University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss
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UTEP
Southern Miss Defeats UTEP, 87-78
1/31/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 31, 2007
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Sophomore Craig Craft and freshman Sai'Quon Stone each tallied a career-high 22 points to lead Southern Miss to an 87-78 Conference USA victory over UTEP here Wednesday night at Reed Green Coliseum.
Craft added a career-best 11 rebounds to notch his first career double-double as the Golden Eagles improved to 14-6 on the season and 4-3 in C-USA play. The Golden Eagles snapped a six-game losing streak to the Miners and finished the month of January with a 5-4 mark.
Sophomore Courtney Beasley added 17 points, while freshman Jeremy Wise tallied 13 to pace the Golden Eagles.
Southern Miss shot 51.1 percent for the contest (24-of-47) and added 34-of-39 from the line (87.2 percent) as they led for most of the second half after taking a 47-46 lead at intermission.
The Golden Eagles overcame 18 turnovers in the contest and withstood 12-of-37 3-point shooting by the Miners (12-10, 4-4) as Stefon Jackson led UTEP with 20 points, followed 12 from Kevin Henderson.
Leading 79-74 with a minute to play, Southern Miss hit 8-of-8 free throws in the final 50 seconds, including four from Jarvis Hill to seal the outcome.
The Golden Eagles outrebounded an opponent for the 17th time this season as they led the battle of the boards, 39-28.
Southern Miss concludes its two-game homestand Saturday when they entertain Tulane. Game time is set for 7 p.m. The contest will be televised on CSS (Comcast Channel 25 in Hattiesburg area).
