Feb. 8, 2008

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss vies for its third-straight victory when they play host to UAB at 5 p.m., Saturday in Conference USA women's basketball action at Reed Green Coliseum. The game will be part of the "Think Pink" initiative by the school.

The Lady Eagles, which will be wearing special jerseys during the game, will feature pink instead of the normal gold. This will be auctioned off at the conclusion of the game in a live auction with Southern Miss graduate and screen actor, Gary Grubbs, as the auctioneer. The minimum bid on each jersey is $100 and all proceeds will go to the organization `Waiting for a Cure.' Anyone is welcomed to bid on any of the jerseys.

Local breast cancer survivors will be special guests of the athletic department. The group will be wearing a special pink t-shirt and have courtside seating.

Admission for these games will be $2, for those wearing pink, with $1 going to the athletic department and the other $1 will go to `Waiting for a Cure.'

The Lady Eagles (13-9 overall, 4-5 C-USA) have been led by redshirt sophomore Pauline Love who is averaging 16.7 points and 11.0 rebounds per game as she has tallied 14 double-doubles.

Love is one of four Southern Miss players averaging double figures as junior Kendra Reed is next at 11.2 points per game, while Stephanie Helgeson is at 10.8 and Amber Eugene at 10.0.

As a team, the Lady Eagles are averaging 74.3 points over the last three games and are shooting 57 percent from the floor over the last two games (57-of-100).

Diamond Rogers paces the Lady Blazers, who have won four of the last five and seven of their last nine contests, at 18.3 points per game. She is followed by Crystal McFadden at 13.2 points per game and Britney Jones is tallying 11.3 points per contest.

UAB is 11-11 on the season and 7-2 and hold down third place in the league standings.