University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Basketball Hosts League Newcomer Rice
1/24/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 24, 2006
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss Golden Eagles continue Conference USA play with the third league home game of the season, hosting Conference USA newcomer Rice Wednesday at Reed Green Coliseum. Tip-off for the game is set for 7 p.m.
Southern Miss, under the direction of second-year Head Coach Larry Eustachy, enters the game with a 7-12 overall record and a 1-3 mark in league play following Saturday's 85-68 loss to nationally ranked Memphis at home. The Owls, under the direction of veteran Head Coach Willis Wilson, stand 8-9 on the year and 2-2 in league play. In the last game, Rice lost in overtime, 80-69, on the road at SMU.
Wednesday'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 6:30 p.m., CT, with the Golden Eagle Courtside Show.
Freshman guard Courtney Beasley currently leads Southern Miss in scoring with 202 points on the season, an average of 10.6 per game. Junior guard Jarekus Singleton follows with 185 points, averaging 9.7 per game, while senior forward Jason Forte follows with 170 points, averaging 8.9 per game. Junior forward Mildon Ambres and Forte pace the team on the boards, with rebounding totals of 83 and 82 per game apiece. Junior guard Kyle Lamonte remains the team leader in assists with 49 on the season, while Singleton and Beasley follows with respective totals of 37 and 31.
Junior guard Morris Almond currently leads the Owls with 351 points this season, averaging 20.6 per game. Senior forward J.R. Harrison has 211 season points, an average of 12.5 per game, and junior guard Lorenzo Williams has 184 points on the year, averaging 10.8 per game. Harrison and sophomore forward Patrick Britton each pace the team with 109 rebounds apiece, an average of 6.4 per game. Williams has a team-best 112 assists this season. The Owls finished the 2004-05 season with an overall record of 19-12 and a 12-6 mark in the Western Athletic Conference, finishing third in the league. The team participated in the postseason NIT.
The game marks just the third overall meeting between the two schools -- the first since 1976 -- with the series tied at 1-1. Southern Miss won the series opener 87-69 in Hattiesburg on Nov. 29, 1975 and Rice picked up an 80-77 win on Dec. 4, 1976 in Houston.
Following the game, Southern Miss continues league play on the road, traveling to Birmingham, Ala., to take on UAB. Tip-off for that contest is set for 7 p.m., Saturday.
