Southern Miss Women’s Basketball Beats Texas State on Senior Day

HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Jakayla Johnson scored 24 points in the second half to help Southern Miss defeat Texas State 86-77 Saturday at Reed Green Coliseum. Johnson finished with 27 points, leading all scorers, and was one of three Lady Eagles with double figures.

The Lady Eagles snapped a three-game losing streak and earned their first home victory since Jan. 3. They also completed a regular-season sweep of Texas State, improving to 6-8 in Sun Belt play.

Johnson’s 17 free throws are the second-most in school history, and her 20 free throw attempts tied for the most ever in a game at Southern Miss. Her performance helped the Lady Eagles overcome the Bobcats’ 50.8% shooting effort, as they forced 21 turnovers and shot a season-high 31-for-40 from the free-throw line.

Meloney Thames scored 20 points, and Hayleigh Breland added 14 for Southern Miss. Breland opened the scoring with a three-pointer, and the Lady Eagles led by as many as 12 points in the third quarter. Texas State rallied to cut the lead to two late in the game, but Southern Miss held firm at the free-throw line to secure the victory.

Texas State was led by Saniya Burks, who scored 22 points. The Bobcats finished with a 36-point effort off field goals, but Southern Miss’s free-throw shooting in the second half helped maintain their lead. The Lady Eagles will now hit the road for four straight games to end the regular season, starting Wednesday at Louisiana.

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