ODU's Late Run Too Much for Southern Miss, 68-58

Thursday, January 30

Reed Green Coliseum

7 p.m. CT

Southern Miss

-616, 27 CUSA

Old Dominion

-914, 54 CUSA

ODU

Southern Miss

ODU's Late Run Too Much for Southern Miss, 68-58

1/30/2020 10:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Old Dominion, the defending C-USA champs, made six of its first nine three-pointers to build a lead, then went on a 17-0 run late to foil Southern Miss' comeback attempt in a 68-58 decision on Thursday night.

"It's a tough one," head coach Jay Ladner said. "Old Dominion did a better job at shooting the three than they traditionally do, and we were slow adjusting to it. We spotted them a 10-12 point lead that ultimately was the margin. On a positive note, I was proud of our team to trail by as much as 15 and get ahead. We had expended a lot of energy at that point and weren't able to sustain it."

The Golden Eagles (6-16, 2-7 C-USA) gained their first lead of the game, 47-46, at 9:13 when Tyler Stevenson sank a baseline jumper to cap a 14-6 run. ODU responded with 17-straight points that was broken up by LaDavius Draine's three-pointer at 1:54.

The Monarchs (9-14, 5-4 C-USA) led 22-9 at 11:37 with their deep-ball barrage, and it got up to 26-11 before the Golden Eagles responded with jumpers on the next three possessions. It was a 33-23 deficit at the half.

"We played very well the first 10 minutes of the second half," Ladner said. "One of the things we talk to our players about is consistency individually, in practice and anything else we do daily. I take full responsibility for that. We have to find ways to even things out. The defensive effort should never fluctuate and be our stabilizer in games we're not shooting as well as other times."

Southern Miss remains at home Saturday against Charlotte (2 p.m. CT).

NOTABLE
-Southern Miss' nine turnovers marked the third time this season it's been below 10, all coming in C-USA play.
-This was the second time in three games (third for the season) that Southern Miss used just seven players (also at UAB and South Alabama).
-Leonard Harper-Baker (6) and Gabe Watson (5) combined for 11 assists and no turnovers.
-LaDavius Draine extended his made free-throw streak to 20. It's tied for sixth in school history and the most since Neil Watson did so from Jan. 4-25, 2012.
-Draine's 22 points marked the sixth time he's surpassed 20 in his career, and his five treys put him at 156 for his career (eight from tying Neil Watson for No. 3).
-Tyler Stevenson (18 points, 10 rebounds) produced his third double-double of the season and his career.
-Auston Leslie's 13 minutes were the second-most of his freshman year (15 at Iowa State).