App State women’s basketball ended their 4-game homestand with an 82-59 win over the University of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles, led by a career-high 26 points from sophomore guard Jayden McBride. The Mountaineers scored 46 of their 82 points in the second half en route to an 82-59 result over their conference foe. The win marks their first over a Division-I opponent since Dec. 1 against Gardner-Webb.
McBride sank 6 3-pointers during her career night, mixed with 5 rebounds and 4 assists. The 6 makes from behind the arc marks the second most made threes in a game by a Mountaineer women’s player. The record is 7 set by Karen Gruca in 1991 and tied five times, most recently by Mara Neira last season.
Senior guard Emma Smith had 17 points and 11 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. The 11 rebounds ties a career high for Smith.
The Mountaineers started the game hot with 16 points through the first six minutes, forcing the Golden Eagles to take a timeout. It was clear the team was playing with more pace and intensity after Wednesday’s blowout loss to Coastal Carolina. Head coach Alaura Sharp called her team’s effort “inexcusable” at halftime on the ESPN+ broadcast on Wednesday.
Southern Miss began to get into their game after the timeout, mixing inside force with perimeter finesse to cut App State’s early lead to 19-16 as the first quarter buzzer sounded. The Golden Eagles entered the game averaging 80.3 points per game and it showed in the waning minutes of the first.
The two teams traded runs in the second period. When App State scored two possessions in a row, Southern Miss would match them. Free throws from Smith and freshman forward Addie Biel kept the Golden Eagles at arms length heading into halftime.
Going into the break, McBride was perfect from the field. 14 points on 6-6 shooting was felt in the arena as every time McBride touched the ball the Black and Gold’s bench yelled “shoot” followed by the PA announcer yelling “three.”
The guard from Erie, Pennsylvania continued her great play into the second half with 9 third-quarter points. Southern Miss tried everything; switching to zone, double teams and even putting a forward on her at times but it didn’t matter. She was on fire and pushed App State ahead 15 points with just under three minutes left in the quarter.
While the Golden Eagles’ defense was struggling, guard Jakayla Johnson got their offense rolling with an 8-point streak in the middle of the quarter. The 5-foot 9-inch guard was playing well above her height, driving into the paint and forcing herself to the line which caused Biel and sophomore forward Feryal Defne Atli to get into foul trouble.
That 15-point lead had vanished into 7 as the fourth quarter began. With Biel and Atli in foul trouble, Sharp put graduate student forward Zoë McCrary on the floor with six minutes left in the game. After McCrary entered, the Golden Eagles did not score a basket for the rest of the game.
Great defense from the transfer from the College of Charleston mixed with forced turnovers from junior guard Daisia Mitchell and freshman guards Isa Roman and Riley Stoker frustrated the Southern Miss offense. App State turned that great defense into offense, ending the game on a 15-0 run and making 8 of their final 9 shots.
App State begins a four-game road trip beginning in Norfolk, Virginia against Old Dominion University Wednesday. The game is scheduled to tip off at 6:30 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.
