Thursday, December 21
Fort Myers, Fla. / Alico Arena
6 p.m. CT / 7 p.m. ET
Southern Miss
7-3,0-0Sun Belt
62
at
78
Florida Gulf Coast
9-4,0-0ASUN
1
2
3
4
F
Southern Miss.
19
10
19
14
62
FGCU
18
18
19
23
78
FGCU Uses Free Throws to Upend Southern Miss
12/21/2023 9:33:00 PM | Women's Basketball
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Southern Miss fell 78-62 to Florida Gulf Coast in a battle of two of the nation's top mid-major programs thanks to the FGCU Eagles' 30 trips to the free throw line. The Lady Eagles of Southern Miss made all eight of their charity stripe shots and finished the nonconference slate of the season with a .700 winning percentage—the best mark since 2013-14.
Florida Gulf Coast (9-4) won the jump ball but failed to score on its opening possession, allowing Brikayla Gray (Hebron, Miss.) to find Melyia Grayson (Hattiesburg, Miss.) in the paint for the first points of the night. The homestanding Eagles reestablished the lead just 10 seconds later, hitting the first of 11 three-point baskets of the night. Six Eagles made a long ball with another two attempting at least one to post an 11-of-36 line from behind the arc.
Southern Miss (7-3) held a 19-18 lead at the end of the first before FGCU was able to move the game to a two-possession game with timely three pointers. Florida Gulf Coast led 36-29 at the half, having made two less baskets than the Lady Eagles. Southern Miss was awarded just one free throw in the first half, coming on an old-fashioned three-point play from Domonique Davis (DeRidder, La.).
Davis, in her second game off the bench in her three years with the Lady Eagles, had only seven points at the halftime break. The COVID-Senior exploded in the second half, scoring 13 in the third quarter and another 10 in the fourth to notch her fourth career game with 30 points. The third frame was a back-and-forth affair with Davis connecting on as many shots, six, as FGCU did.
At the start of the final 10 minutes, Southern Miss trailed 55-48. Southern Miss cut the lead to five, notching 50 points in the game with 7:52 left to play. From then on, FGCU was able to take twice as many free throw shots as Southern Miss, making 9-of-12 compared to Southern Miss' 6-of-6 performance.
Two Lady Eagles, Davis and Jacorriah Bracey (Drew, Miss.), finished with double-figure scoring effort, led by Davis' game- and season-best 30 and followed by Bracey's 10. Grayson, who was ejected from the game after picking up her second questionable intentional foul with 5:31 left to play, brought down 12 boards and scored seven of her own points.
UP NEXT
Southern Miss enjoys the Christmas break before returning for practice in preparation for the Sun Belt Conference opener against Marshall. The Thundering Herd most recently fell to Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C., and concluded their nonconference play at 6-5 in Kim Caldwell's first season in Huntington, W.Va.
Tipoff from Reed Green Coliseum is set for 2 p.m. for the Lady Eagles' annual Hattiesburg/Forrest County Night.
Florida Gulf Coast (9-4) won the jump ball but failed to score on its opening possession, allowing Brikayla Gray (Hebron, Miss.) to find Melyia Grayson (Hattiesburg, Miss.) in the paint for the first points of the night. The homestanding Eagles reestablished the lead just 10 seconds later, hitting the first of 11 three-point baskets of the night. Six Eagles made a long ball with another two attempting at least one to post an 11-of-36 line from behind the arc.
Southern Miss (7-3) held a 19-18 lead at the end of the first before FGCU was able to move the game to a two-possession game with timely three pointers. Florida Gulf Coast led 36-29 at the half, having made two less baskets than the Lady Eagles. Southern Miss was awarded just one free throw in the first half, coming on an old-fashioned three-point play from Domonique Davis (DeRidder, La.).
Davis, in her second game off the bench in her three years with the Lady Eagles, had only seven points at the halftime break. The COVID-Senior exploded in the second half, scoring 13 in the third quarter and another 10 in the fourth to notch her fourth career game with 30 points. The third frame was a back-and-forth affair with Davis connecting on as many shots, six, as FGCU did.
At the start of the final 10 minutes, Southern Miss trailed 55-48. Southern Miss cut the lead to five, notching 50 points in the game with 7:52 left to play. From then on, FGCU was able to take twice as many free throw shots as Southern Miss, making 9-of-12 compared to Southern Miss' 6-of-6 performance.
Two Lady Eagles, Davis and Jacorriah Bracey (Drew, Miss.), finished with double-figure scoring effort, led by Davis' game- and season-best 30 and followed by Bracey's 10. Grayson, who was ejected from the game after picking up her second questionable intentional foul with 5:31 left to play, brought down 12 boards and scored seven of her own points.
UP NEXT
Southern Miss enjoys the Christmas break before returning for practice in preparation for the Sun Belt Conference opener against Marshall. The Thundering Herd most recently fell to Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C., and concluded their nonconference play at 6-5 in Kim Caldwell's first season in Huntington, W.Va.
Tipoff from Reed Green Coliseum is set for 2 p.m. for the Lady Eagles' annual Hattiesburg/Forrest County Night.
– #McNelisStrong –
Team Stats
USM
FGCU
FG%
.448
.393
3FG%
.250
.306
FT%
1.000
.633
RB
38
34
TO
23
14
STL
8
11
Game Leaders
Pts
30
FGM
11
3FGM
1
FTM
7
Pts
10
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
6
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
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