Box Score - South Alabama 75, West Florida 33 (.pdf)
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MOBILE, Ala. – Junior college transfer Meghan Dunn came off the bench and recorded a game-high 20 points in the University of South Alabama women’s basketball team 75-33 exhibition win over West Florida Monday evening at the Mitchell Center.
“The things she did out there in the game tonight, she’s also been doing in practice,” South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri said. “The fact that she’s now done those things in practice and in a game gives her the sense of being able to do them every day. She was very good tonight that’s for sure.”
USA will next open the regular season on Friday when the Lady Jags travel to take on Houston Baptist at Sharp Gym. Tip-off versus the Huskies is set for 7 p.m.
Dunn finished the game 8-of-13 from the floor and 4-for-9 from the three-point line. Dunn also added three assists and three steals in the win. Along with Dunn, Mary Nixon chipped in with 14 points and led the club with nine rebounds. Camille Reynolds also had 10 points for USA. South Alabama received contributions from all 12 players that got onto the court, as 11 recorded at least two points.
The Lady Jag reserves held a 43-9 advantage in the contest. As a team, South Albama was 30-of-82 from the floor for 36.6 percent and 9-for-32 from long range (28.1).
“There were some positives and there were some things we needed to work on and that’s what an exhibition provides for you” Pietri said. “I wish we would’ve shot it from the perimeter better. Our team is a very good three-point shooting team. By percentage, we weren’t that tonight. We had a bunch of open looks, but we were able to finish some plays too. Defensively, we were solid. We did some good things in team defense. There are some things in team defense we need to work on and the film will show us. West Florida had some opportunities to finish play and didn’t. A better team might have finished those plays. Overall, it was a positive. We just have to build on it for the ones that count.”
West Florida was led offensively by Jaymie Druding’s 10 points. Druding was 5-for-10 from the floor in the loss. As a team, UWF was just 13-for-62 from the field for 21 percent. The Argos also committed 28 turnovers to which USA turned into 32 points.
Both clubs got off to a cold start offensively over the first four-plus minutes, connecting on a combined 4-for-22 from the field.
With USA leading by just one (9-8) with less than 12 minutes to go in the opening half, the Lady Jag newcomers led a 21-5 run over the next six-and-a-half minutes. A pair of Jaguar freshman ignited the scoring for South Alabama as Sharon Sanders and Brittany Webb each connected from long ranged from the left corner. Dunn then drained a trey of her own from the right wing with just under nine minutes showing to extend the lead out to 18-9. Dunn was the spark during the run for USA as the junior college transfer posted all 11 of her points during the run, knocking down three three-pointers. Taylor Jenkins gave South Alabama its largest lead of the half, 30-11, with a turnaround jumper in the lane at the 4:57 mark of the half.
The Lady Jag defense came out strong over the first 15 minutes of the contest, holding the Argos to just 5-for-22 shooting and forcing 12 turnovers. West Florida hit just two field goals during the USA run.
UWF’s Baylie Bridges ended the Lady Jag run with a jumper at the 4:43 mark and Kelseigh Hughes and Jaymie Druding each added a basket to trim the deficit to 30-17 with one minute, 24 seconds to go before the half. Druding had eight first-half points for West Florida.
With under a minute to go, Mary Nixon’s layup sent South Alabama into the locker room with a 32-18 halftime advantage.
Dunn led all scorers with 11 first-half points. The junior guard was 4-for-6 from the field and 3-of-5 from the three-point line.
USA connected on 13 of its 41 attempts in the opening period of play, including 6-for-20 from the arc, while holding West Florida to just 7-of-31 shooting (22.6) and forcing 13 turnovers.
The Jaguar bench was key in the first half as it outscored the Argo reserves 21-6.
Toynette Johnson drained a trey on the Argos’ first possession of the second half, but USA came right back and scored eight of the next 10 points, extending the lead out to 18. Camille Reynolds put South Alabama out in front 41-23 when the senior converted the conventional three-point play with a little more than 16 minutes remaining.
A little less than three minutes later, the Lady Jags put the game away as they erupted on an 18-2 run over a six minute stretch. USA began the scoring spurt with 13 unanswered points. Jennifer Johnson and Ronneka Robertson began the run with a pair of offensive put backs. Dunn then rattled off the next seven points for South Alabama, the final three coming on her fourth trey of the contest at the 9:29 mark. Nixon later capped off the scoring with a bucket with under eight minutes to go, extending the Jaguar lead to 31 (59-28).
From there the Lady Jags went onto cruise to the 42-point victory. The Jaguar defense was solid in the second half as they limited West Florida to 15 points and just 6-of-31 shooting (19.4 percent). South Alabama also caused 15 turnovers in the second 20 minutes of action and knocked down 41.5 percent of its attempts, hitting 17-for-41 in the half.
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: South Alabama improved to 18-0 in the all-time series versus West Florida with the 42-point win. The game marked the second-straight year USA has held the Argos to 33 points in a game. South Alabama head coach Rick Pietri is now 13-0 in exhibition games - including 11-0 against the Argos. The Lady Jag bench outscored UWF’s reserves 43-9 in the contest. South Alabama had 11 of its 12 players get into the scoring column. USA forced 28 West Florida turnovers and converted them into 32 points.
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