Southern Miss Steals Win From Saint Louis, 44-42
1/19/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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Southern Miss Steals Win From Saint Louis, 44-42
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss' Jessica Woods stepped in the passing lane, stealing the inbound pass with six seconds remaining in the game, helping the Lady Eagles defeat Saint Louis, 44-42, in Conference USA action, Sunday afternoon in Green Coliseum. The win snapped a four-game losing streak to Saint Louis for Southern Miss.
Woods led the Lady Eagles (9-7, 2-1) with 12 points and Dana Jones chipped in 10. Sonja Brown pulled down a game-high nine rebounds and had four blocked shots. Harmonie King led Saint Louis (10-8, 1-2) with a game-high 17 points.
"I thought all the players stepped up and played hard today," Head Coach Rick Reeves said. "The last three possessions, I thought our kids played some tough defense down the stretch. It's good to see your seniors win games for you, with La'Tasha hitting her free throws and then Jessica Woods getting a steal right there at the end."
Saint Louis opened the game with a three-pointer, but Southern Miss quickly tied the game at 3-3. Following a 5-5 tie, Southern Miss outscored Saint Louis, 10-4 over 5:45, taking a six-point lead, 15-9, midway through the first half. Southern Miss held a six-point advantage, 19-13 at the 5:42 mark, but Saint Louis used a 12-6 run in the last five minutes to tie the game at the half, 25-25.
In the second half, both teams struggled with their shooting, scoring a combined 36 points in the second half. Southern Miss shot 27.8 percent from the field and Saint Louis shot only 25 percent.
"I thought we were a little sluggish and tired, but we worked them pretty hard in practice on Saturday," Reeves said. "I think this is the best Saint Louis team I've seen."
Neither team managed to sustain any type of lead during the second half. The largest lead was four points by Saint Louis, 31-27, with 15:29 remaining in the game. Southern Miss scored four unanswered points to pull even, 31-31, at the 12:48 mark. The last tie of the game came at the 2:13 mark, 42-42, when Woods was able to score a basket underneath. La'Tasha Sumerall connected on two free throws with 26 seconds remaining to give Southern Miss a two-point lead, 44-42.
Saint Louis had the opportunity for the winning basket, but a three-point attempt by was off the mark. Following a scramble for the rebound, Saint Louis retained possession after a jump ball. With six seconds remaining, Woods stepped in front of the inbound pass to seal the win.
Southern Miss plays the last of a three-game homestand, hosting Tulane, Friday night, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m., in Green Coliseum. Megagate.Com will sponsor the game as the, "Hoop -n- Holla for Just $1" game. Admission will be $1. Tickets can be purchased at the Pat Ferlise Center or pay $1 at the door.