South Alabama’s women’s basketball team was defeated by the Troy Trojans 84-73 in a Sun Belt Conference matchup on Wednesday in Troy, Alabama. The Jaguars struggled early, making just two of their 17 shots in the first quarter, while Troy’s Emani Jenkins scored 14 points and hit four three-pointers to help her team build a 25-10 lead.
In the second quarter, South Alabama improved offensively with Alicia Spann shooting perfectly from the field and Amyah Sutton and Chrysta Narcisse hitting three-pointers. The Jaguars increased their shooting percentage by more than 26 percent compared to the opening period. Defensively, South Alabama limited Troy to under 28 percent shooting before the Trojans closed out the half on a 14-5 run.
Troy began the third quarter with a strong offensive showing, going on a 12-2 run. Cordasia Harris ended that streak with a put-back layup, but Troy extended its lead to as much as 28 points with six minutes left in the quarter.
The Jaguars mounted a comeback attempt early in the fourth quarter, scoring 11 points before Troy called timeout with just over seven minutes remaining. Diawna Carter-Hartley led this effort by making all three of her shots from the field. South Alabama continued its momentum, cutting its deficit to eight points with three minutes left after outscoring Troy in field goals during the final period. However, four missed shots prevented them from closing the gap further.
Statistically, South Alabama managed to limit Troy—who entered the game leading Division I in total rebounds and offensive rebounds per game—to below their season averages, holding them to 45 total rebounds and just 12 offensive boards. The Jaguars also posted season lows for turnovers (10) and personal fouls (13).
Two players recorded double-doubles for South Alabama: Diawna Carter-Hartley finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Daniela Gonzalez added 10 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists—coming close to a triple-double. This marked the first time since November 29, 2023 that two Jaguars achieved double-doubles in one game. The team also tallied its highest assist total since January 10 and had five players score in double figures for only the second time this season.
Head coach Yolisha Jackson commented on her team’s performance: “I’m really proud of our effort and our ‘no quit’ mentality. The first quarter was rough – we didn’t shoot the ball like we normally shoot the ball, especially from three. Once we found our groove and started attacking the paint and getting downhill, it opened up a lot of things. It was great to see five kids in double figures. It was also great to take a team that leads the country in rebounding, averaging 18.5 offensive boards a game, and to hold them under that. I’m really proud of our group.”
Jackson also spoke about her senior post players: “It was really good to see Cordasia Harris (Lu) get back to displaying what she’s capable of. In the second half, she ended up being like ‘old Lu.’ She had three steals, and that’s when you know that she’s really engaged on both sides of the ball. I can’t say enough about Daniela Gonzalez’s play, her almost with a triple-double.”
South Alabama will next travel to Texas State for their regular-season road finale at Strahan Arena in San Marcos on Saturday at 2 p.m.
For more information about South Alabama women’s basketball or updates throughout the season visit usajaguars.com or follow @SouthAlabamaWBB on X (formerly Twitter), /SouthAlabamaAthletics on Facebook or @SouthAlabamaWBB on Instagram.
