ULM beats Southern Miss in Sun Belt tournament, 89-72

PELACOLA, Fla. — Southern Miss women’s basketball saw its season end Thursday with an 89-72 loss to ULM in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament at Pensacola Bay Center, according to the university.

The Lady Eagles finished with a 15-16 record overall and an 8-10 mark in conference play. ULM improved to 16-15 overall and 7-11 in the Sun Belt.

Jakayla Johnson led all scorers with 25 points for Southern Miss, but her efforts were not enough to offset ULM’s balanced scoring attack, which featured seven players in double figures. Meloney Thames added 14 points, while Brikayla Gray and Johnson each grabbed six rebounds.

Southern Miss opened the game strongly, with Whitney Hart scoring early and the team taking a 19-12 lead after the first quarter. Johnson, who missed much of the first quarter due to injury evaluation, returned in the second and scored back-to-back threes, helping the Lady Eagles build an 11-point lead. The teams traded leads before ULM closed the half with a buzzer-beating three-pointer to lead 41-40 at halftime.

In the second half, ULM took control. The Warhawks opened the third quarter with a run and led by as many as 14 points in the final period. ULM’s aggressive defense and offensive rebounding, including 19 offensive boards, helped secure the victory. J’Mani Ingram led ULM with 17 points, while Marissa Gasaway posted a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds.

This game marked the end of Southern Miss’s season under first-year coach Missy Bilderback, who guided the team to its best debut season in 27 years with a 15-16 record.

Follow the Lady Eagles on social media for updates and visit SouthernMiss.com for more information.

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