Box Score

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – A 22-6 second-half scoring run propelled Southern Mississippi over Jacksonville State, 75-58, on the opening day of the Lady Eagle Thanksgiving Classic on Friday at Reed Green Coliseum on the USM campus.
 
JSU falls to 2-4 on the season, while USM improved to 2-2 on the season and advances to the championship game of the classic on Saturday at 7 p.m. against Stephen F. Austin.  The Gamecocks will take on Georgia Southern at 11 a.m. on Saturday in the consolation contest.  The Eagles of GSU dropped a 49-40 decision to Stephen F. Austin in the first game on Friday.
 
After trailing by two, 29-27, at the halftime break, and down 37-36 with 15:28 left in the contest, USM's defense turned up the heat as its full court press played havoc for Jax State.  USM used its defensive pressure and turned it into points on the other end after the defense sparked a 22-6 scoring run to push the lead out to 16 points at 59-43 with just over seven minutes in the contest.  Turnovers plagued the Gamecocks in the second half as they had 14 of their 26 miscues in the second half.  USM turned those 14 second-half turnovers into 21 points on the other end.  USM's Jamierra Faulkner, who was limited to one basket in the first 20 minutes, scored 12 of her 14 points in the second half.
 
The Black and Gold pushed the lead out to as many as 20 points, 65-45, with 4:59 left before claiming the 17-point win.  USM connected on 22-of-40 (55 percent) from the field in the second half en route to out-scoring JSU, 46-31 in the final half. The Lady Eagles scored 56 of its 75 points in the paint and out-rebounded Jax State, 53-37.
 
In the opening half, the lead changed seven times, including JSU's largest lead of six points at 23-17 with 5:55 left in the first half.  Brittany Manning, who led the Red and White with 11 points, scored six of those points in the opening half.  Junior Danielle Vaughn recorded her third double-double in the last four games with a 10-point, 11-rebound effort against USM. 
 
Senior Destiny Lane added nine points and six rebounds in 33 minutes of floor action.  Freshman Briana Morrow chipped in eight points and three rebounds.  The Gamecocks had ten of their 11 players available make the box score in the scoring column.  Candace Morton, Bria'unna Buckner and Miranda Cantrell finished with four points each.
 
USM's Tanecka Carey scored a game-high 22 points, while Nitesha Pierce posted a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds.