STARKVILLE — Missy Bilderback’s reaction to Southern Miss women’s basketball’s loss at Mississippi State was about as expected.
The Lady Eagles’ coach was disappointed. They believed if they could shoot efficiently and be disruptive with a zone defense, they’d have a chance to upset MSU.
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The Bulldogs (10-1) won 87-64 at Humphrey Coliseum on Dec. 14, limiting Southern Miss (7-4) to just 35% from the floor, the second worst percentage of the season.
But with the loss also comes perspective.
Missy Bilderback is introduced as the Southern Miss women’s basketball coach on March 27 at the Trent Lott Center in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
Of course, Southern Miss’ goal was to beat Mississippi State. But in the grand picture of the season, it ultimately has no impact with the Sun Belt Conference traditionally only receiving one automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
The Lady Eagles begin their Sun Belt schedule next when they host South Alabama at Reed Green Coliseum on Dec. 18 (5 p.m., ESPN+).
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And so far, Bilderback’s Lady Eagles have shown signs they can be competitive in conference play after going 10-21 last season.
“I think we are good enough to beat any team in the league,” Bilderback said. “It’s just about performance and production right now and being able to execute.”
Bilderback, 47, is in her first season as coach, and the Southern Miss alum has many connections to the greater Hattiesburg area.
She was hired after the retirement of Joye Lee-McNelis, three months before the 63-year-old died from cancer. Lee-McNelis was Southern Miss’ coach for 21 seasons.
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The team is almost completely revamped, with only three returning players.
There isn’t necessarily a star on the team. All five of the starters entered the MSU game averaging between 10 and 13 points. They have one of the top offenses in the Sun Belt and are prolific 3-point shooters.
Four of Southern Miss’ five starters — Jakayla Johnson, Meloney Thames, Carly Keats and Sakyia White — played for Bilderback at Jones College. Three of them, Johnson, Thames and White, were at Louisiana-Monroe, where Bilderback coached two seasons before getting hired by Southern Miss.
“It truly has been in a lot of ways a dream come true to be able to lead this program,” Bilderback said. “But there’s also really high expectations, and I think that’s the biggest thing right now is staying focused on what we can do to be the best team we can be.”
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Finishing in the top four of the Sun Belt standings will be key. With the structure of the conference tournament, getting a top four seed means only two wins are needed to win the championship and clinch a bid in the NCAA Tournament.
Improving the rebounding will be important, Bilderback said, after the Lady Eagles were outrebounded 55-30 by Mississippi State.
“I think we’ve got an opportunity to have a good run in Sun Belt play,” Bilderback said. “I think everybody’s really good, but also everybody’s beatable in our league.”
MORE: Why Ole Miss basketball’s Chris Beard said game vs. Southern Miss was ‘must-win’
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Entire Bilderback family has returned
Bilderback was nervously pacing the sideline of Mississippi State’s Davis Wade Stadium Dec. 5 when Columbia football was playing Kosciusko in the MSHAA Class 4A championship game.
Not only has Bilderback returned to South Mississippi, but so has her husband, Chip Bilderback, who came back with her from Louisiana. Chip was rehired as the Columbia coach, and led the Wildcats to a 6-0 win in the championship game to cap an undefeated season. Their son, Drew, was a senior tight end and defensive back on the team.
“It really was kind of a storybook deal for us,” Missy Bilderback said. “It was fun. It was really a blessing.”
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Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Missy Bilderback shaping Southern Miss women’s basketball for Sun Belt
