Wednesday, October 30
Reed Green Coliseum
6 p.m.
Southern Miss
vs
Mississippi College (Exhibition)
Women’s Basketball Hosts Mississippi College in Exhibition Action
10/29/2024 1:42:00 PM | Women's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss women's basketball returns to the floor for an exhibition tune up against Mississippi College before beginning its 2024-25 season. Tipoff between the Lady Eagles and Choctaws is set for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at Reed Green Coliseum. Admission to the game is free for all fans.
Exhibition // Southern Miss (20-14 in 2023-24) vs. Mississippi College (13-15 in 2023-24)
Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024 // 6:02 p.m. CT
TV: None
Radio: Southern Miss Sports Network (92.7 FM) // Jason Baker (PxP) and Kay James (Color)
Reed Green Coliseum (8,095) // Hattiesburg, Miss.
Starting Five
1) Southern Miss returns just five from last season's WNIT Super 16 squad, including four starters from the postseason run. In total, the Lady Eagles lost 55 percent of their scoring from last season and 44 percent of minutes played.
2) Melyia Grayson (Hattiesburg, Miss.) leads the group of five returners while riding a 59-game starting streak dating back to the 2022-23 season. Grayson is joined by fellow Mississippian Jacorriah Bracey (Drew, Miss.) and sophomore sharpshooter Morgan Sieper (Tampa, Fla.) as the three Lady Eagles to start the majority of their games last year. Also returning is postseason point guard Nyla Jean (Tampa, Fla.) and reserve guard Mikaylah Manley (Lake Charles, La.).
3) With just five returners, Southern Miss added eight newcomers in the offseason spread between high school signees, junior college transfers and one Sun Belt Conference veteran. Freshmen include Micah Cooper (Carrollton, Texas), Jaime Gallatly (Maffra, Australia), Whitney Hart (Baton Rouge, La.), Trinity Rowe (Pikeville, Ky.) and Ava Shields (Hammond, La.). From the junior college ranks comes Je'Mya Evans (Gulfport, Miss.) via Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Samantha Shanks (Webbers Falls, Okla.) from Connors State College. Former ULM Warhawk and Arkansas State Red Wolf Bre Sutton (New Orleans, La.) reunites with her former coaches for her final season of eligibility to lead the newcomers.
4) Southern Miss has won six-straight at Reed Green Coliseum – which is celebrating its 60th season of competition this year – and eight of their last 10. The Lady Eagles have not lost out-of-conference at RGC since Dec. 11, 2022.
5) Head coach Joye Lee-McNelis is back for her 21st season at the helm of the Lady Eagle program. She sports a 329-287 record at Southern Miss and a 558-443 career record in 34 seasons as a head coach.
About the Choctaws
Mississippi College is led by fifth-year head coach Greg Long, who succeeded the legendary Paul Allen Duke in the 2020-21 season. Long returns six letterwinners from last season's 13-15 squad in addition to one redshirt. The Choctaws signed 13 players in the offseason including six high school commits, six junior college transfers and one transfer.
Two double-figure scorers from last season return, led by Karly Ivy's 11.1 points per game and closely followed by Amelia Bell's 10.6 points per game.
MC was picked to finish eighth in the Gulf South Conference's preseason poll. Ivy was named to the GSC's Preseason All-Conference Team as well.
The Mississippi College Series
Southern Miss leads the all-time series 17-11, though the two have played in the regular season just once since 1990-91. From 1975-81, the two programs were members of the Mississippi Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women and played nine MAIAW games as well as one MAIAW State Tournament game.
The Lady Eagles have won the last six contests in the series. Southern Miss has played Mississippi College three times in exhibitions before Wednesday's contest, winning 91-73 in 2016, 65-36 in 2018 and 74-42 in last season's exhibition.
After This
Southern Miss travels to Bowling Green, Ohio, this weekend for the first of two games in the MAC-SBC Challenge. The Lady Eagles drew Bowling Green for their initial matchup of this season's iteration of the conference clash.
Tip from Bowling Green's Stroh Center is set for 6 p.m. CT (7 p.m. ET). Television and radio links will be available on SouthernMiss.com.
Celebrating 50 Seasons of Southern Miss Women's Basketball
The 2024-25 season of Southern Miss Lady Eagle Basketball marks a major milestone for the program and for The University of Southern Mississippi as the women's basketball program celebrates its 50th season of competition. Following the adoption of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Southern Miss added women's basketball and women's tennis as official athletic programs beginning in the 1975-76 season. Since then, the Lady Eagles have laid out five decades of excellence on and off the court. To celebrate this golden jubilee, Southern Miss women's basketball will host its 50th Season Celebration and Reunion on Saturday, January 18, against South Alabama at Reed Green Coliseum.
