Southern Miss Stumbles Against UAB in Cancun Challenge

Thursday, November 27

Puerto Aventuras, Mexico / Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya

5:30 p.m. CT (6:30 p.m. ET)

Southern Miss

6-1,0-0Sun Belt

UAB

3-3,0-0American

Southern Miss.

UAB

Sakyia White attacks the basket against Southeastern

Southern Miss Stumbles Against UAB in Cancun Challenge

11/27/2025 10:07:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Game Book

PUERTO AVENTURAS, Mexico – Southern Miss women's basketball suffered its first loss of the 2025-26 season in a 77-72 defeat to UAB on Thursday evening in game four of the Cancun Challenge. The Lady Eagles were able to pull within three late, but were not able to overcome a 20-point deficit early in the third quarter.

Jakayla Johnson (Clinton, Miss.) led Southern Miss (6-1) with 17 points despite going scoreless from the floor in the first half of play. UAB's (3-3) Eleecia Carter led all scorers with 21 points and five three-point baskets as one of four Blazers in double-figures.

Southern Miss got off to a hot start with Sakyia White (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) scoring the game's first six points before UAB burned a timeout at the 8:55 mark in the first quarter. The Blazers were able to score on back-to-back possessions out of the timeout before Carly Keats (Philadelphia, Miss.) hit a three-pointer to extend Southern Miss' lead.

However, the Blazers were finally able to take the lead with 3:47 left in the frame thanks to a Carter three-point basket. Whitney Hart (Baton Rouge, La.) tied things up on the next possession but Carter again struck from three to give UAB the lead for good. The Blazers led by eight points at the end of the first quarter thanks to Carter's 11 first quarter points and three three-pointers.

UAB's onslaught continued as the Blazers raced an 18-point lead with 3:22 left in the first half, holding Southern Miss to just four baskets on 17 attempts in the second quarter. In the first half, Southern Miss shot just 30.6 percent (11-of-36) and a paltry 2-of-16 (12.5 percent) from three-point range. UAB, on the other hand, held a 48.6 percent (17-of-35) mark with eight made three-pointers on 18 attempts.

Southern Miss committed just six first half turnovers, but the Blazers were able to score 14 points off of turnovers to swing the game in their favor. Southern Miss faced a 16-point deficit heading into the half, trailing 44-28.

Coming out of the locker room, the Lady Eagles faced a tall task that eventually got taller as Carter sank a transition bucket to give UAB a 52-32 lead, their largest margin of the day. Southern Miss was able to cut the deficit in half by the end of the third quarter but Carter once again drilled a three-point baskets to push the lead to 13. Heading into the fourth, Southern Miss had cut the UAB lead to 11 points in a 57-46 total.

With each blow Southern Miss landed, UAB responded in kind, keeping the lead in double digits until 1:55 left in the game when Meloney Thames (Philadelphia, Miss.) found the basket to cut the score to 68-59. Johnson drilled a three with a minute left to cut things to within four, but the Lady Eagles had already put the Blazers in the bonus.

The margin hovered between three and seven points, but UAB was able to close out the game to the tune of the 77-72 final score, handing Southern Miss its first loss of the Bilderback era.

Southern Miss finished with a 40.0 percent (28-of-70) field goal percentage and a 7-of-27 (25.9 percent) line at the arc. UAB cooled off in the second half, but still shot an impressive 43.9 percent (29-of-66) overall with half their attempts coming behind the line with 11 total threes. The Lady Eagles did win the rebounding battle 46-36 but were unable to overcome UAB's early offensive outburst.

Up Next
Southern Miss closes out its time in the Cancun Challenge tomorrow against No. 25/24 North Carolina State. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. CT (4 p.m. ET) with broadcasts on FloCollege and on the Southern Miss Sports Network. The Lady Eagle Basketball Courtside Show begins at 2:30 p.m. CT while FloCollege's stream is set to air at 3 p.m.

Cancun Challenge Schedule & Results
Game 1 – No. 12 North Carolina def. (RV) South Dakota State, 83-48
Game 2 – Kansas State def. Columbia, 95-92
Game 3 – No. 25 North Carolina State def. Green Bay, 79-67
Game 4 – UAB def. Southern Miss, 77-72
Game 5 – No. 8 TCU def. (RV) Richmond, 68-52

Game 6 – No. 12 North Carolina vs. Kansas State, 10 a.m. CT
Game 7 – Columbia vs. (RV) South Dakota State, 12:30 p.m. CT
Game 8 – Southern Miss vs. No. 25 North Carolina State, 3 p.m. CT
Game 9 – No. 8 TCU vs. UAB, 5:30 p.m. CT
Game 10 – (RV) Richmond vs. Green Bay, 8 p.m. CT

Game 11 – Kansas State vs. (RV) South Dakota State, 10 a.m. CT
Game 12 – Columbia vs. No. 12 North Carolina, 12:30 p.m. CT

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