In a battle for first place in the west, Southern Miss women’s basketball fell to the UAB Blazers 68-61 Thursday night after a poor performance on offense and on the glass.
Dominique Davis, who has been the Lady Eagles scoring leader, did not score until the end of the fourth quarter, which was too late to make an impact on the outcome of the game.
“I don’t think UAB did anything to Dom Davis. I don’t think Davis was mentally prepared,” Southern Miss Head Coach Joye Lee-McNelis said. “She’s got to understand that people are going to defend her. So she’s got to play on a mission that you can’t stop me and not just give in to it.”
The Blazers took the first quarter, coming out red-hot and hitting their first five of seven shots for an early 12-4 lead.
On the other hand, the Lady Eagles could not buy a bucket and shot just 31% from the floor in the first quarter.
UAB also capitalized from the foul line, making five of eight shots from the foul line. The Blazers led 18-11 going into the second quarter.
Southern Miss fought back in the second quarter, playing tighter and more aggressive defensive.
The Lady Eagles went on a 6-0 run in the middle of the quarter to draw within four. However, UAB answered and they finished the quarter with their run, taking a 30-23 lead into halftime.
The Lady Eagles shot just 32% from the floor in the first half with Daishai Almond leading Southern Miss scorers with seven points.
Fouls were also a problem for Southern Miss as the team finished with nine in the first half, which added seven points for the Blazers on the free-throw line.
The Blazers also outrebounded the Lady Eagles, forcing them into multiple possessions with one-and-done shots.
The lack of scoring was very deflating for Southern Miss as they had amassed just 24 points in the mid-third quarter.
Southern Miss guard Daishai Almond dribbles up court against UAB. (Photo/Charlie Luttrell) 
Southern Miss guard Brikayla Gray pressures on defense. (Photo/Charlie Luttrell) 
Destiny Smith attempts to disrupt an inbound pass against UAB. (Photo/Charlie Luttrell) 
Brikayla Gray celebrates after converting a contested layup. (Photo/Charlie Luttrell) 
After five full minutes in the third quarter, the Lady Eagles had only hit one basket in the second half. Lee-McNelis called the lack of scoring “deflating” for the team.
Southern Miss ranks first in Conference USA in field goal percentage, shooting 43.9 from the floor this season. This season, the Lady Eagles have shot 40% from the floor or higher in all but four contests.
This certainly was not the contest to change those numbers, but that is precisely what happened.
At the end of the third quarter, Southern Miss trailed 52-40. They needed a run and solid defense to get back into the game.
UAB didn’t allow it, however, as they slowed the game down and worked it into Zakyia Weathersby down low.
UAB controlled the final period from start to finish. At the end of the game, UAB won the rebounding 42-28, a key advantage for the Blazers’ win.
“I think rebounding is heart and soul,” Lee-McNelis said. “If that is my job and she’s their leading rebounder, I can’t let her get aboard. But for us to not board offensively, there’s no excuse not to.”
This loss drops Southern Miss to second place in C-USA West. Southern Miss is still very much alive in the race for first place, but a daunting road lies ahead for them on the schedule, starting with a road matchup against UTSA Feb. 17 at 7:00 p.m.
