Preview: James Madison Dukes at Southern Mississippi Lady Eagles

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (Interstat) — A surging James Madison women’s basketball team will look to continue its momentum when it visits a Southern Mississippi squad coming off an emotional overtime win in a nonconference matchup Wednesday night at Reed Green Coliseum.

The Dukes (16-8) have won four of their last five, including a dominant 88-52 victory over South Alabama on Saturday. James Madison’s offense has been potent during this stretch, averaging 80.8 points in those four wins.

A key catalyst has been guard Ashanti Barnes, who is averaging 15.1 points over her last eight games. She nearly posted a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds in just 23 minutes against South Alabama.

Southern Mississippi (12-10) snapped a four-game skid with an 86-83 overtime road win at Old Dominion on Friday. The Lady Eagles relied heavily on guard Jakayla Johnson, who played all 40 minutes and poured in a season-high 32 points.

Johnson’s scoring outburst was a return to form after being held to single digits in the previous game. She will be central to Southern Miss’s hopes of containing James Madison’s balanced attack.

The Dukes have shown multiple scoring threats. Alongside Barnes, Peyton McDaniel scored 22 points with five assists against South Alabama, and Grace McDonough added 13 points.

Southern Miss will need more consistent support for Johnson beyond Hayleigh Breland (21 points vs. ODU) and Carly Keats (20 points vs. ODU) to keep pace.

This game represents a final tune-up before both teams return to their respective conference schedules. James Madison holds the superior overall record, but Southern Mississippi has shown resilience at home, where it is 7-3 this season.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026.