WBB Defeats Southeastern in Midweek Matchup, 62-54

Wednesday, November 13

Reed Green Coliseum

6 p.m.

Southern Miss

2-1

Southeastern

0-2

Southeastern

Southern Miss

WBB Defeats Southeastern in Midweek Matchup, 62-54

11/13/2019 9:42:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score PDF

The Lady Eagles win on Wednesday with three players shooting in double-figures.

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Lady Eagles of Southern Miss women's basketball came away with a win on Wednesday night, defeating Southeastern Louisiana 62-54 in Reed Green Coliseum.

The Lady Eagles (2-1) got off to a slow start against the Lady Lions (0-2), but the momentum picked up with the help of Shonte Hailes, Respect Leaphart and Allie Kennedy. In the first quarter, Shonte Hailes hit back-to-back 3-pointers but was full of some Fiesty Bunch defense, holding Southeastern to just 10 points. The second quarter, she was joined by Allie Kennedy who posted one. In the third quarter, the pair each made one. Respect Leaphart was a force to be reckoned with from the inside of the three-point line, capitalizing twice on three-point plays in the third quarter.

Leaphart finished the night as the leading scorer with 19 points off 7-of-11 shooting from the floor and going 5-of-7 from the free throw line. The senior is now 8-0 when she leads her team in points. Hailes finished with 17 points and led the team in assists with four. She also recorded one block and six rebounds. Kennedy posted 10 points of her own, along with three steals, tying a career-high, and two assists. After receiving her fifth career starting nod, she played a total of 34 minutes; a career-high for the junior.

After starting the 2018-19 season 1-2, the Lady Eagles are happy to start the new season 2-1. "What has got us to this point is our defense," said Shonte Hailes. "We played Mississippi State and they prepared us for the rest of our schedule. These games down the stretch are very winnable. I think that game helped us boost our confidence a little bit. Being 2-and-1 feels so much better than being 1-and-2. Anything that can help us boost our confidence, we're all for it. Now at this point, we're all bought in...especially defensively. Last year I think we struggled defensively early, but now we're struggling offensively. That's the difference. Our defense is really what Southern Miss basketball is about, so I feel like that's a plus."

It was McNelis' 250th win while at Southern Miss. The head coach was graced with the presence of former Lady Eagles Nitesha Pierce, Niesha Pierce, and WNBA player Jamierra Faulkner. "Tonight we were honored with the presence of Jamierra Faulkner," said McNelis. "who was drafted and plays in the WNBA. She is in year six in the WNBA. When Jamierra left here she shattered the record books in steals and assists here at Southern Miss. She plays for the Chicago Sky but she's also playing in Russia and right now she's on a break. It was an honor to have her with us today. Her best friends are a set of twins, Nitesha and Niesha Pierce and they both played during that era here. Those two players did not set records, but those two players are the true meaning of "team". Both of those kids were told not to play because of their injuries, but they were willing to sacrifice for the person next to them, their teammates, and they sacrificed just so they could play. That was their choice because they wanted to finish their career with Jamierra, their best friend, and to go out with an opportunity to play and compete in a championship. And in their last year, we were able to play in the championship. We came up short, but they were able to play for the championship."

Up Next
The Lady Eagles will hit the road and head to Monroe, Louisiana to take on ULM on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 12 p.m. The game will be broadcast on 92.7 the Score with Jason Baker, the Voice of the Lady Eagles, on the Southern Miss Sports Network by Learfield IMG College. The game will also be available on ESPN+.