University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Basketball Continues League Play, Hosts league newcomer UTEP
2/10/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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Feb. 10, 2006
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss Golden Eagles continue Conference USA play with the fifth league home game of the season, hosting Conference USA newcomer UTEP Saturday at Reed Green Coliseum. Tip-off for the contest is set for 4 p.m., CST.
The 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 3:30 p.m., CST, with the Golden Eagle Courtside Show. The game also will be televised locally back to the El Paso, Texas area.
Southern Miss, under the direction of second-year Head Coach Larry Eustachy, enters the game with an 8-15 overall record and a 2-6 mark in league play following Wednesday's 59-51 victory over league newcomer UCF at home. The Miners, under the direction of second-year Head Coach Doc Sadler, stand 14-6 on the year and 7-1 in league play. In the last game, UTEP defeated UAB, 65-37, in El Paso, Texas.
Freshman guard Courtney Beasley currently leads Southern Miss in scoring with 253 points on the season, an average of 11.0 per game. Junior guard Jarekus Singleton follows with 211 points, averaging 9.2 per game, while senior forward Jason Forte follows with 205 points, averaging 8.9 per game. Forte leads all players in rebounds, with 106 on the year (4.6 per game), while Mildon Ambres follows with 102 boards, 4.4 per game. Junior guard Kyle Lamonte remains the team leader in assists with 55 on the season, while Singleton and Beasley follows with respective totals of 48 and 42.
Senior forward John Tofi currently leads the Miners with 279 points this season, averaging 14.0 per game. Senior forward Jason Williams has 256 season points, an average of 13.5 per game, and senior guard Miguel Ayala has 168 points on the year, averaging 11.2 per game. Tofi paces the team with 188 rebounds, an average of 9.4 per game, and Williams follows with 141 rebounds (7.4 per game). Senior guard Edgar Moreno has a team-high 84 assists this season, and junior guard Kevin Henderson adds 73 season assists.
The game marks the sixth overall meeting all-time between the two schools, with UTEP holding a 3-2 series lead. This is the first meeting since the 1967-68 season. The two teams first met on Dec. 29, 1950, in a 72-69 win by the Golden Eagles in El Paso. Southern Miss then won the lone home game of the series, 90-61, on Dec. 20, 1952. UTEP won the next three in the series 84-54 on Jan. 6, 1967; 76-63 on Jan. 7, 1967; and 92-71 on Dec. 4, 1968.
Southern Miss travels to take on nationally ranked Memphis on Tues., Feb. 14. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
