University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss Continues its Homestand against East Carolina
2/18/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 18, 2011
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss men's basketball team continues its three-game homestand this Saturday, Feb. 19, when it hosts East Carolina. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. CT from Reed Green Coliseum.
The 2000-01 Conference USA Championship team will also be recognized at halftime.
Southern Miss and East Carolina will meet for the 17th time on the hardwood, with the Golden Eagles holding a slim 9-7 advantage. Southern Miss has won the last four meetings and nine of the last ten meetings. In games played in Hattiesburg, Southern Miss holds a 5-2 lead. Earlier this year, Southern Miss took an 84-77, decision in Greenville.
Southern Miss got its most balanced game of the season, placing six players in double-figures. Senior forward Gary Flowers led the Eagles with 17 points and eight rebounds. Senior guard Sai'Quon Stone had 13 points, including 9-of-11 from the charity stripe. Freshman guard D.J. Newbill had 13 points and eight rebounds. Senior guard R.L. Horton and junior guard Maurice Bolden each had 11 points, and junior guard Angelo Johnson added 10 points and five assists.
Southern Miss enters tomorrow's conference game with a 19-6 record, 8-4 in Conference USA. The Golden Eagles are coming off a 64-51 victory over then-conference leader UTEP on Wednesday.
Horton led the Golden Eagles with 20 points. Newbill recorded his sixth double-double of the season, scoring 15 points and pulling down a career-high 16 rebounds. Flowers had 13 points and four blocks, and Johnson added 11 points, seven assists and five rebounds.
Flowers is currently second in Conference USA in points with 19.6, which is also 28th in the nation (through 2/17). He is also fourth in blocks (1.8), sixth in three-point field goal percentage (.424), seventh in rebounding (7.4) and seventh in field goal percentage (.478). Horton is second on the team in scoring with 12.0 points.
Newbill is averaging 9.8 points and is 11th in the league with 6.7 rebounds. He is also connecting on 53.5-percent from the field. Johnson is adding 8.2 points and is fourth in the league with 4.3 assists while pulling down 3.8 rebounds. He is also 12th in C-USA in free throw percentage (.778). Senior forward Josimar Ayarza is scoring 7.6 points per game while grabbing 3.8 rebounds. Bolden is also adding 6.2 points.
As a team, the Golden Eagles are tops in Conference USA in scoring (75.8 ppg) while giving up 65.9 points. Southern Miss is connecting on 45.4-percent of its shots, while allowing its opposition to hit 41.5-percent. The Black and Gold are also leading the league with 39.2 rebounds and allowing just 31.2 to the opposition, a rebound margin of 8.0, which is tops in the conference and tenth in the country (through 2/17). Southern Miss is also recording 12.3 assists and 4.2 blocks.
Head coach Larry Eustachy is in his seventh season at the helm of the Southern Miss men's basketball program. He has compiled a 114-100 (.533) record during his time as head coach. In 19 years, Eustachy has an overall record of 374-245 (.604).
East Carolina enters the contest with a 13-12 record overall, and 5-6 in conference play. The Pirates have lost their last two games after falling at SMU, 86-67, Wednesday night.
Senior guard Jontae Sherrod led ECU with 11 points. Junior forward Darrius Morrow scored 10 points. Senior guard Brock Young had nine points, and sophomore guard Corvonn Gaines added seven points and five assists.
The Pirates are led by Sherrod, who is 12th in the league with 15.1 points. He is also seventh in the conference in free throw percentage (.806) and eighth in three-point field goal percentage (.400). Morrow is second on the team with 12.2 points while leading ECU with 5.2 rebounds. He is also connecting on 54.2-percent from the field. Young is fifth in the league in assists at 4.3 per game, while averaging 10.4 points. Senior guard/forward Jamar Abrams is scoring 9.6 points and is 14th in C-USA in three-point shooting, hitting 36.7-percent.
As a team, ECU is scoring 68.9 points per game and allowing just 66.9. The Pirates are shooting 43.4-percent from the floor, while its opposition is hitting 43.2-percent of its shots. From behind the arc, East Carolina is connecting on 35.3-percent and allowing 32.6&. ECU, however, is getting outrebounded, 33.0-to-34.8.
Head coach Jeff Lebo is in his first season at the helm of the East Carolina men's basketball program. He has compiled a 13-12 (.520) record as its head coach. In 12 years as a head coach, Lebo owns a 224-168 (.571) record.
