University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss to Take On In-State Rival Ole Miss
12/4/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 4, 2009
Southern Miss-Ole Miss Game Notes 
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss men's basketball team looks to keep its perfect record intact when it begins a two-game road trip this Saturday, Dec. 5, when it travels to Oxford to take on in-state rival Ole Miss. Tip-off is scheduled for Noon CT and will be televised on Fox Sports Net.
Southern Miss and Ole Miss will meet for the 22nd time, with the Rebels holding a 16-5 advantage. It will be the first meeting in Oxford since 1995. Last year, the Golden Eagles snapped a two-game losing streak to Ole Miss with a 78-59 victory in Biloxi. It was the first win over the Rebels since 1994, and was the largest margin of victory for Southern Miss in the series.
Southern Miss enters Saturday afternoon's game with a 5-0 record after defeating Spring Hill, 90-57, last Saturday night at Reed Green Coliseum. It is the first time since 2006-07 that the Golden Eagles have won their first five games.
R.L. Horton led the way for the Golden Eagles with 19 points, all of which came in the first half. Buchi Awaji had a season-high 13 points, and Maurice Bolden and Angelo Johnson each had 10 points and four rebounds, with Johnson adding four assists. Gary Flowers was a point away from a double-double, as he scored nine points while grabbing a game-high 13 boards.
Through five games, Bolden is fourth in Conference USA with 16.4 points per game, tied for sixth in rebounding with 7.6 points and tied for sixth with 1.8 blocks.
Flowers is second on the team with 13.4 points and tied for first with 7.6 rebounds, while junior guard R.L. Horton is contributing 11.0 points.
As a team, Southern Miss is scoring 76.4 points per game, while allowing 62.0. The Golden Eagles are third in the conference in rebounding, pulling down 40.6 boards per game, while giving up just 26.6 to the opposition, tops in C-USA.
Head coach Larry Eustachy is in his sixth season at the helm of the Southern Miss men's basketball program. He has compiled an 80-80 (.500) record during his time as head coach. In 18 years, Eustachy has an overall record of 340-225 (.602).
Ole Miss enters Saturday afternoon's contest with a 6-1 record. The Rebels are coming off a 79-57 victory over Arkansas State. Sophomore guard Terrico White led all scorers with a game-high 19 points while grabbing five rebounds. Junior guard Zach Graham scored 17 points and junior guard Chris Warren dropped in 13. Sophomore forward Murphy Hollway added 13 rebounds.
White is third in the SEC with 17.3 points per game. Warren is fourth in the conference with 17.1 points. Holloway is scoring 13.2 points and is fourth in the conference in rebounding with 9.2.
As a team, Ole Miss is averaging 82.3 points per game, while giving up 65.1. The Rebels are connecting on 47.4-percent of its shots while holding the opposition to 38.6-percent. However, Ole Miss is second in the conference with 40.9 rebounds, while giving up 39.9.
Head coach Andy Kennedy is in his fourth season at the helm of the Ole Miss men's basketball program, compiling a 67-40 (.626) record during his tenure as head coach. In five years as a head coach, Kennedy is 88-53 (.624).
