University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Men's Basketball Closes Trip at Charlotte
2/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss closes its road trip this Saturday, February 21, when it travels to Charlotte, N.C., to face Charlotte. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. CT and will be televised by the American Sports Network.
Southern Miss and Charlotte will meet for the 32nd time in their history and 19th time as conference foes. The 49ers hold a big advantage, leading 26-5 in the series and 11-1 in Charlotte. In Conference USA, Charlotte is 9-1, while holding a 16-2 advantage in conference action. Last year, the Golden Eagles picked up their first-ever victory over Charlotte in C-USA play while snapping a 12-game losing streak to the 49ers.
Southern Miss has lost seven straight in Charlotte, with its only victory coming during the 1992-93 season. Head coach Doc Sadler is 1-0 against Charlotte, defeating it in the first round of the 2008 NIT while at Nebraska.
Southern Miss enters tomorrow's game with a 7-18 record, including 2-12 in Conference USA. The Black and Gold is has lost 15 of its last 17 games after falling, 64-38, at Old Dominion on Thursday.
Guard Chip Armelin is tied for sixth in Conference USA with 15.8 points. He is also second in the league in minutes played (35.1) and tied for fifth in three-pointers made (2.2), while grabbing 4.2 rebounds.
Forward Matt Bingaya is second on the team with 14.4 points while also pulling down a team-high 6.0 rebounds. Forward Norville Carey is averaging 10.7 points and 5.6 rebounds. He is sixth in the league in field goal percentage, hitting 56.3% from the floor.
The Golden Eagles are scoring just 60.2 points a game but are allowing 68.4. Southern Miss is connecting on 43.3% from the floor and 33.9% from three while allowing 46.0% from the field and 37.6% from beyond the arc. The Black and Gold is also being outrebounded, 33.2-to-29.5.
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 156-125 (.555) record in nine years as a head coach.
Charlotte enters tomorrow's game with an 11-15 record and is 4-9 in Conference USA. The 49ers have lost three of their last four games after falling, 83-82, in overtime to Louisiana Tech on Thursday.
Guard Torin Dorn leads the team with 11.8 points per game. Guard Braxton Ogbueze is second on the team with 10.6 points. He is also third in the league in three-point field goal percentage (.437) and seventh in free throw percentage (.809).
Guard Pierria Henry is scoring 9.9 points per game. He leads C-USA in steals (2.7) and is second in assists (5.7). Forward Mike Thorne, Jr. is averaging 9.9 points. He is fifth in the conference in rebounding (7.2) while forward Willie Clayton is fifth in field goal percentage (.568).
Charlotte is averaging a league-best 73.8 points per game, but are allowing 72.8. The 49ers are connecting on 46.4% from the floor, which is second in the conference, and a league-leading 38.9% from three, while allowing 44.2% from the field and 35.8% from beyond the arc. Charlotte is pulling down 35.6 rebounds per game while allowing 35.2.
