Southern Miss women’s basketball is continuing to roll through every team it plays. After getting off to a somewhat slow start, the Lady Eagles used dominant second-half play to blow out Southeastern Louisiana 86–53 on Tuesday night.
The win moves the Lady Eagles to 5–0 under first-year head coach Missy Bilderback, the program’s first 5–0 start since 2023.
The Golden Eagles (5–0) shot 50 percent from the field, outrebounded the Lions 44–32 and saw five players score at least eight points. Southern Miss used a 29-point fourth quarter to put the game away, stretching a 17-point halftime lead into a commanding finish.
“Really proud of our team. I think a really good win,” Bilderback said. “We had several things that we really had hoped to focus on today. One was our rebounding. I thought we were significantly better in that area. Thought we were really good defensively again, other than maybe three to four possessions. Thought we did a pretty good job of pressuring, making them feel uncomfortable and making them take some tough, quick shots.”
Southeastern Louisiana entered having played within eight points of Arkansas last week, but Southern Miss overwhelmed the Lions from start to finish.
Two Lady Eagles — Jakayla Johnson and Sakyia White — recorded double-doubles.
“I think my teammates just making the right decision and finding me inside,” White said. “I think just realizing how undersized they were compared to me made it easy.”
Senior guard Carly Keats powered Southern Miss with a game-high 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting while adding three rebounds and two assists.
“Well, she just encourages us to keep shooting the ball,” Keats said of Bilderback. “Even though you’re missing, it’s good shots. So just keep shooting.”
Southern Miss’ defense set the tone early, holding SLU to 33 percent shooting and just 11 percent from 3-point range. The Lions missed their first six attempts, and although they briefly settled in, they never found a rhythm against a USM defense that forced 14 turnovers.
Southeastern Louisiana (1–4) was led by Natalie Huff’s 16 points, including a perfect 7-for-7 at the free-throw line. Mia Ramos added 10. No other Lion reached double figures, and SLU finished just 20-of-60 from the field and 2-of-18 from beyond the arc.
“I do love this team,” Bilderback said. “I’ve said 100 times I’m confident in all 13 players. They show up every day with such a great approach and work ethic, and they’re just a joy to coach. I think we’re barely scratching the surface of what we can be. I think there’s so much growth that can happen. I’ve seen a lot of growth over the last two weeks, particularly defensively and rebounding.”
The win marks another encouraging early-season step for a Southern Miss team that appears deeper and more dynamic than last year.
Southern Miss returns home Saturday to host Nicholls at 2 p.m.
