Friday, January 24
Harrisonburg, Va. / Atlantic Union Bank Center
6 p.m. CT (7 p.m. ET)
Southern Miss
at
James Madison
Women’s Basketball Travels to James Madison in Rescheduled Sun Belt Action
1/23/2025 4:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss women's basketball makes its first trip to Harrisonburg, Va., in program history to take on James Madison. The Dukes are a perfect 7-0 in Sun Belt play this season and hold a 3-0 advantage in the series against Southern Miss.
Southern Miss (6-12, 2-5 Sun Belt) snapped a five-game skid in league play and collected its second Sun Belt win this season with a win over South Alabama last time out. Conversely, James Madison (15-4, 7-0 Sun Belt) has not lost in Sun Belt play and enters with a perfect 7-0 record.
Voice of the Lady Eagles Jason Baker begins coverage of the game on the Southern Miss Sports Network with the Lady Eagle Courtside Show at 5:30 p.m. CT (6:30 p.m. ET) tomorrow. The game will also be streamed on ESPN+ with the three-person crew of Curt Dudley, Missy Buck and Charlie Niber. Coverage of the broadcast begins at 6 p.m. CT (7 p.m. ET) in the ESPN app.
Game 10 // Southern Miss (6-12, 125 Sun Belt) at James Madison (15-4, 7-0 Sun Belt)
Friday, January 24, 2025
TV: ESPN+ // Curt Dudley (PxP), Missy Buck (Color) and Charlie Niber (Sideline)
Radio: Southern Miss Sports Network (92.7 FM) // Jason Baker (PxP)
Atlantic Union Bank Center (8,500) // Harrisonburg, Va.
About the Dukes
James Madison was picked to finish first in the Sun Belt Conference this year, garnering 12-of-14 first place votes in the preseason poll. The Dukes are currently living up to their expectations with a perfect 7-0 mark in league play.
Head coach Sean O'Regan holds a 195-79 (.712) overall record in nine seasons on the sidelines in Harrisonburg. O'Regan, a James Madison alum, has worked his way up from student manager at JMU all the way to head coach at one of the nation's proudest programs.
Three Dukes earned Preseason All-Sun Belt Honors with Peyton McDaniel (1st), Kseniia Kozlova (2nd) and Ro Scott (3rd) all slotting in on the team. McDaniel was also chosen as the Preseason Player of the Year and currently leads all scorers in Sun Belt Conference play.
James Madison holds a +16.3 margin of victory in Sun Belt play and McDaniel picked up her second Sun Belt Player of the Week honors after her performance last week. JMU allows just 62.9 points per game in Sun Belt games so far.
The James Madison Series
James Madison leads the all-time series 3-0 after winning two games in Hattiesburg and a win to knock Southern Miss out of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Quarterfinals last season. This will be the first time Southern Miss travels to James Madison in the series' short history.
Against Virginia Teams
Southern Miss shares a surprisingly rich history against teams from the Commonwealth of Virginia as the Lady Eagles have played 63 games against Virginia-based teams. Of these 63, 41 games have come in conference play in the Metro, Conference USA and Sun Belt.
The Lady Eagles have shared a conference with James Madison (SBC), Old Dominion (C-USA & SBC), VCU (Metro) and Virginia Tech (Metro).
Southern Miss is 36-27 all-time against Virginia teams with a 55.6 winning percentage. The Lady Eagles are 10-12 on the road against Commonwealth teams.
Buckling the Sun Belt
Southern Miss is in its third season of Sun Belt Conference play after joining in 2022-23. With Southern Miss' addition to the league, the Sun Belt now spans 10 contiguous states from West Virginia to Texas. Six members of the league are within 400 miles of Hattiesburg with four less than a 300-mile drive away.
The Lady Eagles are 108-65 all-time against current Sun Belt teams and 41-33 all-time in conference play. Since 2022-23, Southern Miss is 25-18 in Sun Belt Conference games.
Joye Lee-McNelis is the league's longest tenured head coach and is the winningest active head coach in as well.
Leading Her Alma Mater
Joye Lee-McNelis is one of 40 active Division I head coaches currently leading their alma mater in women's basketball. She is one of 26 former women's basketball players currently leading the team she played for as well.
Three's Company
Southern Miss is on pace for a record-setting year beyond the arc. The 2024-25 squad is making an average of 5.94 three-point baskets per game, making them just the second team in the program's history to average more than five three-pointers per game.
