University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Lady Eagle Basketball Set to Face Rice
1/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The Lady Eagle basketball team will try to get back on the winning track as Southern Miss faces Rice on Thursday night at 6 p.m.
The Lady Eagle contest can be heard on WHXB-FM 96.5 or at www.SouthernMiss.com with Josh West, voice of the Lady Eagles, providing the play-by-play action with legendary coach Kay James as color analyst.
Southern Miss Preview
The Lady Eagles (10-6, 3-2) are coming off a 62-49 loss at UAB last Saturday. Southern Miss shot just 36.7 percent from the field and was only 2-of-11 from behind the arc. Jerontay Clemons and Kierra Jordan scored a team-best 14 points apiece. Jordan also led the team with six rebounds.
Tamara Jones leads the team in scoring and rebounding with 17.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. She ranked third in the Conference USA in scoring and seventh in field goal percentage including fourth in three-point field goal percentage. Clemons is next at 11.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Jordan contributes 8.6 points and 5.5 rebounds. She is fifth in the league in field goal percentage, hitting 53.1 percent from the floor. Brooke Rhodes adds 7.7 points and is sixth in three-point field goal percentage and fifth in 3-point field goals made in C-USA.
The Lady Eagles are averaging 69.6 points on 45.5 percent shooting from the field and 36.8 rebounds per game. Southern Miss holds a +3.3 turnover margin against its opponents. The Lady Eagles have connected on 80-of-237 from behind the arc.
Head Coach Joye Lee-McNelis is in her 11th season at the helm of the Lady Eagle program and her 24th season as a head coach.
A Look at Rice
Rice enters tonight's game with a 6-10 record and is 1-4 in Conference USA. The Owls lost to Charlotte last Saturday, 62-59, as Jasmine Goodwine scored a team-best 15 points while Christal Porter added a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds.
Goodwine is averaging 10.4 points per game while Maya Hawkins adds 9.3 points per contest. Porter is scoring 8.9 points and is averaging 10.5 rebounds per game.
Rice is averaging just 59.2 points per game while allowing 59.9 points. The Owls are connecting on just 35.7 percent from the floor and 28.7 percent from three, while allowing 37.8 percent from the field and 25.2 percent, C-USA best, from beyond the arc. Rice is pulling down a league-leading 44.8 rebounds per game.
Series Record: Southern Miss vs. Rice
This is the 10th meeting between the two teams. Rice leads the overall series 5-4 that dates back to 2005-06 season. Rice won the first two meetings between the teams. Southern Miss won the only meeting between the two teams last season in Houston.
Next Up
Following the Rice game, Southern Miss returns will host North Texas on Jan. 24 at 4 p.m.
