Southern Miss Women’s Basketball Prepares for 2026 Sun Belt Tournament in Pensacola

Southern Miss women’s basketball will compete in the third round of the 2026 Sun Belt Conference Tournament at the Pensacola Bay Center on March 5. The Lady Eagles, seeded seventh, will face the tenth seed, ULM, at 2 p.m., with broadcasts available on the Southern Miss Sports Network and ESPN+.

Southern Miss enters the tournament with a 15-15 record and an 8-10 mark in conference play. The team is led by Jakayla Johnson, who averaged 15.3 points per game and earned All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team honors. Johnson has been recognized in all three of her seasons in the Sun Belt.

Missy Bilderback, in her first year as head coach, aims to become the second first-year coach to win a Sun Belt tournament game, following Rick Reeves’ 1999 run with C-USA. Since joining the Sun Belt in 2022-23, Southern Miss has a 2-3 record in conference tournaments overall and a 43-44 record in league play.

Four active Lady Eagles average double figures, with Johnson leading the group. Meloney Thames (13.2), Hayleigh Breland (11.8), and Carly Keats (10.2) also contribute significantly. Several players have previous tournament experience, including Johnson, Brikayla Gray, and Morgan Sieper, who have each played three games in the Sun Belt Tournament.

As the seventh seed, Southern Miss received a double-bye to the third round and must win five straight games to claim the tournament title. A victory over ULM would advance the Lady Eagles to the fourth round to face Old Dominion, a team they have already met this season.

Fans can follow the team on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for updates, or visit SouthernMiss.com and download the Southern Miss GameDay app for schedules and information.

Source: Original Article