Southern Miss
Charlotte
Southern Miss Falls to Charlotte, 82-76
1/7/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Charlotte shot 64 percent from the floor in the second half to erase a five-point halftime deficit in ruining the C-USA home opener for Southern Miss, 82-76, at Reed Green Coliseum Thursday night.
The Golden Eagles dropped to 3-10 on the season and 0-2 in C-USA play, while the 49ers improved to 4-10 and 1-1.
Redshirt senior Kourtlin Jackson (Des Moines, Iowa) led the Golden Eagles with 16 points off the bench, while sophomore Keljin Blevins (Hot Springs, Ark.) and redshirt senior Michael O'Donnell each notched career highs with 14 and 13 points, respectively. Redshirt junior Khari Price (Slidell, La.) added 12 points and a game-high seven assists.
All five Charlotte starters finished in double figures as Jon Davis led the way for the visitors with a game-high 18 points. Braxton Ogbueze added 17 points, while Anthony Vanhook tallied 16, Joseph Uchebo had 14 and Andrien White chipped in 12.
Southern Miss led 36-31 at the half behind a solid first-half shooting performance that saw the Golden Eagles hit 14-of-28 from the floor for 50 percent.
The home squad extended the lead to as many as nine at 45-36 on a Jackson 3-pointer with 17:01 to play, but the 49ers then went on 10-0 run over the next 3:21 to take their first lead since the opening half at 46-45.
Blevins helped the Golden Eagles open up another lead of five points at 57-52 with 9:08 to play, but Southern Miss could not overcome Charlotte making its final eight shots from the floor as well as going to the free throw line 27 times in the second half, making 15 attempts.
Davis' old-fashioned 3-point play with 6:23 left gave Charlotte a 60-59 advantage and the 49ers did not trail again for the remainder of the contest.
The game started with the Golden Eagles falling behind by as much as 11 points as the visiting 49ers built a 15-4 lead behind a pair of 3-pointers from White. Southern Miss, though, scored 18 of the next 23 points and took its first lead of the contest at 22-20 after Jackson converted a 3-pointer.
Southern Miss hit five of its season-high 12 3-pointers in the opening half.
The Golden Eagles finish the two-game homestand with Old Dominion Saturday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m., at Green Coliseum.
