Southern Miss WBB to take on Tulane in Battle of I-59

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Lady Eagles continue their five-game homestand with the long-time matchup against Tulane on Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 5 p.m. in Reed Green Coliseum. It will be the first game of a Green Wave double-header, with the men's game following.

The Lady Eagles are on a five-game winning streak, having defeated Southeastern Louisiana, ULM, Ole Miss, Mississippi Valley, and VCU. They are also continuing a five-game homestand as they welcome Tulane to the court of Reed Green at 5 p.m. to start a double-header with the Green Wave, with the men playing right after the conclusion of the game.

There are several exciting things happening for the students, with free cookies being given away to the first 100 students at the women's game for National Cookie Day, as well as vouchers being given to the first 500 students for free hot dogs to be redeemed during the men's game. In addition, all fans with a ticket to either the women's or the men's game will be able to attend both games.

Southern Miss has a storied history with Tulane, with the matchup being dubbed the Battle for I-59 starting in the 2017-18 season with a trophy to boot. Tulane is the most-played matchup for the Lady Eagles, with the game Wednesday being the 68^th installment. Southern Miss is 8-8 against the Green Wave under Coach Joye Lee-McNelis, and is 23-8 overall when welcoming Tulane to Reed Green. The Lady Eagles own the series overall with a 36-31 record. The rivalry dates back to December of 1977 for the Lady Eagles. Last season Southern Miss dropped a 54-71 decision on the road to the Green Wave, but look to add another tick mark to the win column at home.

Coach Joye Lee-McNelis
"Tulane is a very good basketball team. They've played several teams in our conference already and it's been a real battle. It's always going to be a battle with us and Tulane. They are not going renew the series, so this is going to be the last game that we will play, so we need a big crowd in here on Wednesday. They are a very well-coached team; their starting five is solid as a rock. When they struggle is when they get in foul trouble, but that's how we are too. We look forward to having them in Reed Green Coliseum on Wednesday."

The Lady Eagles are coming off the Lady Eagle Thanksgiving Classic where they gained two wins against Mississippi Valley State 84-80, and against VCU 51-39. Senior Shonte Hailes hit her 1,000^th point within the first two minutes of the game against MVSU, and ended up scoring 30 points on the night. Daishai Almond also had 10 points and recorded her first career double-double with 11 assists. She was one of five DI student-athletes that led the NCAA in assists on the week. Hailes was named a member of the All-Classic Team, with Almond being named MVP of the tournament.

Tulane is coming off a loss to C-USA's Charlotte in the Puerto Rico Classic, falling to the 49ers in a 56-60 decision. They are led by Arsula Clark with 102 points, Krystal Freeman in rebounds with 48, and Kaila Anderson in assists with 35. The Green Wave is 3-5 on the season coming to Reed Green, and are coached by Lisa Stockton, who is in her 26^th year at Tulane.

Fans can follow along with the action by listening to the Southern Miss Sports Network presented by Learfield IMG College on 92.7 the Score with Jason Baker, the Voice of the Lady Eagles, along with the legendary Kay James. The game will also be streamed on CUSA.tv.

Up Next
The Lady Eagles will hit the floor at Reed Green again on Sunday, Dec. 15^th at 2 p.m. to take on the South Alabama Jaguars.

Southern Miss WBB to take on Tulane in Battle of I-59

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Players Mentioned

Daishai Almond

Shonte Hailes