Southern Miss Women’s Basketball Visits Troy in Sun Belt Showdown
HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Southern Miss women’s basketball travels to Troy, Alabama, on Saturday to face the Trojans at Trojan Arena. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m., with coverage available on the Southern Miss Sports Network and ESPN+.
The Lady Eagles (14-13, 7-8 Sun Belt) are in the midst of a four-game road swing to close the regular season. They previously defeated Troy (22-5, 13-2 Sun Belt) 98-95 in their Jan. 3 meeting at Reed Green Coliseum. The upcoming game marks the second matchup between the teams this season.
Southern Miss is coming off an 83-61 victory Wednesday at Louisiana, their first back-to-back wins since 2026 began. Carly Keats led all scorers with a career-high 26 points, including a program-record eight three-pointers. Keats also contributed 11.3 points per game on average and is close to breaking the single-season three-point record.
Keats’s teammates Jakayla Johnson, Meloney Thames, and Hayleigh Breland also average double figures, with Johnson leading the team at 14.9 points per game. Keats has added 2.4 assists per game and is key beyond the arc for the Lady Eagles.
Troy enters the game with a 22-5 overall record and a 13-2 mark in Sun Belt play, tied for first in the conference. The Trojans recently beat South Alabama 84-73, extending their winning streak to seven games. They are highly proficient at home, with only one loss at Trojan Arena this season and a 24-3 record over the past two seasons at home.
Head coach Chanda Rigby became the program’s all-time leader in wins last week, now holding a 277-162 record in 14 seasons. Troy leads the Sun Belt in scoring (83.4 points per game), rebounding (50.07 per game), and assists (16.0). Fortuna Ngnawo averages 15.2 points and is among five Trojans with double-figure scoring, while Ngnawo and Zay Dyer also average double-doubles, leading the conference in rebounding.
The first meeting this season was a high-scoring affair, with Southern Miss winning 98-95. Johnson scored 30 points, helping the Lady Eagles secure the series advantage at 7-3 all-time. The game featured Southern Miss shooting 50.7% and hitting 11 three-pointers.
Fans are encouraged to support Southern Miss women’s basketball by purchasing season tickets for $75 at smttt.info/WBBTix. Follow the team on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for updates, or visit SouthernMiss.com for schedules and news.
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