Southern Miss Opens Season With 85-59 Win Over Mississippi Christian

Southern Miss opened its 2026-27 women’s basketball season with an 85-59 victory over Mississippi Christian on Education Day at Reed Green Coliseum in Hattiesburg.

The Lady Eagles built an early lead behind Whitney Hart, who scored six of the team’s first eight points. Kylie Marshall added five points during a 7-0 run that pushed the margin to 16-5, and Southern Miss led 22-13 after the first quarter.

Southern Miss then scored 15 consecutive points to start the second quarter, extending its advantage to 37-15. Hayleigh Breland made two 3-pointers during the period, and Chrysta Narcisse added another from beyond the arc. The Lady Eagles took a 51-32 lead into halftime.

Breland had 12 points at the break, while Narcisse had 10 points and seven rebounds. Southern Miss collected 31 first-half rebounds, according to the team’s account.

After Mississippi Christian trimmed the lead during the third quarter, a 3-pointer by Mariah Clayton made it 63-38. Southern Miss led 68-45 entering the fourth. The Lady Eagles opened the final quarter with a 4-0 burst and later scored seven straight, with Nakiyah Allen contributing four points. Meg Barbour’s 3-pointer supplied Southern Miss’ final basket.

Breland finished with a game-high 14 points. Marshall scored 12, while Narcisse and Ramiah Augurson each had 10. Narcisse added 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the season; Hart and Jada Gay also grabbed 10 rebounds apiece.

Southern Miss is scheduled to play at Auburn on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 6 p.m. in Neville Arena. The game is one of the Lady Eagles’ two scheduled matchups against Southeastern Conference opponents this season.

Source: Original Article