University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Men's Basketball Welcoms C-USA Leader Western Kentucky
1/30/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss closes its homestand this Saturday, January 31, when it hosts Western Kentucky. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT and will be televised by Fox College Sports.
Southern Miss and Western Kentucky will meet for just the sixth time in a series that dates back to 1958. However, this is the third straight year that the teams will face off. Western Kentucky holds a 4-1 advantage overall. The series is tied at one when played in Hattiesburg. This will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools as conference opponents.
Southern Miss enters the game with a 6-13 record, including 1-7 in Conference USA. The Black and Gold fell to Marshall on Thursday, 69-54.
Forward Matt Bingaya leads the Golden Eagles with 14.3 points, which is tied for 10th in Conference USA, while also pulling down 5.6 rebounds. Guard Chip Armelin is second on the team with 14.1 points. He is also fourth in the league in minutes played (33.5) and tenth in three-pointers made (1.8). Forward Norville Carey is averaging 10.4 points and 5.2 rebounds. He is third in the league in field goal percentage, hitting 59.0% from the floor.
The Golden Eagles are scoring just 60.7 points a game but are allowing 68.7. Southern Miss is connecting on 44.0% from the floor and 34.2% from three while allowing 47.0% from the field and 38.0% from beyond the arc. The Black and Gold is also being outrebounded, 32.9-to-29.1.
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 155-120 (.564) record in nine years as a head coach.
Western Kentucky enters tonight's game with a 14-6 record and are tied for first in Conference USA at 7-1. The Hilltoppers had their nine-game winning streak snapped on Thursday when they fell at Louisiana Tech, 69-56
Guard T.J. Price is second in Conference USA in scoring, averaging 17.1 points while grabbing 6.0 rebounds. He leads the league in three-pointers (2.8), is third in three-point field goal percentage (.455), sixth in minutes (32.8), seventh in assists (3.6) and ninth in free throw percentage (.789).
Forward George Fant is second on the team with 13.9 points per game while placing second in C-USA with 8.5 rebounds. Guard Chris Harrison-Docks is scoring 11.5 points. He is fifth in the league in three-pointers (2.3) and 10th in minutes (32.7) and forward Ben Lawson is tied for fifth in blocks (1.5).
Western Kentucky is averaging 73.3 points per game, third in Conference USA, while allowing 67.2. The Hilltoppers are connecting on 43.5% from the floor and 36.4% from three, which is second in the league, while allowing 40.9% from the field and 30.0% from beyond the arc, which is also second in the league.
WKU is pulling down a league-best 38.6 rebounds per game while allowing 36.3. The Hilltoppers also lead Conference USA in assists (14.9) and are third in three-pointers per game (8.0).
Promotions Saturday vs. Western Kentucky - 5 p.m. • Eagle Jam featuring American Idol Winner Kris Allen - Free event that begins at 2 p.m. on Pride Field. Includes free food samples as part of the Taste of the `Burg. Featured vendors include Bop's Frozen Custard, Buffalo Wild Wings, Coca-Cola, Raising Cane's, Georgia Blue and Tortilla Fresca. Opening acts for the concert feature DJ Alesha Knox (from the USM Office of Admissions) and Southern Miss student Gary Stanton. • National Anthem performed by Kris Allen • Youth Basketball Night - $5 Bleacher Tickets for all Youth Basketball Players and their families. Youth Basketball players (ages 12 and under) asked to wear their Youth Basketball League Jerseys. Tickets may be purchased at the Reed Green Box Office on the day of the game. • Honors College Night at Reed Green • Alpha Kappa Alpha Night at Reed Green
