University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Men's Basketball Begins Road Trip at Jackson State
12/17/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss begins a three-game road trip this Thursday, Dec. 18, when it travels to Jackson State. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT.
Southern Miss and Jackson State will meet for the 12th time in their history. Southern Miss holds a 10-1 record. This will be first meeting at Jackson State and the first away from Reed Green Coliseum. Southern Miss has won the last five meetings.
When the Golden Eagles face Jackson State, it will be the 36th meeting against the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Southern Miss is 33-2 when facing the SWAC. In fact, the Golden Eagles have won their last 21 games against the SWAC. Head coach Doc Sadler has never lost to a SWAC school, as he is 17-0 when facing the SWAC.
Southern Miss is 19-13 all-time when playing in Jackson. This will be their first game in Jackson since 1997. The Golden Eagles have won their last two games in Jackson and nine of their last 12. Jackson State will be the 14th different school that Southern Miss has faced in Jackson.
Southern Miss enters tonight's game with a 5-3 record. Forward Matt Bingaya leads the Golden Eagles with 15.8 points, which is tied for seventh in Conference USA. He is also averaging a team-high 5.6 rebounds per game and is connecting on 47.4% from the floor.
Forward Norville Carey is second on the team with 9.6 points and 4.5 rebounds. He leads the league in field goal percentage, hitting 61.7% from the floor and is eighth in blocks (1.1). Guard Chip Armelin is averaging 9.6 points. Guard Rasham Suarez is scoring 7.4 points and is tied for sixth in C-USA in assists (3.8) and is seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9).
The Golden Eagles are scoring 64.5 points a game but are allowing 66.0. Southern Miss is connecting on 45.0% from the floor and 32.5% from three while allowing 45.7% from the field and 35.0% from beyond the arc. The Black and Gold is also being outrebounded, 33.4-to-30.0.
Jackson State enters tonight's game with a 1-9 record and have lost seven straight. The Tigers are coming off a 76-66 defeat at Drake.
Forward Kaven Bernard leads JSU with 9.6 points, while pulling down 4.3 rebounds. He is also fourth in the SWAC in free throw percentage (.774). Guard Javeres Brent is second on the team with 8.5 points and is grabbing 4.4 boards. He is third in the league in three-pointers made (2.1). Forward Derrell Taylor is averaging 6.9 points and leads Jackson State with 5.8 rebounds per game. He is also third in the league in offensive rebounds (2.7).
The Tigers are scoring just 58.2 points a game but are allowing 72.1. Jackson State is connecting on just 36.4% from the floor and 28.1% from three while allowing 46.4% from the field and 35.4% from beyond the arc. JSU also leads the league in free throw percentage, connecting on 72.6% from the charity stripe. Jackson State is being outrebounded, 35.7-to-33.8.
Sadler enters his first season at the helm of the Southern Miss men's basketball program. He has compiled a 154-110 (.583) record in nine years as a head coach.
