HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss outscored ULM 22-7 in the fourth quarter as the Lady Eagles pulled away for a 77-60 win on Saturday at Reed Green Coliseum.
 
ULM (0-2 overall) picked up a double-double for true freshman Amaya Ford, the first of her career, with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Second-year freshman Kyren Whittington led the team with a career-high 17 points while fifth-year senior Kierra Crockett tallied 10 points. Domonique Davis led USM (2-0 overall) with 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
 
"We battled tough for three quarters against a talented Southern Miss team," ULM head coach Brooks Donald Williams said. "Their frontcourt is as good as anybody we will face. It was certainly a tough task without (fifth-year senior center) Diamond (Brooks). We saw a lot of growth today with our young bunch."
 
With the game tied at six in the first quarter, Ford hit back-to-back jumpers in the lane and later made a free throw to give the Warhawks an 11-6 lead with 2:18 left in the frame. After four straight points from USM, Crockett converted a traditional 3-point play for a 14-10 lead after a quarter.
 
USM gained control early in the second quarter, outscoring ULM 16-4 in the first 3:38 of the quarter to go on top 26-18 on a bucket by Kelsey Jones with 6:22 left in the half. The Warhawks chipped away at the deficit, closing within one on free throws by true freshman Bre Sutton with 2:19 to go before the break. USM pushed the lead back to four, but free throws by Sutton and a jumper by true freshman Aasia Sam brought ULM within a point at halftime, 34-33.
 
Ford gave ULM the lead again early in the second half on a jumper with 9:08 to play in the third quarter, going up 35-34. After the Lady Eagles regained a four-point lead, ULM went on a 6-0 spurt to step back ahead thanks to a 3-point play by Whittington, leading 41-39. The Warhawks pushed the lead to five at 46-41 with 4:58 left in the quarter on a steal and fast break jumper by Whittington. USM used a 10-0 run to go back ahead at 55-48, but ULM scored the final five points of the quarter to cut the deficit back to two, 55-53, on a 3-point play by Crockett with two seconds left in the quarter.
 
It was all USM in the fourth quarter, opening the frame on a 17-1 run to take a commanding 72-54 lead with 3:38 remaining. The Eagles went on to the 77-60 win.
 
The Warhawks shot 31% (20-for-64) from the field and did not make a 3-pointer (0-for-10). Southern Miss shot 41% from the field (25-for-61) and also did not make a 3-pointer (0-for-8). The Lady Eagles shot 63% from the free throw line (27-for-43) while ULM was at 74% (20-for-27). USM outrebounded ULM 47-45. ULM committed 25 turnovers to 16 for USM.
 
ULM opens the home schedule at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday for its Take Flight for Education Game against Louisiana College. Links to live video, audio and stats are available at ULMWarhawks.com.