Southern Miss Women’s Basketball Hosts James Madison for National Women and Girls in Sports Day
HATTIESBURG, Miss. — The University of Southern Mississippi women’s basketball team hosts James Madison on Wednesday night for a Sun Belt Conference game, coinciding with the school’s annual celebration of National Women and Girls in Sports Day. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Reed Green Coliseum, with broadcasts available on ESPN+ and the Southern Miss Sports Network, according to school officials.
Southern Miss (12-10, 5-6 Sun Belt) is returning home after a weather-shortened trip along the East Coast. The Lady Eagles snapped a four-game losing streak Friday with an 86-83 overtime win over Old Dominion. Trailing by as many as 17 points in the third quarter, Southern Miss mounted a comeback, with Jakayla Johnson leading all scorers with 30 points. Johnson shot 14-for-16 at the free throw line during the game.
Johnson, a Clinton, Mississippi, native, was one of three Lady Eagles to score at least 20 points, marking the first time since 2014 that Southern Miss had three 20-point scorers in a game. Hayleigh Breland and Carly Keats added 21 and 20 points, respectively. Breland averages 12.8 points per game, while Keats scores 11.7. Meloney Thames, with 11.8 points per game, is also a double-figure scorer for the team.
Southern Miss aims to secure its first-ever victory over James Madison (16-8, 8-4 Sun Belt). The Dukes, winners of five of their last six games, defeated Louisiana and South Alabama last week. Peyton McDaniel leads JMU with 18.3 points per game, followed by Ashanti Barnes at 14.5 and Bree Robinson at 11.3. Barnes also leads the team with 9.3 rebounds per game.
The Dukes have started the same five players in all 24 games this season, including McDaniel, Barnes, Robinson, Zakiya Stephenson, and Grace McDonough. Stephenson has 102 assists, and Robinson leads with 52 blocks. Head coach Sean O’Regan, in his 10th season, has compiled a 226-89 record with JMU since returning as head coach in 2014, after serving as an assistant since 2007.
Supporters can purchase season tickets for $75 at smttt.info/WBBTix and follow the Lady Eagles on social media for updates. The game also honors women student-athletes, coaches, and staff as part of the national celebration.
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