NEW ORLEANS, La. – Antoinette Lewis scored a game-high 20 points and led four players in double figures as South Alabama earned an 80-54 victory over ULM in the opening round of the 2018 Sun Belt Women's Basketball Championship on Tuesday afternoon (March 7).
 
The Jaguar victory ends the season for the Warhawks, who were led in scoring by the duo of Gabriella Cortez (15 points) and Arsula Clark (13). Clark enjoyed a solid game that included a team-high seven rebounds while dishing out three assists. Meanwhile, teammates Alexus Johnson (six points) and Diamond Brooks (six rebounds) were also active for ULM (4-26).
 
It marks the final game for Cortez, who finishes off her Warhawk career with 744 points and 292 rebounds in two seasons.
 
Lewis led the way for the South Alabama offensive attack by hitting 9-of-10 from the floor, snagging five rebounds (three offensive), handing out three assists and forcing a pair of steals. Four starters, including Savannah Jones (15 points), Chyna Ellis (14 points) and Shaforia Kines (11 points) reached double-digit scoring. The Jaguars (19-11) finished the game by hitting 30-of-59 (51 percent) from the floor and 13-of-25 (52 percent) from 3-point range.
 
The Jaguars added to their 19-point halftime lead by scoring nine of the first 13 points of the second half with Clark and Cortez accounting for two points each for ULM. Clark added a jumper to keep the margin under 30, 56-27, but South Alabama countered with a 6-2 run that included four points from Ellis to extend its lead. ULM managed eight points over the final 4:06 of the period, which included three from Cortez to make for a 65-37 contest.
 
ULM used buckets by Clark, Logan Oestreich and LaTangellia Walker to make for a 73-43 contest at the 7:40 mark of the fourth. Alexus Johnson would come off the bench and knock down a pair of 3-pointers, along the way recording the 50th Warhawk point of the night, trimming the deficit to 25 in the process.   
 
The Jaguars surrendered just four points over the remaining 3:17 of the game, including a 3-pointer by Lauren Marker, to complete the 26-point win.
 
ULM head coach Jeff Dow was impressed with his team's second-half performance, saying "I did think we had a little more energy. It was 36-31 in the second half. In the fourth quarter, I appreciated the kids who didn't let the game get sloppy. They stayed within themselves.
 
"Clark got off to a rough start and started getting it going in the second half. She is our leading rebounder. Diamond Brooks had an uneven performance. She did get six rebounds.  I'd like to see her become Antoinette Lewis of South Alabama. Whitney Goins knocked down a couple of 3s today and did a good job in our offense."
 
South Alabama made its presence felt early in the contest as it built a 21-2 lead over the first 6:16 of the contest, behind seven points by Lewis and four from Jones. The Warhawks, who received two points from Clark at the 8:07 mark, would halt the 16-point run with a layup from Clark with 2:54 remaining.
 
ULM allowed just two points over the final 2:24 of the opening quarter, as it finished with eight points due in large part to four points from Cortez down the stretch. South Alabama enjoyed its best quarter of shooting, hitting 9-of-15 (60 percent) from the floor and 5-of-8 (63 percent) from 3-point range in the opening frame.
 
A 3-pointer by Jones marked the first points of the second, but ULM answered with four points each by Cortez and Brooks as it trimmed the margin to 28-16 with 6:08 left. Unwilling to allow the Warhawks to pull closer, South Alabama answered by scoring 10 of the next 15 points, capped off by a 3-pointer off the hand of Erin Autio.
 
Cortez came through with a layup with 2:43 remaining, but it was four points from Kines down the stretch that resulted in the Jaguars' 44-23 lead at the intermission.