Box Score
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Behind a 19-point 11-rebound performance from Pauline Love for her ninth double-double of the season, Southern Miss defeated the Birmingham-Southern women's basketball team, 78-50, Saturday afternoon in Reed Green Coliseum.
The win was the second-straight for the Lady Eagles as they move to 8-3 on the season, while BSC falls to 6-3.
The Golden Eagles opened the game by going up 7-0 and would never trail, despite the Panthers cutting it to one, three different times in the first half. USM, leading by one at the 6:52 mark, put together a 9-2 run to go up, 24-16, and capped the first period with a 6-0 run to lead 35-21 at the half.
USM maintained a double-digit lead for the entire second half, leading by as much as 31, 73-42, with 1:40 left to play before coming away with the 28-point victory.
Love finished the contest by hitting 9-of-17 shots while adding an assist and steal. Amber Eugene also added 11 points for Southern Miss, while Stephanie Helgeson tallied 10 rebounds.
The Lady Eagles finished day shooting over 50 percent from the floor for the sixth time this season as they converted 27-of-53 shots for 50.9 percent.
Senior forward Reba Ross led the Panthers with 28 points and 11 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season. Junior forward Elyse Clay also recorded a career-high nine points and five rebounds, while junior guard Danielle Harbor led with six assists and two steals.
The Panthers shot 33.9 percent from the field and 71.4 percent at the free throw line, but struggled from beyond the arc, going 2-of-11 (18.2 percent).
BSC stays on the road for its next three games and travels next to Mobile, Ala., to face Spring Hill College this Monday, Dec. 17, at 11 a.m. CT.