HATTIESBURG, Miss. (Interstat) — The Southern Mississippi Lady Eagles used a dominant third-quarter surge to pull away from the South Alabama Jaguars and secure an 84-65 victory in a nonconference women’s basketball game Thursday night at Reed Green Coliseum.

In a contest that was tightly contested for a half, the Lady Eagles outscored the Jaguars 26-19 in the pivotal third period to turn a six-point halftime edge into a commanding 13-point lead entering the final quarter. The run was fueled by a balanced offensive attack and stifling defense that created transition opportunities.

Southern Mississippi guard Jakayla Johnson led all scorers with 20 points, including two critical three-pointers during the third-quarter stretch that helped break the game open. She added two assists in just 20 minutes of action. She was complemented by backcourt mate Hayleigh Breland, a native of Wiggins, Mississippi, who contributed 17 points and three assists. Forward Meloney Thames of Philadelphia, Mississippi, added 16 points, and post player Sakyia White of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, chipped in 14 points and was a force on the glass.

South Alabama, which fell to 7-4 with the loss, was led by forward Cordasia Harris of Hayneville, Alabama, who scored 15 points. Guard Amyah Sutton added 14 points, and forward Daniela Gonzalez of Jamundi, Colombia, recorded a well-rounded line of 12 points, five assists and three blocked shots.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair featuring eight ties and several lead changes. The Jaguars started strong, building an early 9-5 lead behind scores from Harris and Sutton. Southern Mississippi responded with a 7-0 run, capped by a three-pointer from Thames, to take a lead they would not relinquish. The Lady Eagles led 18-18 after a frenetic first quarter and took a 36-32 advantage into the locker room at halftime, with Johnson scoring the final five points of the half for the home team.

The game’s decisive turn came immediately after halftime. Southern Mississippi opened the third quarter on a 12-4 run, highlighted by a three-pointer from Breland and a traditional three-point play from Thames. South Alabama briefly cut the deficit to nine points on a Gonzalez three-pointer, but the Lady Eagles answered with a devastating 10-0 burst. Johnson hit consecutive three-pointers, the latter assisted by Carly Keats, and Je’Mya Evans connected on a jumper to push the lead to 56-39 with 4:36 left in the quarter. Keats, from Philadelphia, Mississippi, orchestrated the offense with a game-high eight assists.

South Alabama could not mount a serious challenge in the fourth quarter, as Southern Mississippi maintained its double-digit lead throughout. The Lady Eagles’ lead ballooned to as many as 21 points in the final minutes before settling on the 19-point final margin.

The victory improved Southern Mississippi’s record to 8-4 on the season. The Lady Eagles shot efficiently from the floor, while their defense forced numerous Jaguar turnovers that led to easy baskets. South Alabama struggled to find consistent scoring outside of its top three performers.

Southern Mississippi will look to build on the win when it hosts Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday. South Alabama, which has now lost two of its last three games, travels to face Arkansas State on Saturday.