University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Men's Basketball Closes Non-Conference Slate at LSU
12/28/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss closes its non-conference schedule this Monday, Dec. 29, when it travels to Baton Rouge, La. to face LSU. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and will be nationally-televised by the SEC Network.
Southern Miss and LSU will meet for the first time since 2004 and just the seventh time overall. LSU leads the all-time series, 5-1. Southern Miss is looking for it's first-ever win at LSU, dropping its previous five meetings.
Southern Miss has an extensive history against the Southeastern Conference. When the Golden Eagles face LSU, it will be their 94th meeting against the SEC. When facing the SEC, Southern Miss is 22-71. It will also be the second game against the SEC this year. Southern Miss fell at Alabama on Nov. 20. Head coach Doc Sadler is looking for his first career win over the SEC. He is 0-3, having lost to Ole Miss in the 2008 NIT and Vanderbilt in the 2010 Puerto Rico Tip-Off at Nebraska, along with Alabama this year.
Southern Miss enters today's game with a 5-5 record. The Black and Gold is looking to snap a two-game losing streak after falling at Georgia State, 68-56.
Forward Matt Bingaya leads the Golden Eagles with 15.6 points, which is seventh in Conference USA. He is also averaging a team-high 6.1 rebounds per game. Guard Chip Armelin is second on the team with 10.3 points.
Forward Norville Carey is averaging 8.4 points and 4.9 rebounds. He is third in the league in field goal percentage, hitting 58.5% from the floor. Guard Rasham Suarez is scoring 7.6 points and is tied for sixth in C-USA in assists (3.5).
The Golden Eagles are scoring 61.7 points a game but are allowing 66.2. Southern Miss is connecting on 43.8% from the floor and 33.3% from three while allowing 45.5% from the field and 34.3% from beyond the arc. The Black and Gold is also being outrebounded, 32.7-to-29.8.
Sadler is in his first season at the helm of the Southern Miss men's basketball program. He has compiled a 154-112 (.579) record in nine years as a head coach.
LSU enters tonight's game with a 9-2 record. The Tigers have won six straight after defeating the College of Charleston, 71-47.
Forward Jarell Martin is second in the SEC in scoring, averaging 16.9 points per game, while also placing third in the league the league in rebounding (9.0). He is also tied for fourth in minutes played (34.0) and eighth in eighth in field goal percentage (.471).
Forward Jordan Mickey is seventh in the conference in points, averaging 15.8. He is also first in blocks (3.2), second in rebounding (9.9) and fourth in field goal percentage (.512) and minutes played (34.0). Guard Keith Hornsby is scoring 13.5 points while placing second in the league in minutes (35.1) and eighth in three-pointers made (1.7). Guards Josh Gray and Tim Quarterman are averaging 11.1 and 10.9 points, respectively.
LSU is scoring 74.6 points per game while allowing 66.1. The Tigers are connecting on 46.0% from the floor and 34.0% from three, while allowing 39.4% from the field and 32.5% from beyond the arc. LSU is outrebounding its opponents on the year, 40.7-to-36.2.
