HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Freshman Kahia Warmsley (Shreveport, La.) registered a season-high 25 points and Southern Miss led the entire contest to defeat UTSA 73-66 in women’s basketball Conference USA action Saturday afternoon at Reed Green Coliseum.

The victory clinched a two-game weekend sweep of the Roadrunners as Southern Miss improved to 5-5 overall and 3-5 in C-USA play. UTSA fell to 2-11 and 0-8.

Warmsley led three Golden Eagles in double figures as freshman Brikayla Gray (Hebron, Miss.) added 14 points and junior Kelsey Jones (Starkville, Miss.) chipped in 10.

Warmsley’s point total was the most by a Golden Eagle freshman since Jones tallied 21 in her redshirt freshman campaign during the 2018-2019 season

“In the second half, Kahia Warmsley, Brikayla Gray, and then Kelsey (Jones) in the fourth quarter, really took control of things,” Southern Miss head coach Joye Lee-McNelis said. “Kahia stepped up huge for us and made some big 3’s behind the ball screen. You can see her as a freshman continue to soar and continue to get better and better.”

For the second-straight game against UTSA, the Lady Eagles jumped out strong. After outscoring the visitors the previous night 26-4 in the opening quarter, Southern Miss opened with an 8-1 advantage over the game’s first five-plus minutes as freshman Melyia Grayson score four points over that stretch. UTSA cut the gap to 10-7 on a Mikayla Woods layup, but the Lady Eagles scored the final four points of the quarter – a bucket by Warmsley and two Gray free throws – to take a 14-7 opening quarter advantage.

Grayson and Gray then hit the first two baskets of the second quarter to push the lead to double digits at 18-7, but the home team got outscored 20-19 in the second quarter and Southern Miss took a 33-27 lead into the locker room at halftime.

UTSA made a run in the third quarter and cut the gap to 37-33 with 5:03 remaining, before the Lady Eagles went on a 7-0 with freshman Rose Warren (Puckett, Miss.) scoring the final four points with the home team going on to take a 50-41 advantage after three periods.

Southern Miss extended its lead to its biggest at 14 midway through the final quarter on a Jones bucket, giving them a 68-54 advantage with 2:42 to remaining.

The Lady Eagles return to action when they travel to Ruston for a Thursday, Jan. 28, meeting with Louisiana Tech. Game time is set for 6:30 p.m. at the Thomas Assembly Center.