The Lady Eagles dropped back-to-back away games for the fifth straight time this season. USM is an undefeated 11-0 at home but are 1-10 in away contests.
USM traveled to Birmingham to take on the UAB Blazers, falling 53-49 in a close contest.
Three Lady Eagles finished in double figures, led by Brittanny Norris with 12 points on an inefficient 4-of-13 shooting and 4-of-8 from downtown.
Both teams shot poorly for the game with USM at 34 percent and UAB at 31 percent, respectively. Both teams also matched in three-point percentage at 32 percent.
Southern Miss jumped out to a 20-9 lead in the contest in the first period. USM was not able to keep that lead for long as UAB climbed back to tie the game with 4:48 in the second quarter.
At one point, Southern Miss missed 14 straight shots from the 9:47 mark in the second quarter to the 9:48 mark in the third quarter. That scoring drought allowed UAB to get out to a 28-22 lead. That lead was not large though, and USM fought back to tie the game at 34 with 4:14 left in the third quarter.
The rest of the third quarter was tightly contested as USM trailed only 40-37 at the end of the third period.
Coach McNelis’ squad was able to keep the UAB lead within three, and USM held possession.
Leading scorer Norris was able to get a shot off but missed with just 12 seconds left on the clock. UAB recovered the rebound, and the game
was over. Southern Miss looked to bounce back just two days later, traveling to Murfreesboro, Tennessee to take on the Blue Raiders.
At the end of the first period, the game was tightly contested, but USM was down 16-10 to take on the Blue Raiders. The three turnovers and 11 missed shots in the quarter only gave way to 10 Southern Miss points.
After the first quarter, the wheels fell off for the Lady Eagles.
The Lady Eagles were blitzed by a 22-13 run by the Blue Raiders, who jumped out to a 38-25 lead over coach McNelis and the Lady Eagles. USM finished the first half without a player scoring in double figures, and the group recorded 13 fouls in the same span.
The third quarter did not do the Lady Eagles any better, as they fell behind by 16 points, 52-36.
That lead swelled to 30 points by the final buzzer, and the Lady Eagles dropped yet another away game.
USM looks to bounce back against UTEP on Feb. 18 at ReedGreenColiseum.
