University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Davis, Grayson Named to Sun Belt All-Conference Teams
3/4/2024 1:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
NEW ORLEANS – Domonique Davis and Melyia Grayson both earned spots on the Sun Belt Conference's All-Conference Teams with Davis collecting first team honors and Grayson landing on the third team. The two All-Sun Belt Conference selections joined the 1,000-point club this season and have combined to score 919 points this season and each rank nationally in multiple statistical categories.
Domonique Davis
Davis, a native of DeRidder, La., is in her third season as a Lady Eagle and currently ranks as the program's eighth all-time leading scorer. Consequently, she leads Southern Miss with 557 points this season for an average of 19.9 points per game, marks which rank 29th and 24th nationally, respectively.
She scored her 1,000th career point in the season opener against William Carey and crossed the threshold as a Lady Eagle in the next game, becoming the 30th Lady Eagle in program history to do so. She currently ranks just outside the top 10 for points scored in a season, trailing Patricia Nash by 11 points and ranks fifth on the program's charts for points per game in a season.
Over the course of her career at Southern Miss, Davis has moved into the program's top 10 charts in field goal attempts, three pointers made, three pointers attempted, free throws made, free throws attempted, points scored and scoring average. Earlier this season, Davis was selected as a finalist for the Gillom Trophy, which is awarded annually to the best women's basketball player in the state of Mississippi.
This selection is Davis' third time to be named as a First Team player after earning All-Conference USA First Team honors in 2021-22 and First Team All-Sun Belt Conference honors in 2022-23. She is the first Lady Eagle since Jamierra Faulkner to earn three-straight selections to an All-Conference First Team, who did it in 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14. Overall, she is just the fourth Lady Eagle to ever earn three First Team selections, joining former greats Faulkner, Pauline Love and Janice Felder.
Melyia Grayson
Grayson, a Hub City native and first to sign out of Hattiesburg for Coach McNelis, notches in on the Sun Belt's All-Conference Third Team, the first such honor of her career. She has scored 362 points and grabbed 237 rebounds this season, setting new highs in both categories. In her fourth year with the program, the COVID-junior joined the 1,000-point club against Troy earlier this season and currently sits with 1,127 career points for an average of 11.2 points per game.
She is also the first Lady Eagle to ever score 1,000 points, grab 600 rebounds and block 100 shots in a career. Most impressive, she is riding a 54-game start streak dating back to last season and has played the most games at Southern Miss on the active roster, currently sitting at 101 career games.
Grayson averages 12.5 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game to lead the Lady Eagles in rebounding and rank inside the top 100 nationally on the glass. Most impressive, her 53.4 field goal percentage is 40th in the country and first in the Sun Belt Conference among qualified players.
This year, she has moved up in the career charts in field goal percentage, rebounds, blocks and double-doubles. She collected a career-best eight double-doubles this season and sits with 18 on her career.
THE SUN BELT CONFERENCE ALL-CONFERENCE AWARDS
Coach of the Year: Kim Caldwell, Marshall
Freshman of the Year: Crystal Henderson, Georgia State [FR | G | Marietta, Ga.]
Newcomer of the Year: Daisha Bradford, ULM [SR | G | Mobile, Ala.]
Player of the Year: Abby Beeman, Marshall [GR | G | Ridgeley, W.Va.]
Defensive Player of the Year: Kaye Clark, Old Dominion
Sixth Woman of the Year: Katlyn Manuel, ULM [JR | F | Lawtell, La.]
2024 Sun Belt Women's Basketball All-Conference Teams
First Team
Abby Beeman, Marshall [GR | G | Ridgeley, W.Va.]
Izzy Higginbottom, Arkansas State [JR | G | Batesville, Ark.]
Tai'Sheka Porchia, Troy [SR | F | Camden, Ark.]
Terren Ward, Georgia Southern [SR | G/F | Jesup, Ga.]
Domonique Davis, Southern Miss [SR | G | DeRidder, La.]
Second Team
Daisha Bradford, ULM [SR | G | Mobile, Ala.]
Peyton McDaniel, James Madison [R-SO | G | Birdsboro, Pa.]
Faith Alston, App State [SR | G | Centerville, Va.]
Ja'Mia Hollings, Troy [SR | F | West Point, Miss.]
Kseniia Kozlova, James Madison [R-JR | C | Moscow, Russia]
Third Team
Breanna Campbell, Marshall [SR | G | Largo, Fla.]
Makayia Hallmon, Troy [SR | G | Coushatta, La.]
En'Dya Buford, Old Dominion [SR | G | Memphis, Tenn.]
