HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The Old Dominion women's basketball team could not overcome a slow start, falling at Southern Miss, 84-69, on Thursday evening at Reed Green Coliseum.
"We just fell short with some plays. We were right there and we almost took it," said head coach Karen Barefoot. "I could not be more proud of them, because they didn't quit. They hung in the game and they tried their hardest to make things happen."
Southern Miss (11-5, 3-1 C-USA) opened the game with a 10-0 run in the first two minutes of the contest and led 20-15 at the end of the opening quarter. Carolina Bernardeco hit a pair of threes in the first to help Old Dominion (7-9, 2-3 C-USA) erase the early 10-point defict.
In the second quarter, a Jennie Simms bucket cut the lead to 22-20 at the 7:38 mark. However, the Lady Eagles responded with a 14-2 run to take a 36-22 lead with 1:44 to play until half. Southern Miss outscored ODU, 20-13, in the second and carried a 40-28 lead into halftime.
Overall, Southern Miss shot 55 percent from the field in the opening half and scored 18 points off of 15 ODU turnovers. The Lady Monarchs outrebounded Southern Miss, 19-11.
In the second half, the Lady Eagles extended its lead to 17, the biggest of the game, at the 6:04 mark of the third quarter. ODU answered, as a MaKayla Timmons triple capped a 12-0 rally to cut the USM lead to 51-46 at the 2:05 mark. The Lady Eagles then carried a 58-49 lead into the fourth.
In the final quarter, a three-point play from Destinee Young cut the lead to six with 2:07 to play, but that would be the closest the Lady Monarchs would get, as Southern Miss ended the game on a 9-0 run for the 84-49 victory.
Simms led ODU with 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Timmons recorded a career-high 10 points and a career-high six rebounds. Keyana Brown added nine points.
Brittany Dinkins led Southern Miss with 30 points, 10 steals and eight assists, as the Lady Eagles scored 33 points off of 29 ODU turnovers.
"Of course, we're disappointed in the loss, but we have to rebound quick," said Barefoot. "We have to get back, stay together and we have one day to get ready for LA Tech."
UP NEXT
Old Dominion returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 14, at LA Tech at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed live on CUSA.tv and can also be heard on STAR 1310.