Southern Miss defeated James Madison University 86-80 in the third round of the 2026 Sun Belt Championship, held Thursday night at the Pensacola Bay Center in Florida.
Tylik Weeks led Southern Miss with 31 points, marking his third game this season scoring 30 or more. Isaac Taveras contributed 17 points and secured a team-high eight rebounds. The Golden Eagles shot 51.7 percent from the field.
For JMU, Cliff Davis scored 19 points, leading the Dukes in scoring for the 17th time this season. Bradley Douglas added 18 points and two assists, while Gabe Newhof had 11 points and five rebounds. Christian Brown posted a season-high nine points and four blocks, raising his season total to 49 and breaking Andre Nation’s previous single-season block record for a JMU freshman set during the 2009-10 season.
The first half saw both teams exchanging leads eight times within the opening ten minutes. JMU briefly took a five-point lead after three consecutive baskets capped by a Douglas three-pointer but entered halftime trailing by two after an 11-4 run by Southern Miss.
In the second half, Southern Miss went on a decisive 12-2 run to establish a ten-point lead with under fourteen minutes remaining. The Golden Eagles maintained their advantage throughout, extending it to as many as thirteen points before securing their spot in the next round of the tournament.
Additional notes include Davis finishing his season with 99 three-pointers, ranking third-most in a single season in JMU history. Newhof reached double figures in scoring for the tenth time this year.
