Wednesday, February 12
Jonesboro, Ark. / First National Bank Arena
5 p.m.
Southern Miss
at
Arkansas State
Photo by: Joe Harper/bgnphoto.com
Southern Miss Begins Road Trip with Tuesday Night Tip at Arkansas State
2/11/2025 5:50:00 PM | Women's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss women's basketball begins a four-game road swing with a trip to Northeast Arkansas to take on Arkansas State on Tuesday night at First National Bank Arena. Tipoff between the Lady Eagles and Red Wolves is slated for 5 p.m. with broadcasts on ESPN+ and the Southern Miss Sports Network.
Southern Miss (9-15, 4-8 Sun Belt) collected its first win of the month over Ohio on Feb. 8 but still looks to snap a two-game skid in Sun Belt play. The Lady Eagles also look to start their first road winning streak on the year as they leave Reed Green Coliseum for the first time in three weeks.
Arkansas State (15-8, 11-1 Sun Belt) has shocked the Sun Belt with their first double-digit league win total since 2017-18 and most Sun Belt wins – so far – since a 19-1 performance in 2015-16. The Red Wolves are just one game out of first place in the Sun Belt title race with six games left to play.
The Lady Eagle Courtside Show begins at 4:30 p.m. with the Voice of the Lady Eagles, Jason Baker, taking a trip inside the Lady Eagle locker room to preview the game. ESPN+ in-app coverage begins at 5 p.m. with a broadcast produced by Arkansas State.
Game 25 // Southern Miss (9-15, 4-8 Sun Belt) at Arkansas State (15-8, 11-1 Sun Belt)
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
TV: ESPN+ // Commentators TBD
Radio: Southern Miss Sports Network (92.7 FM) // Jason Baker (PxP)
First National Bank Arena (10,563) // Jonesboro, Ark.
About the Red Wolves
Arkansas State currently owns the second-best league record in the Sun Belt Conference with an 11-1 ledger so far. The Red Wolves are just one game out of first place in the conference, trailing 12-0 James Madison, though the two do not meet this year.
The Red Wolves were picked to finish 13th in the Sun Belt Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, ahead of South Alabama by just 25 votes. Head coach Destinee Rogers returned just three letterwinners from last year's 13-win squad. The current Red Wolf outfit has already surpassed last year's win total by two with six regular season wins left in the year.
Just one Red Wolf, Zyion Shannon, averages more than 10 points per game with a 10.9 per game average. However, a total of eight Red Wolves average at least six points per game with six averaging seven or more and four with averages of eight points per game or better.
The Red Wolves' secret this year has been its three-point prowess, hitting the second-most three-point baskets per game in the nation – 10.6 per game. They lead the Sun Belt handily and have made at least 10 three-point buckets in 13 different games.
Most impressive, the Red Wolves did not lose in the month of January, finishing a perfect 9-0 to push their record further. Their 11-game winning streak was snapped in their last game after losing 75-73 to Bowling Green in Jonesboro as part of the MAC-SBC Challenge.
The Arkansas State Series
Southern Miss leads the all-time series 7-2 and holds a five-game win streak over the Red Wolves since joining the Sun Belt Conference for the 2022-23 season. The Lady Eagles are 4-0 all-time in conference play against Arkansas State and 1-0 at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
Against Arkansas Teams
Southern Miss has played 27 total games against Arkansas teams with 21 of those game played against Arkansas State and Little Rock. The Lady Eagles have played 12 games against Little Rock (5-7) and nine games against Arkansas State (7-2).
When playing in the state of Arkansas, Southern Miss is 4-7 overall and 2-0 in Sun Belt Conference play.
History in the Making
Melyia Grayson continues to etch her name in the Lady Eagle record books and made her way into the most prestigious group against Troy on Feb. 1. Her first basket of the game tied her with Joye Lee-McNelis, placing her in the top 10 in all-time points scored.
She is currently one point behind Kendra Reed (2005-09), who currently owns ninth place on the all-time charts.
Here is a list of Grayson's peers in this illustrious group of Lady Eagles:
Place Player Career Games Points
1 Janice Felder 1990-94 117 2,275
2 Portland McCaskill 1981-85 112 2,130
3 Jamierra Faulkner 2010-14 124 2,056
4 Patricia Nash 1992-96 118 1,875
5 Nancy Faulk 1977-81 103 1,696
6 Domonique Davis 2021-24 92 1,624
7 Nedra Hosey 1993-97 118 1,616
8 Pauline Love 2007-10 95 1,576
9 Kendra Reed 2005-09 126 1,537
10 Melyia Grayson 2020-25 130 1,536
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 110-68 all-time against current Sun Belt teams and 43-36 all-time in conference play. Since 2022-23, Southern Miss is 27-21 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 one of the program's best years behind the arc. The 2024-25 squad is making an average of 5.83 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.
Against Texas State, she became the 11th player in program history to score at least 1,500 points as a Lady Eagle.
Grayson also has a chance to move up the charts in multiple categories. 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 third in games played (130) and tied-eighth in starts (113). She also ranks top 10 in rebounds (fifth), blocks (third), field goal percentage (seventh), field goals made (seventh) and double-doubles (tied-seventh).
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 four 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.
Welcome Back Bre
Bre Sutton made her return to the floor on Sunday, Jan. 26, at Marshall. The senior guard from New Orleans, La., left the Jan. 2 game against Old Dominion with an injury after just 3:50 on the court. Sutton had started in all 13 games for the Lady Eagles up to that point but missed the next six.
