Trojan Arena in Troy, Alabama, hosted Southern Miss on Saturday, where the Golden Eagles (14-14, 7-9 Sun Belt) lost to the Trojans (23-5, 14-2 Sun Belt) by a final score of 97-80. Troy maintained the lead throughout the game, despite the Lady Eagles tying the score four times early in the first quarter, according to the game summary.
Meloney Thames led Southern Miss with 24 points, shooting 8-of-20 from the floor, including four three-pointers. Four Lady Eagles finished in double figures. Jakayla Johnson added 16 points, while Whitney Hart and Brikayla Gray scored 12 and 10 points, respectively, for the Lady Eagles.
Zay Dyer led Troy with a 21-point, 20-rebound double-double in her final game at Trojan Arena. The Trojans grabbed 62 rebounds, the most allowed by a Lady Eagle opponent this season. Fortuna Ngnawo scored the first points of the game with a three-pointer, and Troy took an early lead that they never relinquished.
The Trojans extended their lead to as much as 24 points late in the second quarter, but Southern Miss closed the gap with back-to-back three-pointers from Thames. The Lady Eagles finished the game shooting 25-of-76 overall and 23-of-27 from the free-throw line, while Troy made 40-of-85 shots. Troy also committed 12 turnovers compared to eight by Southern Miss.
Southern Miss is scheduled to conclude its road trip Wednesday at South Alabama, with tipoff set for 5 p.m. at the Mitchell Center in Mobile, Alabama.
