LAFAYETTE, La. (Interstat) — The Southern Mississippi Lady Eagles used a dominant first quarter and a barrage of three-pointers to cruise past the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns 83-61 in a women’s college basketball game Wednesday night at the Cajundome.

The Lady Eagles (14-13) seized control immediately, erupting for 30 points in the opening period. They built a 13-point lead by the end of the quarter and never looked back, leading wire-to-wire to sweep the season series. The Ragin’ Cajuns fell to 4-23.

The most important stretch of the game came in the opening minutes, as Southern Mississippi established its offensive rhythm and defensive presence from the tip. After Louisiana-Lafayette’s Kahlen Norris opened the scoring with a three-pointer, the Lady Eagles responded with a decisive 16-2 run. The surge was fueled by the hot shooting of guard Carly Keats, who connected on three three-pointers during the run, and stifling defense that forced early Ragin’ Cajun turnovers. This initial burst set the tone for the entire contest, giving Southern Mississippi a comfortable cushion it would maintain throughout.

Keats, a 5-foot-7 guard from Philadelphia, Mississippi, led all scorers with 26 points, knocking down six three-pointers. Her backcourt partner, Meloney Thames, added 13 points and four assists. Jakayla Johnson contributed 11 points and four assists for the Lady Eagles.

Southern Mississippi’s offensive success was built on exceptional perimeter shooting. The Lady Eagles shot 50% from beyond the arc, making 13 of 26 attempts. This sharp-shooting contrasted sharply with Louisiana-Lafayette’s struggles from deep, as the Ragin’ Cajuns managed just one three-pointer on 12 tries. Overall, Southern Mississippi shot 47.6% from the field while holding Louisiana-Lafayette to 37.3%.

Despite being outscored 36-24 in the paint and committing 14 turnovers, the Lady Eagles’ efficiency proved decisive. They scored 20 points off Louisiana-Lafayette’s 12 turnovers and posted an offensive rating of 117.4 points per 100 possessions, far outpacing the Ragin’ Cajuns’ mark of 84.0.

Louisiana-Lafayette was led by Amijah Price with 16 points. Imani Daniel added 15 points, and Kahlen Norris finished with 14. Mikaylah Manley chipped in 10 points and three assists for the Ragin’ Cajuns, who have lost three of their last four games.

The Lady Eagles’ victory marked their second win in three games following a difficult stretch in late January. Southern Mississippi now looks ahead to a road contest at Troy on Saturday. Louisiana-Lafayette will aim to regroup when it hosts Arkansas State, also on Saturday.

An announced crowd of 628 watched the game at the 13,000-seat Cajundome.