She played 10:41 off the bench at Marshall and, though she did not find the net, collected two rebounds in return to play. Against Texas State, she returned to the starting lineup to make her 14th start this season.
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.
Southern Miss (9-15, 4-8 Sun Belt) collected its first win of the month over Ohio on Feb. 8 but still looks to snap a two-game skid in Sun Belt play. The Lady Eagles also look to start their first road winning streak on the year as they leave Reed Green Coliseum for the first time in three weeks.
Arkansas State (15-8, 11-1 Sun Belt) has shocked the Sun Belt with their first double-digit league win total since 2017-18 and most Sun Belt wins – so far – since a 19-1 performance in 2015-16. The Red Wolves are just one game out of first place in the Sun Belt title race with six games left to play.
The Lady Eagle Courtside Show begins at 4:30 p.m. with the Voice of the Lady Eagles, Jason Baker, taking a trip inside the Lady Eagle locker room to preview the game. ESPN+ in-app coverage begins at 5 p.m. with a broadcast produced by Arkansas State.
Game 25 // Southern Miss (9-15, 4-8 Sun Belt) at Arkansas State (15-8, 11-1 Sun Belt)
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
TV: ESPN+ // Commentators TBD
Radio: Southern Miss Sports Network (92.7 FM) // Jason Baker (PxP)
First National Bank Arena (10,563) // Jonesboro, Ark.
About the Red Wolves
Arkansas State currently owns the second-best league record in the Sun Belt Conference with an 11-1 ledger so far. The Red Wolves are just one game out of first place in the conference, trailing 12-0 James Madison, though the two do not meet this year.
The Red Wolves were picked to finish 13th in the Sun Belt Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, ahead of South Alabama by just 25 votes. Head coach Destinee Rogers returned just three letterwinners from last year's 13-win squad. The current Red Wolf outfit has already surpassed last year's win total by two with six regular season wins left in the year.
Just one Red Wolf, Zyion Shannon, averages more than 10 points per game with a 10.9 per game average. However, a total of eight Red Wolves average at least six points per game with six averaging seven or more and four with averages of eight points per game or better.
The Red Wolves' secret this year has been its three-point prowess, hitting the second-most three-point baskets per game in the nation – 10.6 per game. They lead the Sun Belt handily and have made at least 10 three-point buckets in 13 different games.
Most impressive, the Red Wolves did not lose in the month of January, finishing a perfect 9-0 to push their record further. Their 11-game winning streak was snapped in their last game after losing 75-73 to Bowling Green in Jonesboro as part of the MAC-SBC Challenge.
The Arkansas State Series
Southern Miss leads the all-time series 7-2 and holds a five-game win streak over the Red Wolves since joining the Sun Belt Conference for the 2022-23 season. The Lady Eagles are 4-0 all-time in conference play against Arkansas State and 1-0 at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
Against Arkansas Teams
Southern Miss has played 27 total games against Arkansas teams with 21 of those game played against Arkansas State and Little Rock. The Lady Eagles have played 12 games against Little Rock (5-7) and nine games against Arkansas State (7-2).
When playing in the state of Arkansas, Southern Miss is 4-7 overall and 2-0 in Sun Belt Conference play.
History in the Making
Melyia Grayson continues to etch her name in the Lady Eagle record books and made her way into the most prestigious group against Troy on Feb. 1. Her first basket of the game tied her with Joye Lee-McNelis, placing her in the top 10 in all-time points scored.
She is currently one point behind Kendra Reed (2005-09), who currently owns ninth place on the all-time charts.
Here is a list of Grayson's peers in this illustrious group of Lady Eagles:
Place Player Career Games Points
1 Janice Felder 1990-94 117 2,275
2 Portland McCaskill 1981-85 112 2,130
3 Jamierra Faulkner 2010-14 124 2,056
4 Patricia Nash 1992-96 118 1,875
5 Nancy Faulk 1977-81 103 1,696
6 Domonique Davis 2021-24 92 1,624
7 Nedra Hosey 1993-97 118 1,616
8 Pauline Love 2007-10 95 1,576
9 Kendra Reed 2005-09 126 1,537
10 Melyia Grayson 2020-25 130 1,536
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 110-68 all-time against current Sun Belt teams and 43-36 all-time in conference play. Since 2022-23, Southern Miss is 27-21 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 one of the program's best years behind the arc. The 2024-25 squad is making an average of 5.83 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.
Against Texas State, she became the 11th player in program history to score at least 1,500 points as a Lady Eagle.
Grayson also has a chance to move up the charts in multiple categories. 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 third in games played (130) and tied-eighth in starts (113). She also ranks top 10 in rebounds (fifth), blocks (third), field goal percentage (seventh), field goals made (seventh) and double-doubles (tied-seventh).
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 four 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.
Welcome Back Bre
Bre Sutton made her return to the floor on Sunday, Jan. 26, at Marshall. The senior guard from New Orleans, La., left the Jan. 2 game against Old Dominion with an injury after just 3:50 on the court. Sutton had started in all 13 games for the Lady Eagles up to that point but missed the next six.
She played 10:41 off the bench at Marshall and, though she did not find the net, collected two rebounds in return to play. Against Texas State, she returned to the starting lineup to make her 14th start this season.
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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