In a closely contested matchup on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, Marshall Women’s Basketball fell to the Southern Miss Lady Eagles with a final score of 54-48 at the Cam Henderson Center in Huntington, West Virginia.  

The game commenced with both teams displaying strong defensive strategies, resulting in a low-scoring first quarter. Southern Miss edged out Marshall, leading 11-10 at the end of the period. The second quarter had the same outcome as the first, with the Lady Eagles again outscoring the Herd 11-9, bringing the halftime score to 22-19 in favor of Southern Miss.  

Marshall’s senior guard, Aislynn Hayes, lead all scorers with 26 points. Hayes shot 9-of-22 from the field, including 3-of-9 from beyond the arc, and was a perfect 5-of-5 from the free-throw line. She also contributed six rebounds and two assists over 33 minutes of play.  

“I thought she had a really strong second half doing a good job on finding the gaps and, you know, kind of wiggling her way in there and being aggressive, which had helped us,” head coach Juli Fulks said. “We need a couple more of those.”

Despite Hayes’ standout effort, the Herd struggled offensively, shooting just 26.98% (17-of-63) from the field and 21.62% (8-of-37) from three-point range. The team’s shooting was evident throughout the game, with particularly low percentages in the first half.  

Southern Miss capitalized on their opportunities, shooting 42.86% (21-of-49) from the field and 37.5% (3-of-8) from three-point territory. The Lady Eagles’ offense was spearheaded by center Melyia Grayson, who recorded a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Grayson’s dominant presence in the paint was a significant factor in Southern Miss’s victory.  

“I mean, we did a pretty good job on her,” Fulks said. “I mean, I know she had 20, but I thought we held her and contained her, but the real problem was she locked it up.”

The third quarter saw Marshall attempting a comeback, outscoring Southern Miss 14-11, which narrowed the gap to a tie at 33-33 heading into the final quarter. However, the Lady Eagles responded in the fourth quarter, posting 21 points to Marshall’s 15, sealing their win.  

Rebounding played a crucial role in the game’s outcome. Southern Miss outrebounded Marshall 42-37, with a notable 15 offensive rebounds that led to 14 second-chance points. Grayson’s nine defensive rebounds were instrumental in limiting Marshall’s scoring opportunities.  

Turnovers were a point of concern for both teams. Southern Miss committed 22 turnovers, which Marshall converted into 23 points. Conversely, the Herd turned the ball over 14 times, leading to eight points for the Lady Eagles.  

Bench contributions were relatively balanced, with both teams’ reserves adding 12 points each. For Marshall, junior guard Peyton Ilderton provided a spark off the bench, scoring nine points on 3-of-5 shooting from three-point range in 18 minutes.  

This loss brings Marshall’s season record to 6-14 overall and 1-8 in Sun Belt Conference play. Southern Miss improved to 7-13 overall and 3-6 in the conference.  

Looking ahead, the Herd will travel to Conway, South Carolina, to face Coastal Carolina in their next matchup.

Haven Steele can be contacted at [email protected].