Arkansas State beats Southern Miss 81-71 in women’s basketball

JONESBORO, Ark. — Southern Miss women’s basketball fell to Arkansas State 81-71 Saturday afternoon at First National Bank Arena. The Lady Eagles, now 11-7 overall and 4-3 in Sun Belt play, placed four starters in double figures but committed 26 turnovers that the Red Wolves converted into 29 points.

Redshirt freshman Whitney Hart led Southern Miss with 17 points and 14 rebounds for her first career double-double in her second start. Meloney Thames also scored 17 points. Zyion Shannon led Arkansas State with 26 points and was one of three players in double figures for the Red Wolves.

The game was tightly contested early, with Arkansas State scoring first but the Lady Eagles responding with a 10-0 run sparked by Hart. Despite leading 20-16 after the first quarter, Southern Miss struggled offensively in the second, being held without a basket for over three minutes. Arkansas State took a 36-32 lead into halftime, with Shannon tallying 14 points at the break.

In the third quarter, Jakayla Johnson scored 12 points, helping the Lady Eagles cut the lead to two at 36-34. Arkansas State responded with a 9-0 run, pushing the score to 45-36. The teams traded points throughout the period, and the Red Wolves entered the final quarter with a 64-54 advantage.

Southern Miss made a rally in the fourth, with Johnson scoring six straight points to bring the team within two. Thames also contributed, bringing the Lady Eagles within three with 3:23 remaining. However, Shannon made seven of eight free throws down the stretch to seal the victory for Arkansas State.

Shannon finished with 26 points, and Breland added 15 for Arkansas State. The Red Wolves scored 29 points off 26 turnovers, while Southern Miss converted 18 points from 16 turnovers. The Lady Eagles will return home Thursday to face Marshall at Reed Green Coliseum.

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