Southern Miss' current record average was 5.03 in 2007-08 while Southern Miss made its most three-point baskets in 2014-15 with 178 makes.
As another sign of the Lady Eagles' growth beyond the arc, the Lady Eagles made 10 three-point baskets for the second time this season against South Alabama. Southern Miss first hit the mark at Georgia State earlier this season. The 2024-25 season is the fifth in school history where the Lady Eagles made 10 three-point baskets in two consecutive games and the first since 2007-08.
#BurgBuilt
Fifth-year center Melyia Grayson is one of 45 players in Division I playing her fifth season at the one school. She entered the year already on the 1,000-point club's roster and has a chance to move into the top 10 by the end of the year.
Grayson also has a chance to move up the charts in multiple records. Against App State, Grayson played her 120th career game at Southern Miss and started her 103rd, moving her into the top 10 in both categories.
She is now tied for fifth in games played (124) and ninth in starts (107). She also ranks top 10 in rebounds (fifth), blocks (third), field goal percentage (seventh), field goals made (eighth) and double-doubles (ninth)
30 Piece
Grayson tied her career high of 32 points at ULM on Jan. 9, collecting 14 rebounds en route to her 24th career double-double and third this season.
The game also moved her from 14th on the all-time scoring charts to 13th, passing Tanya Bullock (1990-94). She is just eight points away from tying Wilhelmina Smith (1981-85) for 12th all-time.
The Tampa Two
Former high school teammates Nyla Jean and Morgan Sieper reunited at the Division I level last season in Hattiesburg with Jean transferring from Georgia State and Sieper signing out of H.B. Plant High School in Tampa, Fla.
The two won the 2021 FHSAA Class 7A State Title with the Plant Panthers where Jean was a senior and Sieper a sophomore. The two started together for the first time in their careers together on Dec. 21, 2023, at Florida Gulf Coast and last season's run in the Postseason WNIT was the first postseason action for the two since their 2021 state title run in Tampa.
The duo has scored in double-figures together in three games this season.
New Year, Newcomers
The 2024-25 season saw Southern Miss sign eight newcomers to their squad. Je'Mya Evans (Mississippi Gulf Coast CC) and Samantha Shanks (Connors State) both signed from NJCAA while Bre Sutton transferred from Arkansas State after spending her first two seasons at ULM.
Five freshman – Micah Cooper, Jaime Gallatly, Whitney Hart, Trinity Rowe and Ava Shields – all inked their letters of intent with Southern Miss as well.
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.
Southern Miss (6-12, 2-5 Sun Belt) snapped a five-game skid in league play and collected its second Sun Belt win this season with a win over South Alabama last time out. Conversely, James Madison (15-4, 7-0 Sun Belt) has not lost in Sun Belt play and enters with a perfect 7-0 record.
Voice of the Lady Eagles Jason Baker begins coverage of the game on the Southern Miss Sports Network with the Lady Eagle Courtside Show at 5:30 p.m. CT (6:30 p.m. ET) tomorrow. The game will also be streamed on ESPN+ with the three-person crew of Curt Dudley, Missy Buck and Charlie Niber. Coverage of the broadcast begins at 6 p.m. CT (7 p.m. ET) in the ESPN app.
Game 10 // Southern Miss (6-12, 125 Sun Belt) at James Madison (15-4, 7-0 Sun Belt)
Friday, January 24, 2025
TV: ESPN+ // Curt Dudley (PxP), Missy Buck (Color) and Charlie Niber (Sideline)
Radio: Southern Miss Sports Network (92.7 FM) // Jason Baker (PxP)
Atlantic Union Bank Center (8,500) // Harrisonburg, Va.
About the Dukes
James Madison was picked to finish first in the Sun Belt Conference this year, garnering 12-of-14 first place votes in the preseason poll. The Dukes are currently living up to their expectations with a perfect 7-0 mark in league play.
Head coach Sean O'Regan holds a 195-79 (.712) overall record in nine seasons on the sidelines in Harrisonburg. O'Regan, a James Madison alum, has worked his way up from student manager at JMU all the way to head coach at one of the nation's proudest programs.
Three Dukes earned Preseason All-Sun Belt Honors with Peyton McDaniel (1st), Kseniia Kozlova (2nd) and Ro Scott (3rd) all slotting in on the team. McDaniel was also chosen as the Preseason Player of the Year and currently leads all scorers in Sun Belt Conference play.
