University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss Begins Two-Game Homestand Against Louisiana Tech
12/9/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 9, 2011
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss men's basketball team will play five of its next six games at home, beginning this Saturday, December 10 against Louisiana Tech. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT from Reed Green Coliseum.
It will also be First Responders Day for the Men's and Women's doubleheader. All first responders can purchase $4 tickets which will allow them entrance into both games. They must purchase the tickets at the ticket office by presenting their ID or on game day at Reed Green Coliseum.
Southern Miss and Louisiana Tech will meet for the 70th time, with the Golden Eagles holding a 39-30 advantage. In games played in Hattiesburg, the Golden Eagles lead 27-4, including having won the last five meetings. This will be the first meeting in Hattiesburg since 1981. Southern Miss has won seven of the last 11 games.
Southern Miss enters Saturday night's contest with a 6-2 record. The Golden Eagles are coming off a 67-54 victory at South Alabama.
Maurice Bolden recorded his second double-double of the year with season-highs of 18 points and 10 rebounds. Neil Watson scored a season-high 19 points and LaShay Page added 12 points.
Page leads the Black and Gold with 16.3 points, good for third-place in Conference USA. He is second in the league in three-pointers made (3.3) and is eighth in three-point field goal percentage (.388).
Angelo Johnson is second on the team with 12.4 points. He is also fourth in the league in assists (3.8) and third in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9). Bolden is adding 12.3 points and a team-leading 7.3 rebounds and Watson is scoring 11.0 points while connecting on 92.9% of his free throws, good for second in C-USA.
As a team, Southern Miss is scoring 73.4 points and allowing just 63.4. The Golden Eagles are hitting 42.0-percent of their shots and 39.9% of their three-pointers, which is second in Conference USA. Their opposition is connecting on 43.4% from the field and 38.7-percent from behind the arc. The Golden Eagles hold a big advantage on the boards, as they are outrebounding their opponents 37.1-to-30.1, a difference of 7.0 per game. The Golden Eagles are also leading the league in free throw percentage (.785).
Head coach Larry Eustachy is in his eighth season at the helm of the Southern Miss men's basketball program. He has compiled a 123-106 (.537) record during his time as head coach. In 21 years, Eustachy has an overall record of 383-251 (.604).
Louisiana Tech comes into Saturday's game with a 4-4 record. The Bulldogs have won their last two games after defeating Northwestern State, 94-93, in double-overtime last Tuesday.
La Tech was led by sophomore guard Cordarius Johnson with a career-high 23 points, going 4-for-8 from three-point range as five Tech players reached double-digits. Senior guard Trevor Gaskins added 19 points while shooting 5-for-8 from beyond the arc while freshman guard Raheem Appleby scored 17 points. Senior center Romario Souza scored 16 points, while junior forward J.L. Lewis recorded 10 points.
The Bulldogs are led by Johnson with a team-leading 12.5 points. Gaskins is second on the team with 12.3 points and grabs a team-high 5.5 rebounds. Lewis is scoring 8.9 points and leads the Western Athletic Conference in field goal percentage, connecting on 65.9-percent of his shots. Freshman guard Kenneth Smith is tied for fifth in the WAC with 4.0 assists per game.
As a team, Louisiana Tech is third in the league scoring 71.0 points per game while allowing 70.9. The Bulldogs are shooting 40.3-percent from the floor, and their opponents are connecting on 41.8-percent. La Tech is leading the league in rebounding, pulling down 40.4 boards per game and allowing 38.4. Louisiana Tech is also second in the conference in assists (13.6), steals (7.1) and three-point field goals made (7.8).
Head coach Michael White is in his first season at the helm of the Louisiana Tech men's basketball program. He has compiled a 4-4 (.500) record during his tenure as head coach.
