Saturday, December 21
Reed Green Coliseum
2 p.m. CT
Southern Miss
4-9
96
vs
77
Tougaloo
10-4
1
2
F
Tougaloo
33
44
77
Southern Miss
49
47
96
Photo by: Joe Harper
LaDavius Draine Climbs Record Books in 96-77 Win over Tougaloo
12/21/2019 5:19:00 PM | Men's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Junior guard LaDavius Draine went 7-for-10 from three-point range, jumping from No. 9 to 5 in career-makes, for a career-high 28 points as Southern Miss rolled past Tougaloo, 96-77, on Saturday to conclude non-conference play.
Draine's seven triples (140 overall) tied for sixth in single-game school history, which he also accomplished on Feb. 16 versus UTEP on nine attempts. For his career, he passed former teammate Kevin Holland and is now within three of matching Jimmie Floyd (1994-98) for the No. 4 spot.
"He's as fine a young man as I've coached in my 29 years," head coach Jay Ladner said. "He does exactly what you tell him to do. He really struggled early in the year, and he has the reputation of being an outstanding shooter. He never got down, came every day for extra shots, and I certainly never wanted to make an issue of it or question him and hurt his confidence. He shot better in the Bahamas, and today he showed a lot of confidence each time he went up for one."
The scoring column also featured Tyler Stevenson and Gabe Watson with 19 apiece, while Jay Malone produced a career-high 12. The Golden Eagles also produced 22 assists, led by Watson's game and career-high eight.
The Golden Eagles (4-9) trailed 18-17 at 12:45 before producing a 28-9 run that separated them for good. Tougaloo got within 12 early in the second half, but Southern Miss led by as much as 29 with 10 minutes left.
"We have played an incredibly-challenging schedule," Ladner said. "It was important for our team to get a win over a good opponent, which entered 10-3. Coach [Thomas] Billups is a good friend of mine. The biggest takeaway is that I wanted our guys to experience success and the fruits of their labor in what's always a long season. Overall, I was proud of them and their improvement. We've won two of our last four with a couple of nail-biting losses. We have to take it day-to-day, and I was glad to get everyone in and through the holidays on a winning note."
Southern Miss begins C-USA play on Monday, Dec. 30 at home against Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs were picked third in the league's preseason poll.
NOTABLE
-This was the second all-time meeting between the schools. Southern Miss won in the 2016-17 season opener as well.
-All 12 players dressed out saw playing time.
-Southern Miss shot 51.7 percent from the field, the third time it's surpassed 50 this year (also Delta State, Southern Illinois).
-The team's 11 three-pointers matched a season-high (also versus Gonzaga).
-Tyler Stevenson's 19 points were the second-most of his career (had 27 against North Florida on Dec. 14). He was also tied a career-high of nine rebounds and was one away from his first double-double.
-Jay Malone's career-high 12 points also marked his first double-figure game. His seven assists marked the fourth time this year he has had that many.
-Leonard Harper-Baker's game-high 10 rebounds marked the 14th time he's been in double-figures for his career (fifth this season).
-LaDavius Draine's 28 points marked his fourth time with 20-plus (also had a season-high 21 the last game at Texas Tech). Southern Miss is 3-1 when he has 20.
-Gabe Watson's 19 points were one off a career-high set in the Texas Tech contest as well.
Draine's seven triples (140 overall) tied for sixth in single-game school history, which he also accomplished on Feb. 16 versus UTEP on nine attempts. For his career, he passed former teammate Kevin Holland and is now within three of matching Jimmie Floyd (1994-98) for the No. 4 spot.
"He's as fine a young man as I've coached in my 29 years," head coach Jay Ladner said. "He does exactly what you tell him to do. He really struggled early in the year, and he has the reputation of being an outstanding shooter. He never got down, came every day for extra shots, and I certainly never wanted to make an issue of it or question him and hurt his confidence. He shot better in the Bahamas, and today he showed a lot of confidence each time he went up for one."
The scoring column also featured Tyler Stevenson and Gabe Watson with 19 apiece, while Jay Malone produced a career-high 12. The Golden Eagles also produced 22 assists, led by Watson's game and career-high eight.
The Golden Eagles (4-9) trailed 18-17 at 12:45 before producing a 28-9 run that separated them for good. Tougaloo got within 12 early in the second half, but Southern Miss led by as much as 29 with 10 minutes left.
"We have played an incredibly-challenging schedule," Ladner said. "It was important for our team to get a win over a good opponent, which entered 10-3. Coach [Thomas] Billups is a good friend of mine. The biggest takeaway is that I wanted our guys to experience success and the fruits of their labor in what's always a long season. Overall, I was proud of them and their improvement. We've won two of our last four with a couple of nail-biting losses. We have to take it day-to-day, and I was glad to get everyone in and through the holidays on a winning note."
Southern Miss begins C-USA play on Monday, Dec. 30 at home against Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs were picked third in the league's preseason poll.
NOTABLE
-This was the second all-time meeting between the schools. Southern Miss won in the 2016-17 season opener as well.
-All 12 players dressed out saw playing time.
-Southern Miss shot 51.7 percent from the field, the third time it's surpassed 50 this year (also Delta State, Southern Illinois).
-The team's 11 three-pointers matched a season-high (also versus Gonzaga).
-Tyler Stevenson's 19 points were the second-most of his career (had 27 against North Florida on Dec. 14). He was also tied a career-high of nine rebounds and was one away from his first double-double.
-Jay Malone's career-high 12 points also marked his first double-figure game. His seven assists marked the fourth time this year he has had that many.
-Leonard Harper-Baker's game-high 10 rebounds marked the 14th time he's been in double-figures for his career (fifth this season).
-LaDavius Draine's 28 points marked his fourth time with 20-plus (also had a season-high 21 the last game at Texas Tech). Southern Miss is 3-1 when he has 20.
-Gabe Watson's 19 points were one off a career-high set in the Texas Tech contest as well.
Team Stats
TOU
USM
FG%
.373
.517
3FG%
.263
.478
FT%
.786
.714
RB
42
36
TO
13
11
STL
7
6
Game Leaders
Pts
28
FGM
8
3FGM
7
FTM
5
Pts
19
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Pts
19
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
6
Pts
12
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
4
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
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