Diana Lyons-Jones (2002) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

Diana Lyons-Jones

Induction:
2002

When we look back on the true beginnings of our women’s basketball program here at Southern Miss there are a few individuals who had a large part in making it the successful program that it has been over the last quarter of a century. Several of those individuals like Kay James, Shirley Jones-Hill, Portland McCaskill and Nancy Faulk are already enshrined in our M-Club Hall of Fame.
   Following a standout career at Neshoba Central High School and East Central Community College, Lyons was a highly sought after prospect by the most major colleges in the South.
    Kay James, just beginning her brilliant career at Southern Miss, was looking for the type of player who could dominant the game on the inside. But had the speed and quickness to play the up-tempo style she wanted to bring to Southern Miss. Lyons was that type of player and James quickly began trying to convince her that she could play a major role in helping build the Lady Eagle program.
   Lyons-Jones made that commitment to Southern Miss and immediately proved to James and Lady Eagle fans that she might have been even better than they thought. In her first season in 1977-78 she helped lead the team to a 15-10 record and a berth in the Mississippi AIAW state tournament. She averaged 19.0 points and 13.2 rebounds per game that season. Twice that season she pulled down over 20 rebounds in a game, with 24 against Ole Miss and 20 against Nicholls State. She also scored 36 points in a game against Jackson State that season.
    As a senior Lyons-Jones led the team in scoring with 18.9 points per game and in rebounding with 12.6 per game and help lead the team to a 16-10 record and a first ever win in the MAIAW tournament with an 86-84 victory over Mississippi College. She scored 30-points in that game with Mississippi College and also that season pulled down 24 rebounds against UAB and 22-rebounds against UT-Chattanooga.
    Lyons was twice named to the MAIAW all-state team and was also named to the all-region team.
    Although she doesn’t appear very often in the Lady Eagle record book, by-passed by a number of players who had the advantage of playing four season, few who have been around the Lady Eagle program for along time doubt the impact she had on women’s basketball here.
Just imagine the numbers that she could have compiled had she been able to play four seasons. Still she holds the records for best rebounding average in a season, 13.2 and in a career, 12.9.
   Following her career at Southern Miss she turned her attention to teaching and coaching and most recently as the head coach at Hattiesburg High, she has produce numerous players and teams of championship caliber.