MONROE, La.– The ULM women's basketball team (14-15, 7-11 Sun Belt) wrapped up the regular season inside Fant-Ewing Coliseum Friday night as they fell to Southern Miss (15-15, 8-10 Sun Belt) 68-61. The Warhawks outscored the Lady Eagles in the fourth quarter by seven but were ultimately held in check as they finished shooting 31 percent from the field as a team.
 
J'Mani Ingram was one of three ULM players to reach double figures as she scored a team high 19 points while adding five rebounds. Nakiyah Mays-Prince finished with 15 points while Marcavia Shavers recorded her 10th double-double of the season by scoring 11 points and grabbing a game high 14 rebounds.
 
Both teams traded baskets to start the first quarter as a pair of baseline jumpers by Ingram kept the Warhawks within one possession of their opponents. The Lady Eagles would begin to challenge the Warhawks physically on defense and started to pull away by going up by six points. ULM would turn defense into offense to close out the quarter as baskets by Jazmine Jackson and Ingram off of turnovers would cut the deficit to two points after one quarter of play.
 
An early basket by Southern Miss was answered by a three-pointer from Mays-Prince to start the second quarter and the senior rose to the occasion again by converting on a drive to the basket to answer another basket by the visitors. From there, defense would hold serve for both teams as either side managed to score just one basket over nearly the next seven minutes. After a string of free throws, ULM would tie the game at 24 on a mid-range jumper by Marissa Gasaway and then would take their first lead on a layup in transition by Ingram. A pair of free throws by Southern Miss would ensure the score remain tied going into halftime. 
 
Southern Miss started to get hot to start the third quarter as back-to-back layups from Mays-Prince were answered by three-pointers. The Lady Eagles would eventually go on a 9-0 run to push the lead to 15 before Mays-Prince would put an end to it with a three-pointer. Ingram would follow up with a three-point play but another three-pointer by Southern Miss would give them a 14-point lead after three quarters.
 
The Lady Eagles would increase their lead to a game high of 19 points early in the fourth quarter despite a rare three-pointer from Ingram. After initially struggling to chip away at the lead, the Warhawks would embark on an 11-0 featuring multiple baskets off of steals and turnovers to cut the deficit to seven. 
 
Shavers would answer a free-throw from the visitors with two of her own and a step-back jumper by Mays-Prince would bring ULM within four. Despite being held without a basket for the final five minutes and 39 seconds of the game, Southern Miss managed to keep the Warhawks from scoring the rest of the way and seal the game at the free-throw line.
 
ULM have earned the 10th seed at the Sun Belt Conference tournament and will face the winner of Georgia State vs. the Ragin' Cajuns on Wednesday (Mar. 4). Tipoff for that game from the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Fla. is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT.