NEW ORLEANS - The University of South Alabama women's basketball team could not over its second-lowest shooting percentage of the season Wednesday night as the Jaguars dropped a 68-47 Sun Belt Conference decision at Lakefront Arena.

"The bottom line is that UNO played with more passion tonight," South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri said.  "Our kids weren't interested in playing basketball tonight.  That's not UNO's fault.  They came to play and beat us senseless.  Our team was told definitively what to expect.  We prepared for the different things that New Orleans does and our team ignored those things tonight.  At the end of the day, I'm the one responsible for that.  If they are ignoring instructions, I have to find a way to make them not ignore them."

For the game, South Alabama was a dismal 15-of-60 from the floor for 25 percent, while UNO hit 24 of their 50 attempts for 48 percent shooting.

USA (13-10, 8-4 SBC) will return to action on Saturday when the Jags host SBC East Division leader Middle Tennessee.  Tip-off at the Mitchell Center is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. or 30 minutes following the conclusion of the men's game.

With the win, UNO ended a seven game skid and improved to 8-15 overall and 2-10 in the league.

Siedah Banks was one of two Jaguars to finish in double figures with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting.  Tashley Gaines also came off the bench to post her 12th double figure scoring game of the season with 10 points and led the team with nine rebounds.

UNO used a balanced offensive effort against South Alabama, as five players recorded double figures led by Tiffina' Bennett and Talisha Bridges' 11 points.  Brittany Helm, Nicole Holmes and Rachele Monroe also added 10 points apiece.

South Alabama struggled to find the range during the first 20 minutes of action, hitting just eight of its 20 attempts from the field for 26.7 percent shooting.  The Jags - one of the top free throw shooting teams in the conference -also struggled at the foul line, shooting just 1-for-5 at the stripe.

Conversely, the Privateers came out on fire in the first stanza, finishing the half 15-for-27 (55.6 percent).  Talisha Bridges led the way for UNO hitting all five of her field goal attempts in the period and leading the way with 11 first half points.

USA was able to cut the deficit to three (14-11) on a Brittney Rutledge three-pointer from the left wing with just under 12 minutes left on the clock, but Rutledge's bucket would be the last one for the Jags for the next seven minutes.  Over that time, the Privateers took advantage and reeled off a 13-0 run to grab a 27-11 lead at the 5:14 mark on a Brittany Helm layup.  With the basket, Helm became the 15th Lady Privateer to eclipse the 1,000 point mark at New Orleans.

UNO continued to expand its lead and eventually led by as many as 21 in the first half after a pair of free throws from Helm put the Privateers up 34-13.  The Jags could not draw much closer before the intermission, as New Orleans headed into the locker room with a 39-20 advantage.

One bright spot for USA in the first period was the play of Banks.  The junior point guard was 3-for-3 from the field, including a pair of treys, to lead the way with eight points.

The offensive struggles continued in the second half, as the Jags managed to only hit four of their first 15 shots, allowing New Orleans to take its largest lead of the game at 48-22 on a Bennett trey - one of her three in the contest - five minutes into the second half. 

The Jags were able to get it as close as 17 (53-36) with less than eight minutes to go, but USA would get no closer in the final period of play, before going on to take the 21-point victory.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com.  Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

NOTES:  UNO held a huge advantage in point in the paint, outscoring South Alabama 28-6...USA's bench was also outscored for just the fifth time this season...The win by the New Orleans snapped an 11-game win streak by the Jags in the series...UNO's Brittany Helm became the 15th Lady Privateer to join the 1,000 point club.

-- USA --