University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss
Millsaps
Basketball Cruises to Victory Over Millsaps
11/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The Southern Miss men's basketball team held Millsaps to just 28.3 percent shooting from the floor in route to a 66-38 victory over the Majors on Thursday night at Reed Green Coliseum. The victory was the 18th consecutive exhibition win for the Golden Eagles.
Ten of the 12 players who saw action for Southern Miss on the night scored with three players notching double-digit points, led by senior transfer Kourtlin Jackson who netted 14 points. True freshman Tim Rowe and senior Michael O'Donnell added 12 and 10, respectively. Raheem Watts added eight points on the night.
Rowe, O'Donnell, and junior transfer Quinton Campbell each pulled down six rebounds apiece to lead the team. Rowe posted four blocks, while Campbell recorded three of the team's nine steals. Junior transfer Khari Price dished out a team-best four assists.
The Golden Eagles' defense forced 16 turnovers and limited the Majors to 28.3 percent from the floor and just 8.3 percent from behind the arc.
Millsaps' Quinn Atkinson led the Majors with nine points followed by Jacob Spence who chipped in eight. Alex Gerchow led all players with 10 rebounds in the game.
Millsaps jumped out to an early 4-0 lead at the 18-minute mark of the first half, but Southern Miss responded with a 15-0 run to take control of the game. The Golden Eagles' defense held the Majors scoreless for the next 10:17, causing the visitors to go 0-for-14 from the floor. Southern Miss held a 10-to-0 edge in the first half in points off of turnovers as the defense caused nine Millsaps turnovers.
Jackson finished the first half with a dozen points, going 4-for-6 in the first stanza, including a pair of three pointers. Campbell pulled down a team-high six boards in the first half and Price dished out three helpers.
The second half saw Southern Miss notch 33 points for the second straight period, while holding Millsaps to 23 points. The Golden Eagles led by as many as 29 points with 2:13 to play before earning the 28-point victory.
The Golden Eagles open the season on the road against former Conference USA rival Memphis on Saturday, Nov. 14. The home opener for team is slated for Tuesday, Nov. 17 against Jackson State.
