University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Saturday, February 16
Reed Green Coliseum
2 p.m. CT
Southern Miss
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UTEP
Men's Basketball Looks to Maintain Streak Saturday versus UTEP
2/15/2019 4:58:00 PM | Men's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Southern Miss, winners of five in a row and eight of its last 10, will remain at home Saturday at 2 p.m. CT when it hosts UTEP.
This is the final game before Conference USA releases its final four contests based on pod seeding later Saturday night. Matchups will be posted on SouthernMiss.com and social media. Fans can catch the action on ESPN Plus with Lee Roberts and Larry Boyd, as well as on the Southern Miss IMG Learfield College network with John Cox (Rock 104.5 in Hattiesburg/Laurel) and the USM Gameday app.
–    Southern Miss' victory over UTSA allowed it to already match its win total from a year ago, as well as continue its perfect trend of improving its C-USA win total over the Doc Sadler tenure. The Golden Eagles went on a 53-23 run over the middle 20 minutes after trailing 21-8 early, then held on late to defeat the league's No. 2 team. UTSA, which averaged 97.5 ppg over its previous four contests, was held to its lowest total in 11 games (Jan. 5). Southern Miss' 8-2 record since Jan. 5 matches ODU for the best record over that span.
–    The home team has won the last eight meetings. On Jan. 4, 2018 in Hattiesburg, five Golden Eagles scored in double-figures (led by Dominic Magee's 21 points and Tyree Griffin's 19), while the squad shot 74 percent in the second half for an 85-75 win. The Miners returned the favor in El Paso on Feb. 24, racing out to a 38-15 halftime lead and 73-44 victory.
–    UTEP is led by Rodney Terry, who just completed a successful seven-year tenure as head coach at Fresno State. The Miners are young and boast 36 points and 21 rebounds per game from four true freshmen, helping to make up for significant losses in standouts Omega Harris and Matt Willms, among others. UTEP fell 71-57 on Thursday night at LA Tech, and has league wins over FIU, Rice and Charlotte.
–    This matchup features many connections between the programs. Sadler took UTEP to the 2005 NCAA and 2006 NIT, with current Director of Operations Omar Thomas averaging 18 ppg his two years. Terry's predecessor, Tim Floyd, is a Hattiesburg native who began his playing career at Southern Miss before transferring to LA Tech. His father, Lee, was the Southern Miss head coach from 1949-54 and 1962-71.
–    Southern Miss has out-rebounded its opponent in each of the last five games. Only once before in the Doc Sadler era has the team done so three consecutive contests. The inside presence is led by Leonard Harper-Baker, who had his fourth double-double in Thursday's win (14 points, 12 rebounds), as his family had their first opportunity to watch him play in person this year. Over the last five home games, he is averaging 14.4 points, 12 rebounds and a 61.9 field goal percentage. In C-USA action, he is third in rebounds (9.3 pg) and fourth in shooting (60 percent).
–    The Golden Eagles' league record was 3-5 on Jan. 24 (after an 0-3 start), and the five-game win streak has brought about many statistical trends. The team from the first eight games to the last five, has increased its scoring average from 64.9 to 83.4 ppg, free-throw mark from 62.9 to 73.0 percent, field goal defense from 43.0 to 37.0 percent and rebounding margin from minus-5.4 to plus-5.2.
–   Cortez Edwards has three consecutive 20-point games (18 for his career), for the first time since the final four games of his junior season. The Golden Eagles are 8-0 when making 73.9 percent or more of their free-throws, with five of those coming in C-USA action. The squad is also 14-2 when scoring 70-plus points and 4-1 when taking 15 or fewer three-pointers. It has also led at the half in 23 of 25 home games over the last two seasons.
–    Southern Miss is the only C-USA school to have not allowed 80 points in a game this season.  It happened to the Golden Eagles eight times in each of the last two seasons, and this current 25-game streak is a single-season best since Jan. 5 - Dec. 1, 2010. The Black and Gold ranks No. 3 nationally for assist-turnover ratio (1.68) and No. 9 for fewest turnovers (10.2 pg). In league play, the Golden Eagles rank first in field goal percentage (47.5), three-point shooting (40.0) and assists (16.5) while holding third in FG defense (40.6) and steals (6.8).
–    Griffin against C-USA opponents is first in assists (6.9), fourth in assist-turnover ratio (2.6) and eighth in steals (1.8), while Edwards ranks sixth in assists (4.5) and fourth for both assist/turnover ratio (2.7) and third in steals (2.1). Griffin now ranks No. 9 all-time in school history with 364 assists (despite less than two years with the program), and his 6.9 dimes per game are No. 8 nationally. Holland, who has started 100 games in his career (all consecutive) is also now No. 1 in C-USA play for three-point shooting (50 percent) and ahead of Draine, second at 49.3. Holland was at 31.4 percent in non-conference, and his 126 career three-pointers is No. 8 in program history.
