ATLANTA – The cliché that good defense beats good offense proved itself again in Saturday's 60-52 win by South Alabama over Georgia State in Sun Belt Conference women's basketball.
Georgia State, an up-tempo team that averages 72.2 points per game, got slowed down into South Alabama's half-court tempo and defense that allows an average 55.9 points per game, No. 42 in the NCAA.
Host GSU forced shots and finished 29.3 percent from the field (17 of 58). And, 10 of those shots attempts never even got to the basket as South Alabama blocked all 10 today. South Alabama was No. 7 in the NCAA in blocks (6.1) coming into today's game. Compounding GSU's 29 percent from the field was its 64 percent from the free throw line, missing nine more today.
The game was see-saw with nine lead changes and six ties and was still a two-point game with five minutes to play.
In the first quarter, the teams pretty much traded baskets throughout with South Alabama taking a 19-17 lead. In the second quarter, host Georgia State gained momentum and had a 31-27 lead at 2:30 before closing out halftime with a 33-30 lead.
In the second half, GSU started with a pair of baskets to open a five-point, 37-32 lead at six minutes. South Alabama hung close and host Georgia State led 43-42 after the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, South Alabama forged ahead and was maintaining a two-point lead at 49-47 lead with 5:04 left, but missed two free throws that could have tied the game again. Leading by four at 51-47, South Alabama missed two free throws at 2:45, but alertly grabbed the rebound and got another basket to grow the lead to 53-47 at 2:29. GSU closed back to four points at 27.5 seconds, but USA made the final four free throws to seal the win.
Georgia State (6-7, 1-3) was led in scoring by sophomore guard Makeba Ponder with 18 points, six rebounds and four steals. Junior forward Alaysia Mitchell added 11 points and nine rebounds.
South Alabama (5-8, 1-3) got 18 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks from center Chyna Ellis. Guard Juliann Miller added 17 points for the Jaguars.
“We struggled everywhere today,” coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener said. “We took a lot of bad shots, forced a lot of shots, missed free throws, didn't box out on rebounds. We didn't play as a team today as there was too much one pass and shoot on offense and not five players sealing to get the rebound on defense. We're a young team and we have to be more focused on what we are trying to do than we were today.”
Georgia State returns to action Thursday when it plays host to UL Monroe.
