University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Day Four, Game Two: DePaul Visits
2/14/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Day Four, Game Two: DePaul Visits
Hattiesburg, Miss. - Southern Miss plays the second of three games in a seven-day period when DePaul visits Green Coliseum for a 4 p.m., Saturday game.
Both teams come into the game off Wednesday losses. DePaul dropped a 73-60 decision to league-leading Marquette, while Southern Miss lost at TCU, 85-78. DePaul brings a 12-8 overall record into the game and a 4-5 C-USA record. Southern Miss is below .500 for the first time this season, at 10-11, and is 3-7 in C-USA play.
The series between the two teams has not been a long one. In six games prior to this season, Southern Miss has won four of them, including the last meeting, a 63-49 decision, Jan. 10, 2001 in Green Coliseum. Thanks to the current C-USA scheduling format, the two teams did not play last season.
DePaul averages 66.3 points a game, Southern Miss 68.3. However, the Blue Demons give up only 62.9 points a game, while USM opponents score at the rate of 71.3 points a game.
Sam Hoskins leads DePaul in scoring at 14.2 points a game, and teammate Delonte Holland is the only other Blue Demon in double figures, at 12.2 points a game.
Southern Miss put four players in double figures at TCU, including Charles Gaines with 15. He continues to lead the Eagles in scoring, at 14.5 points a game. Teammates Greg Johnson (13.4) and Jasper Johnson (10.9) also average double figures.
Following today's game, the Eagles play at Houston Tuesday night to end the three-games-in-seven-days stretch. The trip to Texas also will be the second in a week for Southern Miss. In addition, following today's game, Southern Miss will have only five games remaining on the 2002-03 schedule, and only two of those will be at home, Feb. 22, against Tulane, and March 1 against South Florida.