Follow The Lady Eagles
Follow the Lady Eagles on Twitter (@SouthernMissWBB), Instagram (@southernmisswbb) or on Facebook (/SouthernMissWBB) to stay up-to-date on Southern Miss women's basketball. Fans can visit Southern Miss.com or download the Southern Miss GameDay app to see full schedules, releases and more.
Exhibition // Southern Miss (20-14 in 2023-24) vs. Mississippi College (13-15 in 2023-24)
Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024 // 6:02 p.m. CT
TV: None
Radio: Southern Miss Sports Network (92.7 FM) // Jason Baker (PxP) and Kay James (Color)
Reed Green Coliseum (8,095) // Hattiesburg, Miss.
Starting Five
1) Southern Miss returns just five from last season's WNIT Super 16 squad, including four starters from the postseason run. In total, the Lady Eagles lost 55 percent of their scoring from last season and 44 percent of minutes played.
2) Melyia Grayson (Hattiesburg, Miss.) leads the group of five returners while riding a 59-game starting streak dating back to the 2022-23 season. Grayson is joined by fellow Mississippian Jacorriah Bracey (Drew, Miss.) and sophomore sharpshooter Morgan Sieper (Tampa, Fla.) as the three Lady Eagles to start the majority of their games last year. Also returning is postseason point guard Nyla Jean (Tampa, Fla.) and reserve guard Mikaylah Manley (Lake Charles, La.).
3) With just five returners, Southern Miss added eight newcomers in the offseason spread between high school signees, junior college transfers and one Sun Belt Conference veteran. Freshmen include Micah Cooper (Carrollton, Texas), Jaime Gallatly (Maffra, Australia), Whitney Hart (Baton Rouge, La.), Trinity Rowe (Pikeville, Ky.) and Ava Shields (Hammond, La.). From the junior college ranks comes Je'Mya Evans (Gulfport, Miss.) via Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Samantha Shanks (Webbers Falls, Okla.) from Connors State College. Former ULM Warhawk and Arkansas State Red Wolf Bre Sutton (New Orleans, La.) reunites with her former coaches for her final season of eligibility to lead the newcomers.
4) Southern Miss has won six-straight at Reed Green Coliseum – which is celebrating its 60th season of competition this year – and eight of their last 10. The Lady Eagles have not lost out-of-conference at RGC since Dec. 11, 2022.
5) Head coach Joye Lee-McNelis is back for her 21st season at the helm of the Lady Eagle program. She sports a 329-287 record at Southern Miss and a 558-443 career record in 34 seasons as a head coach.
About the Choctaws
Mississippi College is led by fifth-year head coach Greg Long, who succeeded the legendary Paul Allen Duke in the 2020-21 season. Long returns six letterwinners from last season's 13-15 squad in addition to one redshirt. The Choctaws signed 13 players in the offseason including six high school commits, six junior college transfers and one transfer.
Two double-figure scorers from last season return, led by Karly Ivy's 11.1 points per game and closely followed by Amelia Bell's 10.6 points per game.
MC was picked to finish eighth in the Gulf South Conference's preseason poll. Ivy was named to the GSC's Preseason All-Conference Team as well.
The Mississippi College Series
Southern Miss leads the all-time series 17-11, though the two have played in the regular season just once since 1990-91. From 1975-81, the two programs were members of the Mississippi Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women and played nine MAIAW games as well as one MAIAW State Tournament game.
The Lady Eagles have won the last six contests in the series. Southern Miss has played Mississippi College three times in exhibitions before Wednesday's contest, winning 91-73 in 2016, 65-36 in 2018 and 74-42 in last season's exhibition.
After This
Southern Miss travels to Bowling Green, Ohio, this weekend for the first of two games in the MAC-SBC Challenge. The Lady Eagles drew Bowling Green for their initial matchup of this season's iteration of the conference clash.
Tip from Bowling Green's Stroh Center is set for 6 p.m. CT (7 p.m. ET). Television and radio links will be available on SouthernMiss.com.
Celebrating 50 Seasons of Southern Miss Women's Basketball
The 2024-25 season of Southern Miss Lady Eagle Basketball marks a major milestone for the program and for The University of Southern Mississippi as the women's basketball program celebrates its 50th season of competition. Following the adoption of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Southern Miss added women's basketball and women's tennis as official athletic programs beginning in the 1975-76 season. Since then, the Lady Eagles have laid out five decades of excellence on and off the court. To celebrate this golden jubilee, Southern Miss women's basketball will host its 50th Season Celebration and Reunion on Saturday, January 18, against South Alabama at Reed Green Coliseum.
Follow The Lady Eagles
Follow the Lady Eagles on Twitter (@SouthernMissWBB), Instagram (@southernmisswbb) or on Facebook (/SouthernMissWBB) to stay up-to-date on Southern Miss women's basketball. Fans can visit Southern Miss.com or download the Southern Miss GameDay app to see full schedules, releases and more.
– #McNelisStrong | #SMTTT –
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