Lady Eagles Host Nicholls State In Final Non-Conference Game
12/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 29, 2008
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The Southern Miss women's basketball team returns to action following a short Christmas break, when the Lady Eagles host Nicholls State Tuesday at 7 p.m., closing out their non-conference schedule.
Lady Eagle games can be heard on WXHB-FM 96.5 with the new "Voice of the Lady Eagles" Josh West providing play-by-play action with former coach Kay James as the color analyst.
Southern Miss is 6-6 after a 73-68 victory over Cal State Northridge in the consolation game of The Desert Draw, in which Pauline Love scored a season-high 28 points to lead USM to a come-from-behind victory. Stephanie Helgeson added a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
Love continues to lead the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 14.4 points and 10.4 rebounds per game, while Helgeson is averaging 10.8 points. Both rank in the top 20 in scoring and rebounding in the league.
As a team, Southern Miss is averaging 66.3 points and 40.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 43.4 percent from the field and 66.8 percent from the line. The Lady Eagles have connected on 53-of-176 from behind the arc.
It's been 10 years since the two teams have played (12-28-98), when the two teams met in the opening game of the State Farm Holiday Classic hosted by Louisiana Tech. Nicholls State won that meeting, 54-53. However, Southern Miss leads the series with Nicholls, 11-2.
Nicholls State (0-10) is coming off an 84-55 loss to New Orleans. Christie Bryant recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds in the contest. The Colonels are under the new direction of Coach DoBee Plaisance, who returned only four letterwinners from last year's team. Senior Christie Bryant is the top scorer and rebounder for the Colonels, averaging 9.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. The Colonels are averaging 46.1 points and 36.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 30.1 percent from the field and 62.7 percent from the line.
Following the Nicholls State game, the Lady Eagles hit the road to open Conference USA play when they travel to UCF, Jan. 3.
