Women's Basketball Travels To South Alabama
11/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 19, 2008
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The Southern Miss women's basketball team returns to the road, playing at South Alabama on Thursday. The game time is set of a 7:05 tip and will be broadcasted over WXHB-FM 96.5 with the new "Voice of the Lady Eagles" Josh West providing play-by-play action with former coach Kay James as the color analyst.
Southern Miss (2-0) is coming off a 79-57 win over Tennessee State in its home opener in which five players scored in double figures. Stephanie Helgeson and Pauline Love each recorded double-doubles. Helgeson scored a team-high 16 points to go with 12 rebounds, while Love had 11 points and 12 rebounds. Candace Rucker tallied 13 points off the bench followed by Kendra Reed and Erin Gatling adding 12 points apiece.
Rucker leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.5 points followed by Love at 14.0 and Helgeson at 11.0. Love and Helgeson are averaging 12.0 and 10.0 rebounds, respectively, in the two games.
South Alabama (2-0) comes into the game following a 77-64 win over UAB. Shakira Nettle led the way with a game-high 17 points, followed by Jessica Starling and Karina Sproal with 16 and 15 points, respectively. The Lady Jags connected on eight three-pointers and forced UAB into 21 turnovers. USA also hauled down 50 rebounds. Coach Rick Pietri returns only two starters from last year's team that finished 20-11.
South Alabama is coming off a 20-11 season as Head Coach Rick Pietri begins his ninth season at the helm of the Lady Jags program. Pietri returns eight letterwinners from last year's team to go with seven newcomers. The Lady Jags are averaging 80 points and 49.5 rebounds per game thru the first two games. Three players average double figures, Shakira Nettles (17.0), Jessica Starling (15.0) and Karina Sproal (10.). Shaniece Brunner leads the team in rebounding at 8.5 per game. The Jaguar defense has forced their opponents into 28.5 turnovers per game, while hold the offense to just 29.4 percent shooting from the field.
Southern Miss leads the series with South Alabama, 13-8, but the Lady Jags have won the last five meetings.
Following the South Alabama game, Southern Miss remains on the road for a game at Louisiana-Monroe, Nov. 25.
