University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Friday, February 5
Houston, TX
2 PM
Southern Miss
-711,38 CUSA
62
at
88
Rice
-118,56 CUSA
1
2
F
Southern Miss.
27
35
62
Rice
37
51
88
Southern Miss Falls at Rice to Begin Two-Game Series
2/5/2021 5:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball
HOUSTONÂ -- Rice shot 54.3 percent and scored 51 points in the second half to defeat Southern Miss, 88-62, on Friday afternoon in Tudor Fieldhouse.
The two teams will rematch at 2 p.m. Saturday.
"We of course played from behind, something we've seemed to do about every game," head coach Jay Ladner said. "You have to set the tone defensively and really get out and compete. Rice has a good basketball team, as we know, so no surprises there. They can shoot the three and were 13-for-32 today. I will always take responsibility and do a better job at getting our team ready."
The Golden Eagles started 4-for-7 from the field but hit a 3-for-18 spell in which a 13-2 Rice run extended its lead to 34-18 at 5:31. Southern Miss was able to trim the deficit down to 37-27 at the break, thanks to a late shot-clock, bank-shot triple from DeAndre Pinckney.
Rice opened up an 11-0 run to 14:32 in the second half that made it 56-36.
"We were very poor from the get-go getting down and ready to move our feet," Ladner said. "Rice does such a good job in penetration at sharing the ball, and when they drive it's not always an intent to score, but to kick it out. We didn't close out well and had to chase shooters. You have to control things as opposed to hoping they miss their shots."
NOTABLE
-Southern Miss committed just six turnovers, one off a season-low (five against Middle Tennessee on Jan. 15).
-Tae Hardy and DeAndre Pinckney finished with team-highs of 15 points.
-It was Hardy's sixth time having that many this year.
-Pinckney matched a career-high previously set against UAB and Middle Tennessee.
The two teams will rematch at 2 p.m. Saturday.
"We of course played from behind, something we've seemed to do about every game," head coach Jay Ladner said. "You have to set the tone defensively and really get out and compete. Rice has a good basketball team, as we know, so no surprises there. They can shoot the three and were 13-for-32 today. I will always take responsibility and do a better job at getting our team ready."
The Golden Eagles started 4-for-7 from the field but hit a 3-for-18 spell in which a 13-2 Rice run extended its lead to 34-18 at 5:31. Southern Miss was able to trim the deficit down to 37-27 at the break, thanks to a late shot-clock, bank-shot triple from DeAndre Pinckney.
Rice opened up an 11-0 run to 14:32 in the second half that made it 56-36.
"We were very poor from the get-go getting down and ready to move our feet," Ladner said. "Rice does such a good job in penetration at sharing the ball, and when they drive it's not always an intent to score, but to kick it out. We didn't close out well and had to chase shooters. You have to control things as opposed to hoping they miss their shots."
NOTABLE
-Southern Miss committed just six turnovers, one off a season-low (five against Middle Tennessee on Jan. 15).
-Tae Hardy and DeAndre Pinckney finished with team-highs of 15 points.
-It was Hardy's sixth time having that many this year.
-Pinckney matched a career-high previously set against UAB and Middle Tennessee.
Team Stats
USM
Rice
FG%
.361
.508
3FG%
.333
.406
FT%
.632
.818
RB
29
46
TO
6
9
STL
4
4
Game Leaders
Pts
15
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
9
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
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