HATTIESBURG, Miss. — The Southern Miss women’s basketball team travels to Lafayette, Louisiana, to face Louisiana in Sun Belt Conference action Wednesday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Cajundome, with coverage on ESPN+ and the Southern Miss Sports Network, according to university officials.
The Lady Eagles (13-13, 6-8 Sun Belt) enter the game after defeating Texas State 86-77. The victory ended a three-game losing streak and moved Southern Miss into a tie for sixth place in the conference standings, just half a game behind Texas State.
Jakayla Johnson led Southern Miss with 27 points, while Meloney Thames and Brikayla Gray added 20 and 14 points, respectively. The Lady Eagles forced 21 turnovers against Texas State and finished with a plus-11 turnover margin. Johnson averages 15 points per game, ranking second in the Sun Belt, and is one of four players averaging double figures for Southern Miss.
Louisiana (4-22, 2-13 Sun Belt) returns home after playing five of its last six games away from the Cajundome. The Ragin’ Cajuns recently snapped a five-game losing streak with a 57-54 win over South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama, as per team reports.
Garry Brodhead, in his 14th year as head coach, holds a 215-181 record at Louisiana. His team is led by Mikaylah Manley, who averages 12.8 points in 26 games. Imani Daniel and Amijah Price also average double figures, with 11.7 and 11.0 points per game, respectively. Daniel leads with 5.7 rebounds per game, and Bianca Silva has a team-high 77 assists and 48 steals.
Louisiana averages 57.3 points per game, the lowest in the Sun Belt, but allows 73.3 points, a better defensive mark than Southern Miss’s 74.2 points allowed per game. The all-time series favors Southern Miss 18-5, with the Lady Eagles winning the last meeting in Lafayette on Feb. 24, 2023. Louisiana has won the last two contests in Lafayette.
Southern Miss continues its road stretch before heading to the Sun Belt Tournament in Pensacola, Florida. Fans are encouraged to follow the team on social media and visit the university’s website for updates and full game coverage.