Mikyla Tolivert, Georgia State [JR | G | Melbourne, Fla.]
Melyia Grayson, Southern Miss [R-JR | C | Hattiesburg, Miss.]
Domonique Davis
Davis, a native of DeRidder, La., is in her third season as a Lady Eagle and currently ranks as the program's eighth all-time leading scorer. Consequently, she leads Southern Miss with 557 points this season for an average of 19.9 points per game, marks which rank 29th and 24th nationally, respectively.
She scored her 1,000th career point in the season opener against William Carey and crossed the threshold as a Lady Eagle in the next game, becoming the 30th Lady Eagle in program history to do so. She currently ranks just outside the top 10 for points scored in a season, trailing Patricia Nash by 11 points and ranks fifth on the program's charts for points per game in a season.
Over the course of her career at Southern Miss, Davis has moved into the program's top 10 charts in field goal attempts, three pointers made, three pointers attempted, free throws made, free throws attempted, points scored and scoring average. Earlier this season, Davis was selected as a finalist for the Gillom Trophy, which is awarded annually to the best women's basketball player in the state of Mississippi.
This selection is Davis' third time to be named as a First Team player after earning All-Conference USA First Team honors in 2021-22 and First Team All-Sun Belt Conference honors in 2022-23. She is the first Lady Eagle since Jamierra Faulkner to earn three-straight selections to an All-Conference First Team, who did it in 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14. Overall, she is just the fourth Lady Eagle to ever earn three First Team selections, joining former greats Faulkner, Pauline Love and Janice Felder.
Melyia Grayson
Grayson, a Hub City native and first to sign out of Hattiesburg for Coach McNelis, notches in on the Sun Belt's All-Conference Third Team, the first such honor of her career. She has scored 362 points and grabbed 237 rebounds this season, setting new highs in both categories. In her fourth year with the program, the COVID-junior joined the 1,000-point club against Troy earlier this season and currently sits with 1,127 career points for an average of 11.2 points per game.
She is also the first Lady Eagle to ever score 1,000 points, grab 600 rebounds and block 100 shots in a career. Most impressive, she is riding a 54-game start streak dating back to last season and has played the most games at Southern Miss on the active roster, currently sitting at 101 career games.
Grayson averages 12.5 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game to lead the Lady Eagles in rebounding and rank inside the top 100 nationally on the glass. Most impressive, her 53.4 field goal percentage is 40th in the country and first in the Sun Belt Conference among qualified players.
This year, she has moved up in the career charts in field goal percentage, rebounds, blocks and double-doubles. She collected a career-best eight double-doubles this season and sits with 18 on her career.
THE SUN BELT CONFERENCE ALL-CONFERENCE AWARDS
Coach of the Year: Kim Caldwell, Marshall
Freshman of the Year: Crystal Henderson, Georgia State [FR | G | Marietta, Ga.]
Newcomer of the Year: Daisha Bradford, ULM [SR | G | Mobile, Ala.]
Player of the Year: Abby Beeman, Marshall [GR | G | Ridgeley, W.Va.]
Defensive Player of the Year: Kaye Clark, Old Dominion
Sixth Woman of the Year: Katlyn Manuel, ULM [JR | F | Lawtell, La.]
2024 Sun Belt Women's Basketball All-Conference Teams
First Team
Abby Beeman, Marshall [GR | G | Ridgeley, W.Va.]
Izzy Higginbottom, Arkansas State [JR | G | Batesville, Ark.]
Tai'Sheka Porchia, Troy [SR | F | Camden, Ark.]
Terren Ward, Georgia Southern [SR | G/F | Jesup, Ga.]
Domonique Davis, Southern Miss [SR | G | DeRidder, La.]
Second Team
Daisha Bradford, ULM [SR | G | Mobile, Ala.]
Peyton McDaniel, James Madison [R-SO | G | Birdsboro, Pa.]
Faith Alston, App State [SR | G | Centerville, Va.]
Ja'Mia Hollings, Troy [SR | F | West Point, Miss.]
Kseniia Kozlova, James Madison [R-JR | C | Moscow, Russia]
Third Team
Breanna Campbell, Marshall [SR | G | Largo, Fla.]
Makayia Hallmon, Troy [SR | G | Coushatta, La.]
En'Dya Buford, Old Dominion [SR | G | Memphis, Tenn.]
Mikyla Tolivert, Georgia State [JR | G | Melbourne, Fla.]
Melyia Grayson, Southern Miss [R-JR | C | Hattiesburg, Miss.]
– #McNelisStrong –
Players Mentioned
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