Women’s Basketball’s Comeback Effort Falls Short Against Marshall

Thursday, January 22

Reed Green Coliseum

5 p.m.

Southern Miss

11-8,4-4Sun Belt

Marshall

16-5,7-2Sun Belt

Marshall

Southern Miss.

Women’s Basketball’s Comeback Effort Falls Short Against Marshall

1/22/2026 9:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Media Center

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss women's basketball fell 61-52 to Marshall (16-5, 7-2 Sun Belt) on Thursday evening at Reed Green Coliseum after trailing by as many as 26 points in the third quarter. The Lady Eagles (11-8, 4-4 Sun Belt) outscored the Herd 35-30 in the second half and came within five points of the lead with a minute left to play.

Meloney Thames (Philadelphia, Miss.) led all scorers with 17 points after scoring 11 in the second half. She led a group of three Lady Eagles in double-figures with Jakayla Johnson (Clinton, Miss.) adding on 13 and Hayleigh Breland (Wiggins, Miss.) chipping in 12.

Whitney Hart (Baton Rouge, La.) led the Lady Eagles with 14 total rebounds as the game's only player with double-figure boards. Meredith Maier led the Herd with 14 points as one of three double-figure scorers for the visitors.

Marshall took the lead early with the first points of the game with Southern Miss not able to grab its first point of the night until the 7:34 mark at the free throw line. On the next possession, Thames grabbed a steal and finished off a layup to give Southern Miss its first advantage, 3-2. The Lady Eagles led 6-4 at the first quarter's media timeout and moved that lead to 8-4 after a pair of Brikayla Gray (Hebron, Miss.) free throws.

Out of the timeout, Marshall caught fire. The Herd hit a three to bring the game within one and start a 15-0 run. MU took the final lead change of the day with 3:32 left in the opening quarter and did not relinquish it. Southern Miss did not score for the remainder of the first quarter and trailed 18-7 at the end of the first quarter after a 13-0 Marshall run.

Marshall scored another basket in the second quarter to reach 15 unanswered and lead 19-18. Thames snapped the run with a basket at the 6:53 mark in the second quarter giving Southern Miss its first field goal in almost 10 minutes. The Lady Eagles shot 0-of-9 from the floor and committed five turnovers in that span.

The visiting Herd mounted another 8-0 run later in the frame to take a 14-point lead into halftime up 31-17. Southern Miss' 17 first half points are the fewest by the Lady Eagles since scoring seven points at Ole Miss on Nov. 16, 2022.

Johnson scored first in the third quarter, but Marshall slowly but surely expanded its lead. The Herd led 45-19 halfway through the third quarter for their largest margin of the day thanks to another 12-0 run.

Southern Miss began to take control of the game from then on, outscoring the Herd 12-3 during the remainder of the third quarter to cut the deficit to 17 points entering the fourth quarter. Johnson scored nine in the third quarter along to keep Southern Miss in striking distance. The Lady Eagles entered the final frame down 48-31 but momentum was on their side.

Southern Miss started the quarter with an 11-0 run, cutting to within eight points with 5:40 to play after a Breland three-pointer. Marshall's Peyton Ilderton snapped the streak and put the score back to double-digits in favor of the Herd. Southern Miss trailed 55-44 at the final media break of the game.

Johnson cut the game to nine with a basket through traffic before Thames scored two baskets to make it a five-point game with 1:08 to play. The Herd, however, were able to hit six of their eight free throw chances and keep the Lady Eagles out of the basket for the rest of the game.

Up Next
Southern Miss stays home to take on Coastal Carolina on Saturday, Jan. 24, with tipoff now set for Noon at Reed Green Coliseum. Tickets are available at SouthernMiss.com/Tickets as Southern Miss celebrates Lady Eagle Alumni Day and promotes Lung Cancer Awareness.

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