University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Men's Basketball Begins Homestand Against FIU
2/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss begins a two-game homestand this Thursday, February 12, when it hosts FIU. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT and will be nationally-televised on Fox Sports South.
Southern Miss and FIU will meet for just the second time in their history. The Golden Eagles won the first meeting last year, 78-66, in Hattiesburg. This will be head coach Doc Sadler's first-ever game facing FIU.
Southern Miss enters tonight's game with a 6-15 record, including 1-9 in Conference USA. The Black and Gold have dropped 12 of its last 13 after falling at Middle Tennessee on Thursday, 61-51.
Southern Miss enters tonight's game with a 6-16 record, including 1-10 in Conference USA. The Black and Gold have dropped 13 of its last 14, including four straight, after falling, 78-68, at UAB last Saturday.
Guard Chip Armelin is ninth in Conference USA with 15.3 points. He is also third in the league in minutes played (34.3) and tied for eight in three-pointers made (2.0), while grabbing 4.0 rebounds.
Forward Matt Bingaya is second on the team with 14.1 points while also pulling down a team-high 5.8 rebounds. Forward Norville Carey is averaging 10.9 points and 5.3 rebounds. He is third in the league in field goal percentage, hitting 58.4% from the floor.
The Golden Eagles are scoring just 60.6 points a game but are allowing 69.0. Southern Miss is connecting on 44.0% from the floor and 34.6% from three while allowing 46.2% from the field and 37.7% from beyond the arc. The Black and Gold is also being outrebounded, 33.0-to-29.2.
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 155-123 (.558) record in nine years as a head coach.
FIU enters tonight's game with an 11-12 record and is 4-6 in Conference USA. The Panthers have lost two straight after falling to UTEP last Saturday, 67-64.
Guard Dennis Mavin is leading the league in scoring, averaging 17.7 points per game. He is grabbing 5.3 rebounds per game in a conference-high 35.4 minutes per game.
Forward Adrian Diaz is second on the team with 13.5 points per game. He is seventh in the league in rebounding, pulling down 6.9 boards per game, while leading C-USA in field goal percentage (.639). He is also second in blocks per game (2.7). Forward Daviyon Draper is scoring 8.0 points per game while tying for ninth in the conference in steals per game (1.3).
FIU is averaging 62.7 points per game while allowing just 63.5. The Panthers are connecting on 45.4% from the floor, which is third in Conference USA, and 30.3% from three, while allowing a league-low 39.8% from the field, including 31.0% from beyond the arc. FIU is pulling down 35.0 rebounds per game, while allowing 34.4. The Panthers are also third in the conference in blocks per game, averaging 4.4.
Promotions
Thursday at 8 p.m. vs. FIU
• All fans asked to wear GOLD
• First 500 Students get a Gold Southern Miss T-shirt
• Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night - Buy One, Get One Ticket FREE Special by showing your USM Faculty and Staff ID
• Student-Athlete Academic Presentation - all Student-Athletes that achieved a 3.0 GPA or higher for the 2014 Fall Semester will be recognized at Halftime
• College of Education & Psychology will be recognized during the game
• Alpha Chi Omega Sorority and Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity will be recognized during the game