James Madison holds a +16.3 margin of victory in Sun Belt play and McDaniel picked up her second Sun Belt Player of the Week honors after her performance last week. JMU allows just 62.9 points per game in Sun Belt games so far.
The James Madison Series
James Madison leads the all-time series 3-0 after winning two games in Hattiesburg and a win to knock Southern Miss out of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Quarterfinals last season. This will be the first time Southern Miss travels to James Madison in the series' short history.
Against Virginia Teams
Southern Miss shares a surprisingly rich history against teams from the Commonwealth of Virginia as the Lady Eagles have played 63 games against Virginia-based teams. Of these 63, 41 games have come in conference play in the Metro, Conference USA and Sun Belt.
The Lady Eagles have shared a conference with James Madison (SBC), Old Dominion (C-USA & SBC), VCU (Metro) and Virginia Tech (Metro).
Southern Miss is 36-27 all-time against Virginia teams with a 55.6 winning percentage. The Lady Eagles are 10-12 on the road against Commonwealth teams.
Buckling the Sun Belt
Southern Miss is in its third season of Sun Belt Conference play after joining in 2022-23. With Southern Miss' addition to the league, the Sun Belt now spans 10 contiguous states from West Virginia to Texas. Six members of the league are within 400 miles of Hattiesburg with four less than a 300-mile drive away.
The Lady Eagles are 108-65 all-time against current Sun Belt teams and 41-33 all-time in conference play. Since 2022-23, Southern Miss is 25-18 in Sun Belt Conference games.
Joye Lee-McNelis is the league's longest tenured head coach and is the winningest active head coach in as well.
Leading Her Alma Mater
Joye Lee-McNelis is one of 40 active Division I head coaches currently leading their alma mater in women's basketball. She is one of 26 former women's basketball players currently leading the team she played for as well.
Three's Company
Southern Miss is on pace for a record-setting year beyond the arc. The 2024-25 squad is making an average of 5.94 three-point baskets per game, making them just the second team in the program's history to average more than five three-pointers per game.
Southern Miss' current record average was 5.03 in 2007-08 while Southern Miss made its most three-point baskets in 2014-15 with 178 makes.
As another sign of the Lady Eagles' growth beyond the arc, the Lady Eagles made 10 three-point baskets for the second time this season against South Alabama. Southern Miss first hit the mark at Georgia State earlier this season. The 2024-25 season is the fifth in school history where the Lady Eagles made 10 three-point baskets in two consecutive games and the first since 2007-08.
#BurgBuilt
Fifth-year center Melyia Grayson is one of 45 players in Division I playing her fifth season at the one school. She entered the year already on the 1,000-point club's roster and has a chance to move into the top 10 by the end of the year.
Grayson also has a chance to move up the charts in multiple records. Against App State, Grayson played her 120th career game at Southern Miss and started her 103rd, moving her into the top 10 in both categories.
She is now tied for fifth in games played (124) and ninth in starts (107). She also ranks top 10 in rebounds (fifth), blocks (third), field goal percentage (seventh), field goals made (eighth) and double-doubles (ninth)
30 Piece
Grayson tied her career high of 32 points at ULM on Jan. 9, collecting 14 rebounds en route to her 24th career double-double and third this season.
The game also moved her from 14th on the all-time scoring charts to 13th, passing Tanya Bullock (1990-94). She is just eight points away from tying Wilhelmina Smith (1981-85) for 12th all-time.
The Tampa Two
Former high school teammates Nyla Jean and Morgan Sieper reunited at the Division I level last season in Hattiesburg with Jean transferring from Georgia State and Sieper signing out of H.B. Plant High School in Tampa, Fla.
The two won the 2021 FHSAA Class 7A State Title with the Plant Panthers where Jean was a senior and Sieper a sophomore. The two started together for the first time in their careers together on Dec. 21, 2023, at Florida Gulf Coast and last season's run in the Postseason WNIT was the first postseason action for the two since their 2021 state title run in Tampa.
The duo has scored in double-figures together in three games this season.
New Year, Newcomers
The 2024-25 season saw Southern Miss sign eight newcomers to their squad. Je'Mya Evans (Mississippi Gulf Coast CC) and Samantha Shanks (Connors State) both signed from NJCAA while Bre Sutton transferred from Arkansas State after spending her first two seasons at ULM.
Five freshman – Micah Cooper, Jaime Gallatly, Whitney Hart, Trinity Rowe and Ava Shields – all inked their letters of intent with Southern Miss as well.
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 –
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