The last time the Southern Miss women’s basketball program reached the NCAA tournament was back in the 1995-1996 season.
Returning the Lady Eagles to the postseason tournament has been head coach Joye Lee-McNelis’ only goal since she returned to coach her alma mater. It’s a feat that she achieved four times during her 13-year coaching stint at Memphis.
Southern Miss’ 6-0 start is it's best start since the 2007-08 season, which sets up an interesting matchup this coming Saturday against No. 19 Ole Miss.
If the Lady Eagles were to defeat Ole Miss, it would be McNelis’ first Top 25 win since taking over the program.
A big reason for the team’s success is the amount of experience Southern Miss returned. The Lady Eagles brought back their top four returning scorers from last season, including Sun Belt Preseason Player of the Year Domonique Davis.
Davis has picked up where she left off, as she is averaging 19 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, while Hattiesburg High alum Melyia Grayson has put up 11 points and six rebounds per game.
Yet last year, Southern Miss had just two other players averaging eight or more points, which were Lani Cornfield and Jacorriah Bracey.
Both Cornfield and Bracey are over that mark again, but now USM has two more players over that figure with the return of Brikayla Gray, who missed last season. True freshman Morgan Sieper is also over the mark, as she has emerged in the longtime-needed role of a consistent outside shooter as she leads the team in three-pointers.
It’s also worth noting that of the six players mentioned, five of them are averaging over four rebounds per game.
In addition, the Lady Eagles have been without post player Atria Dumas, who stands at 6-foot-3. At Tyler Junior College last season, she averaged 11.1 and 8.5 rebounds per game.
The Lady Eagles have recorded several historic marks this year with the extra talent depth.
In their most recent win against Samford, Southern Miss surrendered just 33 points to the Bulldogs, which is the lowest figure USM has held a team to since becoming a Division I program. The Lady Eagles’ 91 points against North Alabama were the most scored since 2017.
Ole Miss has picked up where it left off from last season after making a Sweet 16 appearance last year. This season, the Lady Rebels have earned notable wins against Michigan and Arizona, but fell short to No. 24 Louisville on Wednesday.
Ole Miss (6-2) is led by Marquesha Davis, who averages 11.7 points and four rebounds per game. Madison Scott also averages double digits as she has put up 10.9 points and 8.1 rebounds a game. In addition, both Snudda Collins, who has yet to start a game, and Kirsten Deans are both averaging nine points per game.
Ole Miss will be the start of a tough four-game stretch for the Lady Eagles. The Lady Rebels, along with Florida Gulf Coast and Cleveland State, are projected by ESPN to reach the NCAA tournament.
Saturday’s game against Ole Miss will be Southern Miss’ annual Lung Cancer Awareness game to benefit the Forrest General Patient Navigation fund. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN+.
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