Southern Miss women beat Jackson State 73-60

Southern Miss defeated Jackson State 73-60 Thursday at Reed Green Coliseum in Hattiesburg, using 3-point shooting and defensive pressure to build a halftime lead and withstand a third-quarter surge.

The Lady Eagles opened with a 10-2 advantage after Kylie Marshall hit two 3-pointers, but Jackson State rallied to take a 17-16 lead. Whitney Hart’s layup late in the first quarter put Southern Miss back in front, 18-17.

Southern Miss made its first four baskets of the second quarter from beyond the arc. Hayliegh Breland hit two 3-pointers, while Moonie Augurson and Marshall added one apiece to help push the lead to 30-21. After Jackson State cut the margin to five, Southern Miss closed the half with a 7-0 run and led 39-27.

The Tigers scored the first eight points after halftime, but Chrysta Narcisse ended the run. Southern Miss responded with an 8-0 burst to restore a double-digit lead, then added a 6-0 run to take a 58-44 advantage into the fourth quarter.

Jackson State traded baskets with the Lady Eagles early in the final period. Marshall and Breland then hit consecutive 3-pointers to extend Southern Miss’ lead to 73-58. Breland’s shot with 2:49 remaining was the team’s final basket, and the Lady Eagles held Jackson State to one basket over the final three minutes.

Breland led Southern Miss with 17 points on 5-for-9 shooting, including 3-for-5 from 3-point range, and recorded a team-high seven assists. Marshall scored 16 points and made four of seven 3-point attempts. Jada Gay added 11 points, and Mariah Clayton had 10 points and a team-high six rebounds.

Southern Miss was scheduled to host Jacksonville State on Monday, Nov. 16, at 6 p.m., according to the team’s announcement.

Source: Original Article