Breakout Performances Fuel Lady Eagles’ Education Day Victory

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Blue Mountain Christian came out swinging and caught Southern Miss off guard early on. However, career days from multiple Lady Eagles and a raucous 3,300 Southern Miss faithful behind them netted Southern Miss an 87-60 win on Education Day at Reed Green Coliseum.

Mikaylah Manley (Lake Charles, La.) led all scorers with 17 points on the day. The true sophomore scored just 12 points last season but has enjoyed a successful offseason with the Lady Eagles. Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College transfer Je'Mya Evans also enjoyed a career day, pulling down 17 rebounds to lead Southern Miss to its first game with 50-or-more rebounds of the season. The victory also marked the Lady Eagles' 500th program victory at Reed Green Coliseum.

"Solid game for us today against a Blue Mountain team that is really, really going to win a bunch of ball games in their league," said 21st-year head coach Joye Lee-McNelis. "I talked to [Blue Mountain Christian head] coach Tracy Rice last night after our practice and I said truly this is your team. She's only been there a short period of time and she's done a tremendous job."

The 27-point final margin does not reflect it, but Blue Mountain Christian (4-1) had Southern Miss (1-1) on the ropes early. The Lady Toppers forced three Lady Eagle turnovers in Southern Miss first four possessions and led for four of the first 10 minutes of play. McNelis' squad clung to a 20-19 lead at the end of the first quarter.

"We turned the ball over before the first minute even ticked off the clock," said McNelis. "We've got to be able to handle that, but we didn't today. So, for us to go in and battle with them the first two quarters and stay close, was very good."

Blue Mountain Christian's onslaught rarely let up in the second quarter, too. Southern Miss led 41-31 at the half but had done so in ugly fashion after scoring the last five points of the quarter for some breathing room. One of the day's breakout stars, Je'Mya Evans, led all scorers with eight points at the half. Southern Miss held a 43.2 percent (16-of-37) mark from the floor to best BMC's 12-of-29 (41.4 percent) first half performance.

The third quarter, though, was all Lady Eagles. Southern Miss' five-point run to end the first half carried over into an 11-point run in the first three minutes of the third. Southern Miss took its first 20-point lead of the day thanks to a Trinity Rowe (Pikeville, Ky.) jumper. Rowe finished with seven assists to just one turnover as proof of her growth as a true freshman.

Manley took over in the second half, scoring 11 in the last two quarters of her second career start. Her clutch jump shot form helped the Lady Eagles to a 46-point second half.

"Praise the Lord, there's a second half," said McNelis. "The second half and third quarter was a different story [for us]. I felt like our defense generated our offense."

Not only did Southern Miss' offense run through its defense, but the Lady Eagles' athleticism also showed out as Blue Mountain began to fade down the stretch. Southern Miss won the second half with a 17-point margin and shot a blistering 48.6 percent (18-of-37) from the floor with two long balls. In the fourth quarter, Southern Miss did not turn the ball over while forcing three Blue Mountain giveaways and 11 missed shots.

Manley shot herself to a 17-point, three-assist day, setting career highs in multiple categories while leading Southern Miss – as well as all scorers – for the first time in her collegiate career.

"Mikaylah Manley was a freshman last year," said McNelis. "It's hard to be a freshman. Not just as a student. When you're an athlete, that makes it a lot harder. Mikaylah has done a great job of improving her game."

Evans joined Manley in her breakout performance as the Mississippi Gulf Coast transfer pulled down 17 rebounds and tallied 11 points for her first Division I double-double Evans' 17 boards are the most in a game since Melyia Grayson (Hattiesburg, Miss.) pulled down 19 against Georgia State last season. Most impressive, Evans' pulled down 10 rebounds off the offensive glass.

As a group, Southern Miss grabbed 53 total rebounds – 19 on the offensive glass – to win the rebound margin by 24. Grayson, for her part, finished with 16 points on just 11 minutes to place three Lady Eagles in double figures.

Up Next
Southern Miss hosts crosstown foe William Carey on Monday, Nov. 11, in a battle for the Mayor's Cup. Tipoff in the 22nd all-time meeting between the Crusaders and Lady Eagles is set for 6 p.m. at Reed Green Coliseum.

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 –

Breakout Performances Fuel Lady Eagles’ Education Day Victory

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Team Stats

Mikaylah Manley

Melyia Grayson

Je'Mya Evans

Morgan Sieper

Players Mentioned

Je'Mya Evans

Melyia Grayson

Mikaylah Manley

Trinity Rowe