Southern Miss
South Alabama
Southern Miss Dominates South Alabama, 93-58
11/17/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 17, 2010
HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - Southern Miss got its biggest scoring output in two years, as it rolled over South Alabama, 93-58, Wednesday night during the 2010-11 home opener at Reed Green Coliseum.
Southern Miss is now 54-11 all-time in home openers, including having won its last five and 17 of its last 18. The 35-point margin is the largest for either team in the 36 meetings between the two schools. The 37 field goals are the most since recording 51 against Blue Mountain in 2007.
Senior R.L. Horton led all players with 25 points. Senior Josimar Ayarza record his second career double-double, scoring 17 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Senior Torye Pelham scored a career-high 15 points, while junior Angelo Johnson was just one point and two assists away from a triple-double, scoring nine points, while adding career-highs of 10 rebounds and eight assists.
"I thought we beat a really good team," said Southern Miss head coach Larry Eustachy. "I'm shocked at how easy we got them. We did it without our best player, and also with the newcomers not playing as well as I know they will. We put it into their heads that they needed to step up without (Gary) Flowers, and they did. It was good for our guys to be able to do that. I know they feel real good about themselves."
Southern Miss played without Gary Flowers, and it showed at the beginning of the game. Both teams started out cold, as Southern Miss missed its first five shots while South Alabama missed its first six. After USA went up 1-0, the Golden Eagles got their first basket 3:44 into the game on a Maurice Bolden lay-up, and scored the next five points. With the game tied at 11 and 12:16 to play, the Black and Gold went on a 17-0 run over the next 4:49 to go up 28-11. The Jaguars could get no closer the 12 the rest of the half, as USM headed into the break with a 38-20 halftime lead.
The Eagles started the second half the way they finished the first, as they opened the second stanza with a 19-0 run to go up 57-20-just 4:45 into the half. Southern Miss pushed its lead to 41 points, and South Alabama would not get closer than 27 points.
The Golden Eagles shot 54.4-percent (37-of-68) from the floor, while holding South Alabama to just 28.3-percent (17-of-60), including 18.5-percent in the first half. Southern Miss was also 9-of-18 (50.0%) from behind the arc, and outrebounded USA, 50-34.
Tim Williams led South Alabama with 17 points, while Javier Carter added 14 and a team-high eight rebounds.
The Golden Eagles plays the second of four games at home next Monday, Nov. 22, when it hosts McNeese State. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CT.
