University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Men's Hoops Travels to Rice
1/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss is making its second trip to Texas in as many weeks, as it travels to Houston this Thursday, January 22, to face Rice. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT.
Southern Miss and Rice will meet for the 13th time in a series that dates back to 1975. Southern Miss holds an 8-4 advantage and have won the last five meetings. However, the Owls lead, 3-2, in Houston.
Southern Miss enters tonight's game with a 5-11 record, including 0-5 in Conference USA. The Black and Gold is looking to snap an eight-game losing streak after falling to UAB, 63-56.
Forward Matt Bingaya leads the Golden Eagles with 14.5 points, which is tied for 10th in Conference USA. He is also tied for sixth in steals (1.4) and is averaging a team-high 5.4 rebounds per game. Guard Chip Armelin is second on the team with 12.8 points.
Forward Norville Carey is averaging 9.6 points and 4.5 rebounds. He is fourth in the league in field goal percentage, hitting 60.7% from the floor. Guard Rasham Suarez is scoring 7.4 points and is tied for sixth in C-USA in assists (3.7).
The Golden Eagles are scoring 60.5 points a game but are allowing 69.2. Southern Miss is connecting on 44.6% from the floor and 34.3% from three while allowing 47.1% from the field and 37.7% from beyond the arc. The Black and Gold is also being outrebounded, 32.4-to-28.4.
Southern Miss head coach Doc Sadler is in his first season at the helm of the Southern Miss men's basketball program. He has compiled a 154-118 (.566) record in nine years as a head coach.
Rice enters tonight's game with a 5-11 record and is 2-3 in Conference USA. The Owls snapped their three-game losing streak, last Saturday when they defeated Charlotte, 73-68, in overtime.
Guard Marcus Jackson is ninth in Conference USA in scoring, averaging 14.6 points. He is also third in free throw percentage (.833), fourth in three-pointers made (2.6), tied for sixth in assists (3.7) and 10th in minutes played (32.5). Forward Seth Gearhart is second on the team with 13.6 points. He is also sixth in the conference in free throw percentage (.806) and eighth in three-pointers made (2.0).
Guard Max Guercy is scoring 8.8 points per game while leading the league in free throw percentage (.895). He is also sixth in steals (1.4). Center Andrew Drown leads the Owls with 5.4 rebounds per game.
Rice is averaging 62.9 points per game while allowing 65.4. The Owls are connecting on just 40.3% from the floor and 35.0% from three, while allowing 43.1% from the field and 36.5% from beyond the arc. Rice is pulling down 32.3 rebounds per game, while allowing 33.8. The Owls lead Conference USA in free throw percentage (.739) and three-pointers made (8.9).