This is the final game before Conference USA releases its final four contests based on pod seeding later Saturday night. Matchups will be posted on SouthernMiss.com and social media. Fans can catch the action on ESPN Plus with Lee Roberts and Larry Boyd, as well as on the Southern Miss IMG Learfield College network with John Cox (Rock 104.5 in Hattiesburg/Laurel) and the USM Gameday app.
–    Southern Miss' victory over UTSA allowed it to already match its win total from a year ago, as well as continue its perfect trend of improving its C-USA win total over the Doc Sadler tenure. The Golden Eagles went on a 53-23 run over the middle 20 minutes after trailing 21-8 early, then held on late to defeat the league's No. 2 team. UTSA, which averaged 97.5 ppg over its previous four contests, was held to its lowest total in 11 games (Jan. 5). Southern Miss' 8-2 record since Jan. 5 matches ODU for the best record over that span.
–    The home team has won the last eight meetings. On Jan. 4, 2018 in Hattiesburg, five Golden Eagles scored in double-figures (led by Dominic Magee's 21 points and Tyree Griffin's 19), while the squad shot 74 percent in the second half for an 85-75 win. The Miners returned the favor in El Paso on Feb. 24, racing out to a 38-15 halftime lead and 73-44 victory.
–    UTEP is led by Rodney Terry, who just completed a successful seven-year tenure as head coach at Fresno State. The Miners are young and boast 36 points and 21 rebounds per game from four true freshmen, helping to make up for significant losses in standouts Omega Harris and Matt Willms, among others. UTEP fell 71-57 on Thursday night at LA Tech, and has league wins over FIU, Rice and Charlotte.
–    This matchup features many connections between the programs. Sadler took UTEP to the 2005 NCAA and 2006 NIT, with current Director of Operations Omar Thomas averaging 18 ppg his two years. Terry's predecessor, Tim Floyd, is a Hattiesburg native who began his playing career at Southern Miss before transferring to LA Tech. His father, Lee, was the Southern Miss head coach from 1949-54 and 1962-71.
–    Southern Miss has out-rebounded its opponent in each of the last five games. Only once before in the Doc Sadler era has the team done so three consecutive contests. The inside presence is led by Leonard Harper-Baker, who had his fourth double-double in Thursday's win (14 points, 12 rebounds), as his family had their first opportunity to watch him play in person this year. Over the last five home games, he is averaging 14.4 points, 12 rebounds and a 61.9 field goal percentage. In C-USA action, he is third in rebounds (9.3 pg) and fourth in shooting (60 percent).
–    The Golden Eagles' league record was 3-5 on Jan. 24 (after an 0-3 start), and the five-game win streak has brought about many statistical trends. The team from the first eight games to the last five, has increased its scoring average from 64.9 to 83.4 ppg, free-throw mark from 62.9 to 73.0 percent, field goal defense from 43.0 to 37.0 percent and rebounding margin from minus-5.4 to plus-5.2.
–   Cortez Edwards has three consecutive 20-point games (18 for his career), for the first time since the final four games of his junior season. The Golden Eagles are 8-0 when making 73.9 percent or more of their free-throws, with five of those coming in C-USA action. The squad is also 14-2 when scoring 70-plus points and 4-1 when taking 15 or fewer three-pointers. It has also led at the half in 23 of 25 home games over the last two seasons.
–    Southern Miss is the only C-USA school to have not allowed 80 points in a game this season.  It happened to the Golden Eagles eight times in each of the last two seasons, and this current 25-game streak is a single-season best since Jan. 5 - Dec. 1, 2010. The Black and Gold ranks No. 3 nationally for assist-turnover ratio (1.68) and No. 9 for fewest turnovers (10.2 pg). In league play, the Golden Eagles rank first in field goal percentage (47.5), three-point shooting (40.0) and assists (16.5) while holding third in FG defense (40.6) and steals (6.8).
–    Griffin against C-USA opponents is first in assists (6.9), fourth in assist-turnover ratio (2.6) and eighth in steals (1.8), while Edwards ranks sixth in assists (4.5) and fourth for both assist/turnover ratio (2.7) and third in steals (2.1). Griffin now ranks No. 9 all-time in school history with 364 assists (despite less than two years with the program), and his 6.9 dimes per game are No. 8 nationally. Holland, who has started 100 games in his career (all consecutive) is also now No. 1 in C-USA play for three-point shooting (50 percent) and ahead of Draine, second at 49.3. Holland was at 31.4 percent in non-conference, and his 126 career three-pointers is No. 8 in program history.
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