Saturday, January 18
Reed Green Coliseum
2 p.m.
Southern Miss
6-12,2-5Sun Belt
78
vs
49
South Alabama
4-14,0-7Sun Belt
1
2
3
4
F
South Alabama
14
10
14
11
49
Southern Miss.
18
15
29
16
78
Southern Miss Races to Victory Over South Alabama on Celebration-Filled Afternoon
1/18/2025 4:37:00 PM | Women's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss women's basketball picked up a 78-49 victory over South Alabama on Saturday afternoon at Reed Green Coliseum. Four Lady Eagles scored in double-figures as Southern Miss shot 53.8 percent from the field and made 10 three-pointers for the second time this season.
After a pregame ceremony inducting head coach Joye Lee-McNelis into the Southern Miss Legends Club, the Lady Eagles jumped out to a four-point lead early in the first quarter. South Alabama (4-14, 0-7 Sun Belt) tied it 6-6 before Nyla Jean (Tampa, Fla.) splashed a three-pointer to retake the lead.
Southern Miss (6-12, 2-5 Sun Belt) led for the next six minutes in the quarter and held an 18-14 advantage going into the second quarter. Neither team found much success early in the frame as three scoreless minutes ticked off the clock.
South Alabama broke through and eventually tied the game 18-all with 6:57 left in the quarter. Jean quickly retook the lead at the free throw line but the Jaguars punched back, tying the game before taking a 22-20 lead of Southern Miss.
Mikaylah Manley (Lake Charles, La.) gave Southern Miss the lead once again after sinking one from deep. Manley's was the first of three Lady Eagle three-pointers that sparked a 9-0 Lady Eagle run. Southern Miss led 29-22 before South scored again with just under two minutes left in the half.
Jean held 15 points at the half to lead all scorers as the Lady Eagles out-shot South Alabama with a 42.3 percent mark from the floor. Four Lady Eagles found nylon from beyond the arc in the first half to help Southern Miss shoot 5-of-12 from deep.
The third quarter was all Southern Miss as the Lady Eagles outscored South Alabama 29-14 in the frame. The Lady Eagles scored the last 12 points of the quarter and at one point held a 24-8 run in the frame.
Southern Miss finished 12-of-14 from the floor and sank another four three-point baskets to take a commanding 62-38 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Jaguars were able to stop the Lady Eagle run at 15 points with a three-pointer early in the frame.
As the Lady Eagles emptied their reserves, Southern Miss slowly extended its lead to run away with game. Southern Miss' 29-point margin is the largest of the season and largest since a 27-point win over Blue Mountain Christian on Nov. 7.
Jean finished with 19 points to lead all scorers while also setting a season-high with eight assists in addition to her four steals. Jean was one of four Lady Eagles with double-figure scoring efforts.
Up Next
Southern Miss plays its next four games on the road beginning with a Thursday, Jan. 23, tilt against league-leading James Madison. Tipoff at the Dukes' Atlantic Union Bank Center in Harrisonburg, Va., is set for 6 p.m. CT (7 p.m. ET).
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 hosted 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.
After a pregame ceremony inducting head coach Joye Lee-McNelis into the Southern Miss Legends Club, the Lady Eagles jumped out to a four-point lead early in the first quarter. South Alabama (4-14, 0-7 Sun Belt) tied it 6-6 before Nyla Jean (Tampa, Fla.) splashed a three-pointer to retake the lead.
Southern Miss (6-12, 2-5 Sun Belt) led for the next six minutes in the quarter and held an 18-14 advantage going into the second quarter. Neither team found much success early in the frame as three scoreless minutes ticked off the clock.
South Alabama broke through and eventually tied the game 18-all with 6:57 left in the quarter. Jean quickly retook the lead at the free throw line but the Jaguars punched back, tying the game before taking a 22-20 lead of Southern Miss.
Mikaylah Manley (Lake Charles, La.) gave Southern Miss the lead once again after sinking one from deep. Manley's was the first of three Lady Eagle three-pointers that sparked a 9-0 Lady Eagle run. Southern Miss led 29-22 before South scored again with just under two minutes left in the half.
Jean held 15 points at the half to lead all scorers as the Lady Eagles out-shot South Alabama with a 42.3 percent mark from the floor. Four Lady Eagles found nylon from beyond the arc in the first half to help Southern Miss shoot 5-of-12 from deep.
The third quarter was all Southern Miss as the Lady Eagles outscored South Alabama 29-14 in the frame. The Lady Eagles scored the last 12 points of the quarter and at one point held a 24-8 run in the frame.
Southern Miss finished 12-of-14 from the floor and sank another four three-point baskets to take a commanding 62-38 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Jaguars were able to stop the Lady Eagle run at 15 points with a three-pointer early in the frame.
As the Lady Eagles emptied their reserves, Southern Miss slowly extended its lead to run away with game. Southern Miss' 29-point margin is the largest of the season and largest since a 27-point win over Blue Mountain Christian on Nov. 7.
Jean finished with 19 points to lead all scorers while also setting a season-high with eight assists in addition to her four steals. Jean was one of four Lady Eagles with double-figure scoring efforts.
Up Next
Southern Miss plays its next four games on the road beginning with a Thursday, Jan. 23, tilt against league-leading James Madison. Tipoff at the Dukes' Atlantic Union Bank Center in Harrisonburg, Va., is set for 6 p.m. CT (7 p.m. ET).
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 hosted 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 –
Team Stats
USA
USM
FG%
.362
.538
3FG%
.105
.500
FT%
.455
.706
RB
27
40
TO
18
21
STL
6
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
16
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
G
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