University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Excitement Builds For Houston Game on Gulf Coast
1/17/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Excitement Builds For Houston Game on Gulf Coast
Hattiesburg, Miss. - Excitement continues to build for the Jan. 25 Southern Miss-Houston Conference USA basketball game that will be played in the Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Miss. Game time is set for 2 p.m.
The game is the first in the coast facility for the Golden Eagles since Dec. 17, 1994, game there against Mississippi State. Southern Miss also has played Ole Miss and Alabama there, in addition to hosting Metro Conference Tournaments there in 1990 and 1994.
In conjunction with the game, Head Coach James Green is scheduled to be the guest speaker at a Jan. 21, luncheon at the Biloxi Beachfront Hotel, from 11:30 until 1 p.m. Also, a pregame social, sponsored by the Gulf Coast Eagle Club and Alumni Association, will be held at the same facility, Jan. 25, from 11:30 until 1 p.m. The Biloxi Beachfront Hotel is located on Highway 90, immediately adjacent to the Coast Coliseum.
The pregame social will feature the Southern Miss cheerleaders and Seymour, and the cost, including snacks and beverages, is $5. Contact the Gulf Coast Eagle Club, the USM Alumni Association or the Eagle Club at Southern Miss for more information or to make reservations.
Southern Miss and Houston have played 17 times previous to the upcoming coast game, with the Golden Eagles leading the series, 9-8. The Cougars won both games the two teams played last season, 74-66, in Houston, Texas, and 68-60, in Hattiesburg. Prior to the two losses last season, Southern Miss had won the previous five games and nine of the last 10.
Houston finished last season with an 18-15 record, 9-7 in league play. As of Jan. 15, Houston was 0-1 in the league and 2-10 overall. Southern Miss was 2-1 in league play, and 9-5 overall. The Golden Eagles' league victories came over TCU and Memphis and the loss to South Florida. Houston lost to UAB in its only league game.
Louis Truscott leads Houston in scoring, at 16.1 points a game, and Charles Gaines tops Southern Miss, at 14.6 points a game, and also leads the Golden Eagles in rebounding, at 10.0 a game.
Southern Miss also has had a pair of C-USA players of the week this season. Charles Gaines won the honor for the week ending Dec. 1, and Jasper Johnson for the week ending Jan. 12. USM had had only two other players of the week, prior to this season, Vandarel Jones in 2001 and David Wall in 2000.
A variety of ticket packages is available from Ticketmaster, the Coast Coliseum and the Southern Miss ticket office, by calling 601-266-5418 or 1-800-844-TICK.
