The South Alabama Lady Jaguars split a pair of games, holding off Ohio 68-64 for their 11th win of the season before falling 67-66 at Florida Atlantic when a 3-point attempt by Jessica Starling missed in the final seconds.
Starling Seals Win Over Ohio
South Alabama led Ohio 42-36 at halftime and opened the second half by scoring eight of the first 10 points to build a 50-38 lead with 16:24 remaining. The Lady Jaguars still led by 11 about a minute later, but their offense then stalled, and Ohio cut the margin to 65-64 on a pair of free throws with 38.3 seconds left.
Starling answered by driving for a layup as the shot clock wound down. She was fouled on the play and made the free throw to complete a three-point play and seal the 68-64 win.
Shakira Nettles led South Alabama with 20 points on 8-of-19 shooting, including 4 of 9 from 3-point range, and a team-high seven rebounds. Starling added 16 points and was the only other Lady Jaguar in double figures. Ohio’s Lauren Hmiel matched Nettles with 20 points and seven rebounds. South Alabama outscored Ohio 21-9 in points off turnovers.
Following the win, South Alabama received a second honorable-mention vote in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.
Late Rally Falls Short at FAU
Florida Atlantic led 34-32 at halftime and pushed its lead to four early in the second half before South Alabama went ahead behind its outside shooting. Starling, who made five 3-pointers after halftime, put the Lady Jaguars ahead 43-38 with 16:15 to play.
FAU responded with an 8-0 run to lead 46-43 with 13:40 remaining. The teams traded the lead over the next six minutes until a 3-pointer by Lauren Walker gave South Alabama a three-point edge. The Owls then went on an 11-0 run over the next four and a half minutes to take their largest lead, 67-59.
South Alabama’s defense held FAU scoreless over the final 4:36, and the Lady Jaguars pulled within one point before Starling’s last-second 3-point try missed.
Starling led all scorers with 24 points on 9-of-19 shooting, including 6 of 13 from 3-point range. Nettles added 19 points, and Ra’Shawna Sippio grabbed 12 rebounds, eight of them offensive.
By the Numbers
- Field goal percentage: South Alabama 36.1, FAU 35.9
- Free throw percentage: South Alabama 29, FAU 76
- Points in the paint: FAU 22, South Alabama 14
- Points off turnovers: FAU 12, South Alabama 6
- Bench points: FAU 24, South Alabama 14
Up Next
South Alabama returns to the Mitchell Center to host Middle Tennessee on Sunday at 2:05 p.m. The Lady Jaguars compete in the Sun Belt Conference.
