Women's Basketball | 11/25/2016 3:20:00 PM

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STATESBORO – The Georgia Southern women's basketball team will close out the longest road stretch of the season this weekend by traveling up to Indianapolis, Ind., for a Saturday game at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). The Eagles and Jaguars will tip off at 2 p.m. inside the Jungle.

SATURDAY GAME SNAPSHOT 
Georgia Southern vs. IUPUI
Saturday, Nov. 26   |  2:00 p.m. EST   |   The Jungle (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Live Stats   |   Live Audio (GS Sports Network)   |   Live Video (IUPUI Live)

SCOUTING THE JAGUARS (@IUPUILadyJags)
Saturday's game will be the first meeting between Georgia Southern and IUPUI in women's basketball. The Jaguars are coached by Austin Parkinson. Parkinson, in his seventh season at the helm of the program, boasts a career record of 99-93, including a 21-11 mark last season as the Jags advanced to the WNIT. This season, the Jags are 3-1 with the lone blemish on the year coming in the season-opener at home again Northern Illinois.

IUPUI enters Saturday's game averaging 73.8 points and 7.0 three-pointers per game while holding their four opponents to 62.5 points and 5.0 three-pointers per contest. The Jaguars have shot 45.1% from the field while their opposition have converted 39.7% of their attempts. While IUPUI has forced foes to turn the ball over an average of 17.8 times per game, the Jags have also committed 18.3 turnovers per contest themselves.

The starting five for the Jags has remained the same in all four games with four of the five averaging double-digit points while coming together for 40.8 points per game. Leading the way has been Danielle Lawrence with 14.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. She also averages 3.8 turnovers per contest. Sydney Hall and Mikale Rogers average 13.3 and 13.0 points per outing with Rogers leading the team with 9.0 rebounds per game. Caitlyn Tolen is the fourth player to average double-digit points with 10.5 per outing. The fifth of the Jags' typical starting five, Jenna Ely, has contributed 8.8 points and 9.0 boards per game.

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LAST TIME OUT
For 35 minutes, the Georgia Southern women's basketball team did more than just hang around with undefeated Alabama, the Eagles gave the Crimson Tide all they could handle and even led the Tide with five minutes to go in the third quarter. The Eagles were aggressive on both offense and defense and it showed as Alabama had to rely on a late surge to claim a 66-48 win inside Coleman Coliseum.

Despite the final score being a double-digit difference, the game was much closer and competitive as the Eagles (2-3) came into the game on the SEC Network+ wanting to make a statement with a young team. They succeeded by making the Tide throw the ball away 13 times and forced Alabama to change up its normal game plan which features a fast pace and a lot of transition baskets. The Tide (4-0), also a young program without a single senior on the roster, was looking to maintain what has been an impressive start to their season where they averaged over 80 points per game through the first three games, including an 82-35 thumping of Lipscomb on Nov. 17.

On offense, the Eagles shot 39.2% (20-51) from the field, including matching 41.7% (5-12) efforts in the second and fourth quarters. Despite going up against five Crimson Tide players who stand over 6-0, the Eagles were able to work the ball down low for much of the night, doing the most damage under the basket as they connected on just four three-pointers in the 40-minute contest.

On the other side of the court, the Eagles held Alabama to 35.8% (24-67) from the field, including 11.1% (2-18) in the second quarter. For the second game in a row, the Eagles keyed in on a team's most lethal offensive player and held them to well below their season average. This time, it was freshman point guard Jordan Lewis who received a lot more attention from Georgia Southern as she entered the game leading the team with 14.7 and 7.3 rebounds points per game. Tuesday night, the Windermere, Fla., native scored just eight points, four late in the second half, and had just four rebounds in 34 minutes of work.

Georgia Southern was led by the tandem of senior Patrice Butler and freshman Amira Atwater, combining for 31 of the Eagles' points and three treys. Atwater, making just her second-career collegiate start, hit one of her two three-pointers just 45 seconds into the game and went on to hit her first four shots from the field. The freshman point guard didn't look like a freshman as she expertly ran the Eagles' offense and bobbed and weaved her way through Alabama defenders all night long. Despite being credited with just one steal, the 5-6 guard out of Douglasville, Ga., disrupted several Crimson Tide plays in the game and was part of an Eagle defense that forced the 13 turnovers by Alabama.

Butler, who led Georgia Southern in scoring for the 22^nd time in her illustrious career, went 8-for-12 (.667) from the field and also corralled in four rebounds while sister Sierra Butler led the Eagles with nine boards to go along with six points.

Alabama benefitted from Ashley Williams and Hannah Cook combining for 36 points, including a double-double by Williams and five three-pointers from Cook. Williams tallied 19 points and a game-high 14 rebounds while Cook hit on five of her 14 attempts from long range to end the game with 17 points. Meoshonti Knight was the third and final Crimson Tide player to score in double digits, ending her 36 minutes with 14 points.

YEAR TWO FOR DROWN AND COMPANY
When Kip Drown took over the reins of the Georgia Southern women's basketball program over a year ago, he knew the rebuild would be a process that required him, his staff and the players to be patient. After the first year, the Eagles are looking to take the next step in building a successful program and they will have plenty of experience to draw from both on the coaching side as well as on the court.

Despite being chosen 10^th in the Preseason Sun Belt Conference Coaches' Poll, the team isn't looking to just roll over. The Eagles return plenty of talent and are a year older with more experience overall while also adding key pieces at every position. Last season, the Eagles had plenty of depth at certain positions, but were inexperienced at others. With at least three players at every position this year, and some players cross-trained at multiple positions, GS is prepared to take the next step.

MCGOWAN AND BUTLER EARN PRESEASON ALL-SUN BELT HONORS
Georgia Southern women's basketball student-athletes Angel McGowan and Patrice Butler earned Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference honors as voted on by the league's coaches prior to the season. McGowan, a senior guard from Greenville, S.C., earned first team honors and Butler, a senior forward/center from Norcross, Ga., was named to the third team.

NEXT UP
After four road games in a row spanning two weeks and covering three different states, Georgia Southern finally returns home on Tuesday, Nov. 29 for a game against in-state rival Mercer. The Eagles and Bears will tip off at 11 a.m. inside Hanner Fieldhouse. The game will serve as the Eagles' annual Field Trip Day with several local elementary and middle schools planning to attend the game.


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