer than nine points in the second half. USA cruised to their 13 point point victory over the final minutes, winning 52-39.
Troy’s Kylie Morrissy would lead all scorers with 18 points. Alyce Shearing would be the only other Trojan to score double digits with 12 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double.
USA also had a pair of double digit scorers with both Shakira Nettles and Jessica Starling scoring 13 points each. Shaniece Brunner added 10 rebounds. Tashley Gaines also added four blocks for the majority of USA’s seven blocks for the game.
In other action Saturday:
Middle Tennessee State 82 – New Orleans 47
Arkansas-Little Rock 52 – Louisiana-Monroe 40
Denver 67 – North Texas 63
The match-ups for Monday:
#5 USA vs #1 MTSU at 12:30pm
#3 Denver vs #2 UALR at 3:00PM
Lady Jags Lose In Overtime On Last Second Shot
The Jaguars lost a close, heartbreaking game with a layup with 0.7 seconds left in the overtime period. Jessica Starling put up a career high in points and Ra’Shawna Sippio recorded her eighth double-double in nine games in the tough loss.
The Jags jumped out to a great start scoring seven straight points while holding WKU scoreless in the first give minutes of the first half. The Hilltoppers were cold from the floor going 0 for 9 during that stretch. USA would pull out to a 19-11 lead before WKU went on a 11-0 streak to end the first half an go into the locker room with a 22-19 lead. USA would go 0 for 7 during that streak at the end of the first half.
WKU pulled ahead by five by making a shot on their first possession of the second half, however USA would answer back with a 16-2 in the next four minutes, with 11-0 run to start it. This lead to the jags largest lead of nine points, 35-26.
Near the halfway mark of the second half, the Jaguars lead was cut down to seven at 44-37 but WKU would quickly tie the game after scoring the next seven points. WKU would gain their largest lead of the second half, 52-48, with less than five minutes to go in the second half. However USA would take the lead back less than a minute later.
USA had the lead 57-56 and coming out of a time out when USA’s Sippio scored an uncontested layup under the basket from a Shakira Nettles’ pass. A stop on the defensive end with seven seconds remaining lead to a foul by WKU sending Morriah Smith to the free-throw line. She could not convert the first of a one-and-one to seal the win.
WKU grabbed the rebound and handed the ball off to McNear where she hit a 3-pointer from the left wing to tie the game up at 59 forcing overtime.
With 32 seconds left in the overtime period, WKU had a four point lead at 66-62 when Jessica Starling sunk a 3-pointer drawing the lead to one point. USA would call a 30 second timeout with 13 seconds left. Vontrice Dennis would foul sending Arnika Brown to the foul line with 12 seconds left in overtime. Brown misses the first but makes the second to extend WKU’s lead to two points, 67-65.
Freshmen Tashly Gaines subbed in for Dennis and she was fouled with 6.7 seconds left. Gaines made both shots to tie the game with 6.7 seconds left. McNear would take the inbounds pass and drove the length of the court and made a layup with 0.7 seconds left in the overtime period sealing the victory. This last second basket was her second last second, game changing shot of the game. She sunk the 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left in the second half to send the game into overtime.
Jessica Starling scored a career hight 27 points on 9 of 19 shooting with 7-14 from outside the arch and hitting both attempts at free-throws. Ra’Shawna Sippio scored 10 and came away with 12 rebounds for her eight double-double of the season.
Amy McNear lead the hilltoppers with 20 points on 6 of 17 shooting while hitting 7 of 8 from the charity stripe and hitting her only 3-point attempt to send the game into overtime. Arnika Brown scored 19 and came away with 11 rebounds for a double-double. Kenzie Rich added 13 points as well.
For the game USA was 24-64 from the floor, 9-25 from 3-point range and 10-15 from the free-throw line. WKU was 19-65 from the floor and 3-7 from 3-point range but the telling stat was WKU going 28-34 from the free throw line. They went to the line 19 more times than the Jags. Additionally WKU outscored USA in both points off turnovers 19-7 and second change points 19-9.
USA (16-8, 7-6 SBC) will host Florida International Wednesday with tip-off scheduled for 7pm in the Mitchell Center.
Come out and support your JAGS!!!!