Southern Miss will host James Madison in a Sun Belt Conference women’s basketball game as part of its annual National Women and Girls in Sports Day celebration. The matchup is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Hattiesburg, with coverage available on ESPN+ and the Southern Miss Sports Network.
The Lady Eagles, currently holding a 12-10 overall record and 5-6 in conference play, return home after ending a four-game losing streak. They secured an overtime victory against Old Dominion, overcoming a 17-point deficit during the game. Jakayla Johnson led all scorers with 30 points, including converting 14 of her 16 free throw attempts. This performance marked the first time since February 2014 that three Southern Miss players each scored at least 20 points in one game.
Johnson leads Southern Miss this season with an average of 14.3 points per game. Hayleigh Breland and Carly Keats contributed 21 and 20 points respectively in the previous contest, while Meloney Thames also averages double figures for the team.
Whitney Hart leads active players on the team with an average of 5.1 rebounds per game. Keats has tallied a team-high of 58 assists so far this season.
Southern Miss is seeking its first win over James Madison in program history. The Dukes arrive with a record of 16-8 overall and are currently ranked at 8-4 within Sun Belt play. Last week, James Madison won games against Louisiana and South Alabama, marking five wins out of their last six matchups after starting conference play at three wins and three losses.
Peyton McDaniel leads James Madison with an average of 18.3 points per game. Ashanti Barnes contributes both scoring (14.5 points per game) and rebounding (9.3 per game), while Bree Robinson adds another double-digit scoring presence along with leading the team in blocks.
James Madison has maintained consistency by using the same starting lineup throughout all games this season: McDaniel, Barnes, Robinson, Zakiya Stephenson—who leads the team with 102 assists—and Grace McDonough.
Sean O’Regan serves as head coach for his tenth year at James Madison, holding a record of 226-89 during his tenure.
Fans can support Southern Miss women’s basketball by purchasing season tickets online through smttt.info/WBBTix for $75 each.
