It’s been 8,277 days since the late Joye Lee-McNelis wasn’t courtside as the head coach of Southern Miss women’s basketball.
That changed Monday night, when first-year head coach Missy Bilderback led the Lady Eagles onto the court for her debut.
McNelis, who died in June after a long battle with cancer, was honored before the game with a moment of silence and an honorary plaque presented to her family.
Bilderback, a Southern Miss alumna, understands the weight and the spirit that McNelis left on the program — and it was certainly in the air.
“Following Coach Joye is such an honor,” Bilderback said. “She poured her heart into this program, and we just want to carry that legacy forward—with the same heart, the same toughness, and the same love for Southern Miss.”
In Bilderback’s debut, the Lady Eagles defeated Northern Illinois 77-56 behind strong performances from Meloney Thames and Carly Keats.
“I’m just really proud of our team,” Bilderback said. “Anytime you can get a win to open the year, especially against a MAC opponent, you’ve got to be pleased with that. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but we shot it well, took care of the basketball, and got stops when we needed them.”
The Lady Eagles controlled the pace from the start, never trailing in the contest. Jakayla Johnson scored the first points of the season with a layup, and Carly Keats drilled a three pointer to open up a 10-4 lead less than three minutes into the first quarter.
“We wanted to push tempo and get into our rhythm,” Thames said. “Once we got going, we started finding each other, getting good looks, and having fun.”
Thames finished the night with a team high 16 points and two assists.
The defense for the Lady Eagles in the first quarter was stifling. They held the Huskies to just 31% shooting from the floor and forced four turnovers and scored five points off those turnovers.
Sakyia White led Southern Miss with seven points in the first period, followed by Carly Keats with six.
The Huskies found brief footing in the second quarter—shooting 58 percent—but Southern Miss still carried a 39-30 lead into halftime. Bilderback’s group responded out of the locker room with its best defensive stretch of the night, holding NIU without a field goal for the final 6:32 of the third quarter to break the game open.
“That was a stretch where we got six stops on seven possessions,” Bilderback said. “We really challenged them to string together defensive stops, and they answered.”
Keats finished the night shooting 4-12 for 12 points. All four of her field goals came via the three ball.
“She [Bilderback] gives us the green light,” Keats said. “Once we get our tempo going, we find each other and get the right shots.”
The Lady Eagles shot 12-23 from three-point range, which is tied third for most three pointers made in program history.
Thames and Keats both combined for eight of those threes, while Morgan Sieper added three of her own.
By the final horn, the Lady Eagles had out-rebounded the Huskies 44-33 and forced 18 turnovers while shooting 52 percent from three-point range and a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line.
Bilderback praised her bench depth, noting solid minutes from freshman Ramiah Augurson and others who adjusted well despite limited scouting on NIU’s new-look roster.
“It was one of those games where we didn’t have a lot of film,” Bilderback said. “Our players did a great job adjusting in game, which says a lot about their maturity and experience.”
Still, she saw plenty to improve. “We had too many blow-bys in half-court defense,” she said. “We’ll go back and clean that up. Offensively, we got stagnant at times. We’ll dig in and get better every day.”
As for Bilderback, the win became her first of a more than likely storied tenure. In the stands, McNelis’ family stood and clapped as Southern Miss walked off the floor. For a brief moment, it felt like she was still there — courtside, smiling and proud.
But she probably would have not liked the fact that Southern Miss didn’t win by more.
But it’s Bilderback’s time now. A new era has begun, but one thing is for certain: McNelis’s spirit will never leave Reed Green Coliseum.
The Lady Eagles (1-0) will be back in action Friday morning with a 11 AM tip-off against William Carey.
