Lady Jags Push Record To 4-0 With Win Over Mercer
The Lady Jags won 96-82 Monday night to run their record to 4-0 for the season. Six Jaguars scored in double digits: Jessica Starling with 19, Shaniece Brunner with 18, Karina Sproal with 13, Morriah Smith with 11 and both Cylenthia Kennon and Shakira Nettles both had 10.
The Lady Jags also set a new Mitchell Center record with 14 three-pointers and the most by USA since the previous school record of 16 at Troy in 2006. The 96 points scored is also a season best and two points shy of tying the record at the Mitchell Center.
USA shot 59% from the floor for the game and shot 71% in the second half.
Around the 15 minute mark in the first half, USA distanced themselves from Mercer with a 16-2 run over the course of five minutes and went into halftime with a 47-35 lead.
USA then started the second half with another run scoring 16-3 in the first four minutes and were up 65-40 with over 15 minutes to go.
The rest of the half saw some rough play by the Jags but Mercer could only get within 12 points down the stretch.
The Lady Jags will be in action again on Friday when they travel to Washington D.C. for the George Washington Thanksgiving Classic. They will open the tournament playing the host, George Washington Colonials at 4pm.
GO JAGS!
Lady Jags Push Record To 3-0 With Win Over Southern Miss
The Lady Jags score four points in the final eight seconds to cap off a 10 point deficit to earn a hard fought 66-64 victory. The Jags shot a miserable 30% in the second half.
The Jags were down by six points when Shakira Nettles was fouled while hitting a layup. She missed the foul-shot but the rebound was grabbed by teammate Shaniece Brunner who hit Nettles for another layup to shrink the lead to two points. Jessica Starling tied the game with eight seconds left in the game on another layup after USM missed two foul-shots. After a USM time-out, Nettles stole an inbounds attempt and was fouled on a drive to the hoop. With 4.5 seconds left, she sunk both shots to win the game.
Only two Jags scored in double digits, Starling with 24 and Nettles with 16.
The win pushes the Jags to 3-0 (0-0) on the season, while USM falls to 2-1. The Jags round out their four game home season opening schedule when they host Mercer on Monday at the Mitchell Center. That game has a 7:05pm tip.
Lady Jags Stay Undefeated Against UAB
On Monday night the lady jags held off a second half rally to topple the Lady Blazers of UAB 77-64. The trio of Jessica Starling, Shakira Nettles and Karina Sproal combined for 48 points for the Jags. Nettles had the game high of 17, Starling had 16 and Sproal had 15 (a career best and all in the first half).
The Lady Blazers jumped out with two quick scores early then the Lady Jags went on a 14-2 run using three turnovers to help them do so. The run started with a trey from Sproal which was one of only three on the night for the Lady Jags.
After a 12 point lead at halftime, the Blazers scored two quick baskets in the second half to cut the lead to single digits which they had not seen since about the half-way mark of the first half. The Jags quickly pushed the lead by to 13.
With about nine minutes to go in the game the blazers cut the lead down to four points and the Jags would not let them get any closer during the rest of the game.
The Lady Jags have a 7:05pm tipoff set at the Mitchell Center when they take on the Golden Eagles of Southern Miss.
Lady Jags Top West Florida 82-52 In Exhibition Match
Senior Guard Jessica Starling scored 24 of her 27 points in the second half to lead the Lady Jags over West Florida Sunday evening. She was an outstaning 10 of 13 from the field and 6 of 8 from beyond the 3-point line.
USA dominated by forcing 27 turnovers with 12 of them being steals and recording 6 blocks.
The lady jags open the regular season on Friday, November 14th when Nicholls State visit the Mitchell Center for a 5pm tipoff.
Go Jags!