University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Basketball Faces Cross-Town Foe William Carey
12/14/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 14, 2005
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss Golden Eagles play the second of seven-straight home games Thursday, hosting cross-town foe William Carey in non-conference action at Reed Green Coliseum. Tip-off for the game is set for 7:30 p.m.
Southern Miss, under the direction of second-year Head Coach Larry Eustachy, enters the game with a 2-6 overall record following Saturday's 75-51 loss to South Alabama. In the contest, Mildon Ambres paced the Golden Eagles with 12 points, while Courtney Beasley and David Cornwell each added eight points.
Thursday's game will be broadcast over the Southern Miss ISP Sports Network, with the "Voice of the Golden Eagles" John Cox and legendary coach M.K. Turk calling the action. Air time begins at 7 p.m., CT, with the Golden Eagle Courtside Show.
Shaun Simpson continues to lead the team in scoring with 9.3 points per game, while Courtney Beasley and Jason Forte follow with 7.9 and 7.5 points per night. Simpson and Ambres both lead the team in rebounds per game with 4.8 and 4.1, respectively, while Kyle Lamonte leads all players with 24 assists on the year.
William Carey entered the game with an 0-8 overall record, following a 103-84 loss on the road at West Florida on Monday. The Crusaders field a young team that features just three upperclassmen on the 13-man roster. The team opened the season with five-straight games on the road, two of them in the Union University Thanksgiving Classic, before losing its home-opener against Martin Methodist on Dec. 3.
Renaldo Dorsey leads the Crusaders in both points and rebounds, with respective averages of 15.3 and 8.2 per game. Andrae Leslie follows with 11.5 points per game, while Braxton Robins adds 10.9 points. Guard Scotty Fletcher has a team-best 18 assists, while Mike Kish has 14.
The Crusaders, who finished the 2004-05 season with an 11-22 overall record, are coached by former Southern Miss baseball standout Steve Knight, who also is a member of the Southern Miss "M" Club Hall of Fame.
The game marks the third-straight season that the two teams have played, dating back to the first meeting in the 2003-04 season. Southern Miss has won both of the previous meetings, 91-59 on Dec. 22, 2003 and 90-46 on Dec. 28, 2004
Following the game, Southern Miss continues its seven-game homestand against Tennessee State on Monday, Dec. 19, at 7 p.m.
