Preview: Southern Mississippi Lady Eagles at Old Dominion Lady Monarchs

NORFOLK, Va. (Interstat) — The Old Dominion Lady Monarchs look to solidify their standing in Conference USA when they host the struggling Southern Mississippi Lady Eagles on Friday night at the Constant Convocation Center.

Old Dominion (13-9) enters with momentum after an 85-62 rout of Louisiana-Monroe on Wednesday. The Lady Monarchs have won three of their last five, relying on a defense anchored by sophomore forward Riley Stack. She dominated last game with 22 points and a remarkable seven blocked shots, showcasing her two-way impact.

Southern Mississippi (11-10) seeks to halt a four-game skid, most recently a 67-70 road loss at Georgia Southern. The Lady Eagles have struggled to find consistent form in January, going 2-7 this month. Their offense often runs through guard Carly Keats, who scored 21 points in the loss to Georgia Southern. Keats has been a bright spot, averaging 14.4 points over her last five contests.

The matchup features a contrast in recent trajectories. Old Dominion has protected its home court with a 9-3 record in Norfolk this season. Southern Mississippi is just 3-7 in true road games and has lost its last four conference away contests.

Stack’s rim protection will be a key factor against a Southern Miss team that has been held under 70 points in six of its last seven games. For the Lady Eagles, containing Stack and generating offense beyond Keats will be critical. Meloney Thames and Jakayla Johnson, who combined for 25 points Wednesday, must provide supplemental scoring.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Old Dominion is projected with an 80.2% probability to win. A victory would bolster the Lady Monarchs’ conference positioning, while Southern Mississippi aims to salvage its January record before returning home next week.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.