University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Men's Basketball Opens Conference Play against Louisiana Tech
1/2/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss begins Conference USA play this Saturday, Jan. 3, when it hosts Louisiana Tech. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT.
Southern Miss and Louisiana Tech will meet for the 75th time overall, the third most meetings in Southern Miss history. The Golden Eagles hold a 42-32 advantage. The 42 wins are the second-most in school history. Southern Miss is 29-4 in Hattiesburg and 13-1 in Reed Green Coliseum.
Southern Miss is entering its 20th season in Conference USA. In conference openers, the Golden Eagles are 12-7. When opening the conference season at home, Southern Miss is 7-2. In home openers, it is 13-6. The Golden Eagles are looking for their fifth straight conference opening victory. The Black and Gold are also on a 12-game home conference winning streak.
Southern Miss enters the game with a 5-6 record. The Black and Gold is looking to snap a three-game losing streak after falling at LSU, 87-67.
Forward Matt Bingaya leads the Golden Eagles with 15.4 points, which is eighth in Conference USA. He is also averaging a team-high 5.9 rebounds per game. Guard Chip Armelin is second on the team with 11.9 points.
Forward Norville Carey is averaging 8.4 points and 4.9 rebounds. He is fourth in the league in field goal percentage, hitting 58.5% from the floor. Guard Rasham Suarez is scoring 6.9 points and is eighth in C-USA in assists (3.5).
The Golden Eagles are scoring 62.2 points a game but are allowing 68.1. Southern Miss is connecting on 43.4% from the floor and 33.6% from three while allowing 45.9% from the field and 34.1% from beyond the arc. The Black and Gold is also being outrebounded, 33.9-to-29.6.
Sadler is in his first season at the helm of the Southern Miss men's basketball program. He has compiled a 154-113 (.577) record in nine years as a head coach.
Louisiana Tech enters the game with a 9-4 record. The Bulldogs are coming off a 74-52 win over Southern Arkansas.
Guard Raheem Appleby is fifth in Conference USA in scoring, averaging 16.1 points per game. He is also third in three-pointers made (2.4). Guard Alex Hamilton is seventh in the conference in points, averaging 15.4. He is also second in steals (2.2). Guard Erik McCree is averaging 11.2 points.
Forward Michale Kyser leads C-USA and is third in the NCAA in blocks (3.5). He is also seventh in the league in field goal percentage (.568). Guard Kenneth Smith leads the league and is fourth in the country in assists (7.4). He is also sixth in C-USA in three-point field goal percentage (.448).
Louisiana Tech leads Conference USA in scoring, averaging 75.8 points per game while allowing 66.3. The Bulldogs are connecting on 45.2% from the floor, good for third in the league, and 36.3% from three, while allowing 41.2% from the field and 30.4% from beyond the arc. Louisiana Tech leads C-USA in blocks (6.6) and steals (8.2). The Bulldogs are being outrebounded, 40.2-to-32.5.
