Southern Miss
FIU
Davis' Buzzer-Beater Lifts Southern Miss Over FIU
2/3/2022 9:58:00 PM | Women's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- A buzzer-beating jumper from junior guard Domonique Davis propelled the Southern Miss Lady Eagles past the FIU Panthers by a score of 65-64. The Black & Gold picks up its fifth Conference USA win of the season in the first contest of a four-game home stand.
Davis secured her 11th straight double-digit scoring performance for the Lady Eagles (13-7, 5-4 C-USA) on Thursday night at Reed Green Coliseum. Brikayla Gray and Melyia Grayson joined Davis in double-figures, with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Gray's team-leading eight rebounds matched a career high for the sophomore guard, while Davis dished out at least five assists for the ninth time this season.
"She's special," McNelis said of Davis. "She is a very special competitor. She wants to compete. I think that's what she has within her is some dog. She's come up big for us before, but to hit that shot in that moment was huge."
Melyia Grayson and Brikayla Gray combined for 10 points in the first quarter, as Southern Miss and FIU battled through the first 10 minutes of play. The Lady Eagles dominated inside the paint, scoring 12 points in the lane.
The Lady Eagles rattled off five points in the final 23 seconds of the opening stanza to take the momentum away from FIU. Rose Warren cashed in a three-pointer, followed a Morgan Dillard fast break layup, which gave the Lady Eagles a 17-11 advantage heading into the second quarter.
Southern Miss and FIU traded baskets throughout the second frame, as 17 points were generated from six different Lady Eagles. While the Panthers were able to make up ground, a layup in the final minute of play from Fess Hawkins gave Southern Miss a 34-31 lead heading into the locker room.
FIU troubled the Lady Eagles throughout the third quarter offensively, as the Panthers racked up 22 points while shooting 9-of-19 from the field. Southern Miss and FIU traded buckets for most of the frame, before a seven-point gave the visitors a 53-49 lead with 10 minutes remaining in regulation.
Back-and-forth action ensued in the fourth quarter, as Southern Miss and FIU exchanged the lead multiple times. Davis led the charge for the Lady Eagles, with eight points, five of which came in the last two minutes of play.
With FIU holding a 63-60 lead with just under two minutes remaining, Davis netted a three-pointer to tie the contest. Southern Miss snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, as the DeRidder, La. native capped off her 15-point performance with the game-deciding bucket with under a second left on the clock.
"Those are the moments we live for as players," Davis said of the game-winning shot. "Kelsey set a great screen and I was able to knock down the shot.
Southern Miss, riding a two-game winning streak, will look forward to another Conference USA matchup with the FAU Owls on Saturday, Feb. 5. Tip off is slated for 2 p.m. and the action will be streamed live on ESPN+.
