Marshall’s Hot Hand, Narcisse’s Double-Double Lift Lady Eagles Past Mississippi Valley State

Southern Miss controlled the glass and never trailed as it bounced back with a 20-point win at Reed Green Coliseum.

Southern Miss Lady Eagles' Kylie Marshall and Jada Gay during a game at Reed Green Coliseum. | Southern Miss Athletics

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – It wasn’t always pretty, but the Southern Miss Lady Eagles never gave Mississippi Valley State any real hope on Monday, leading wire to wire on the way to a 75-55 win at Reed Green Coliseum.

The win moves Missy Bilderback’s group to 2-1 overall and 2-0 at home after a tough road trip to Auburn that resulted in a single-digit loss. The Lady Eagles led by as many as 29 points, and the Delta Devils never held a lead at any point.

Here are the biggest storylines from Reed Green.

Marshall Catches Fire Off the Bench

Southern Miss Lady Eagles' Kylie Marshall and Jada Gay during a game at Reed Green Coliseum. | Southern Miss Athletics

Kylie Marshall gave Southern Miss a spark it needed. The graduate guard scored a game-high 18 points in just 19 minutes, going 7-of-13 from the floor and 4-of-9 from 3-point range.

The rest of the team went 4-of-24 from deep, so Marshall’s shooting stood out even more. She was the biggest reason Southern Miss’s bench outscored Mississippi Valley State’s by a wide margin, with 25 of the Lady Eagles’ points coming from reserves.

Narcisse Does a Little Bit of Everything

Southern Miss Lady Eagles guard Chrysta Narcisse is bringing valuable experience to the Lady Eagles in 2026-27. | Josh House

Chrysta Narcisse, the redshirt-junior transfer from South Alabama, posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. She added three assists and two blocks.

Hayleigh Breland added 12 points, five rebounds and three assists, and she went a perfect 4-of-4 at the free-throw line. Talented freshman Jada Gay chipped in eight points in 14 minutes in her first start of the season. It's early, but Gay already looks like she'll be a problem for Southern Miss opponents for years to come.

Winning the Dirty Work

Southern Miss Lady Eagles center Whitney Hart during a preseason photoshoot. | Josh House

Southern Miss wasn’t necessarily sharp on offense, as it shot 34 percent from the field and 24 percent from 3-point range. The Lady Eagles also turned the ball over 18 times. However, they made up for that with effort plays.

The Lady Eagles outrebounded the Delta Devils 60-48, including 26 offensive rebounds. Ramiah Augurson pulled down nine rebounds, and Nakiyah Allen and Whitney Hart had eight apiece. Allen got her eight in only eight minutes.

Southern Miss also blocked 11 shots to Mississippi Valley State’s one. Mariah Clayton had a strong all-around game with eight points, seven rebounds and four steals. The Lady Eagles also won the fast-break battle 17-10 and outscored the Delta Devils 34-30 in the paint.

Although it wasn't perfect, that’s the kind of toughness and grittiness Bilderback has been preaching since the offseason. When the shots aren't falling, rebounding and defense can still win games.

On Deck: Jackson State

Southern Miss freshman guard Jada Gay prepares to take a free throw at Reed Green Coliseum. | Southern Miss Athletics

Southern Miss returns to action Thursday, Nov. 12, against Jackson State at Reed Green Coliseum, with tipoff set for 6 p.m. CT.

Stay tuned to Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI as the Lady Eagles look to remain undefeated at home.