LOS ANGELES, CA -- #16 Southern University made history on Wednesday evening by winning the school's and SWAC conference first NCAA Tournament game during the 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament First Four. The Jaguars knocked off #16 UC San Diego 68-56 to advance to face UCLA on Friday night at 7:00 PM p.t. inside Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Jags jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead and never looked back, outscoring the Tritons 19-11 at the end of the first quarter, 19-11. 
- The Jaguars picked up the defensive intensity in the second quarter outscoring the Tritons 21-9 to take a twenty-point lead in to halftime, 40-20.
- The Tritons come out the locker room with a different mindset and outscored the Jags 20-9 to cut into SU lead to nine points at the end of 3rd quarter, 49-40
- The Jags picked up their defensive intensity to maintain their lead by outscoring the Tritons 19-16 to pick up their first ever tournament victory in program history.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Southern went 25-of-51 shooting from the field (49.9 percent) and 6-of-10 from 3-PT (60.0 percent).
- SU was led by Soniyah Reed (8-10 FG, 3-4 3PT, 5-5 FT) finished with a season and career high 24 points in sixteen minutes of play. Aniya Gourdine (7-14 FG 2-2 3PT, 1-2 FT) added 17                 points, a game-high seven rebounds and three assists. Tionna Lidge (6-8 FG, 0-1 FT) chipped in twelve points and six boards for the Jaguars on the historical night. 
- Six out of the nine Jaguars played scored in the contest with three finishing the night with double digits.
- UCSD shot 21-of-61 from the field (34.4 percent) and 9-of-26 from 3PT (34.6 percent). 
- Southern pulled down 36 rebounds, including 30 on the defensive side of the glass, led by Gourdine with a game-high seven rebounds. 
- The Lady Tritons registered 29 rebounds, with 21 coming on the defensive end. 
- The Jaguars also went 12-for-16 from the free-throw line.
- The Lady Tritons sank 5-of-6 from the charity stripe.
- Southern University finished the night with ten steals and seventeen assists, led by Sanders with a game-high four assists.
- UCSD came away with seven steals and fifteen assists.

UP NEXT
The Jaguars will face #1 UCLA on Friday night as they advanced to the field of 64 of the 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at 9 PM central. 

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