Wednesday, November 15
Hattiesburg, Miss.
7 PM
Southern Miss
2-1,0-0Sun Belt
76
vs
45
Xavier (La.)
0-2
1
2
F
Xavier (LA)
20
25
45
Southern Miss.
41
35
76
Men's Basketball Uses Defense and Bench Production to Cruise Past Xavier (La.)
11/15/2023 10:21:00 PM | Men's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – A defensive masterclass helped Southern Miss (2-1, 0-0 SBC) cruise past Xavier (La.), 76-45, on Wednesday night at Reed Green Coliseum. The men's basketball team picked up its 17th consecutive win at home in the process.
The Golden Eagles forced 23 Gold Rush turnovers with Donovan Ivory, Bryson Hall and Mo Arnold each nabbing three steals. Rim protection was also a factor as Southern Miss finished with five blocks and 50 rebounds -- The Gold Rush had 31 total rebounds.
The lead quickly shifted to Southern Miss' side as it utilized an 11-2 run – including Cobie Montgomery's first collegiate points – to build a 10-point advantage. The redshirt junior then hit a pair of free throws to start a 11-0 run that pushed the lead to 18. The offensive onslaught continued down the stretch as Southern Miss took a 41-20 lead into the half.
Ivory went on a solo 8-0 run early in the second half that gave Southern Miss a 36-point lead, its largest of the night at that point. Jose Benitez added much-needed bench points for Southern Miss as the sophomore hit a smooth euro step en route to four second-half points.
With the game already out of reach, the Gold Rush hit an eight-minute field goal drought that proved Southern Miss' defense was still up to the task up 38 points. The Golden Eagles limited Xavier to a 25.5 percent shooting clip from the floor. Southern Miss shot 43.3 percent from the floor and 23.8 percent from deep.
Montgomery and Ivory led all scorers with 11 points. Montgomery also added a team-high seven rebounds to his career night. Jeffery Armstrong came off the bench and scored a career-high nine points and helped the Golden Eagles to a season-best 38 bench points.
Victor Hart joined Ivory and Montgomery in double figures, scoring 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting from the floor. Benitez finished with eight points and connected on all three field goals he attempted.
Up Next
The Golden Eagles will take on Utah Valley in the Jacksonville Classic on Sunday, Nov. 19 at 11 a.m. CT. The game will be played at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Fla.
Game Notes
- The 45 points allowed are the second fewest under Jay Ladner. The record low of 42 points allowed was set in the season opener against William Carey
- Cobie Montgomery (11), Jeffery Armstrong (9), Jose Benitez (8) and Bryson Hall (5) all set career marks in scoring
- Montgomery had a career-high seven rebounds and led the Golden Eagles in that category
- Southern Miss picked up its 17th consecutive home win -- started against William Carey in the 2022-23 season opener
Follow @SouthernMissMBB on X, Instagram and Facebook for updates.
The Golden Eagles forced 23 Gold Rush turnovers with Donovan Ivory, Bryson Hall and Mo Arnold each nabbing three steals. Rim protection was also a factor as Southern Miss finished with five blocks and 50 rebounds -- The Gold Rush had 31 total rebounds.
Xavier capitalized on a slow Southern Miss start on offense and the NAIA program found themselves holding an 8-6 lead four minutes into the game. From there, Austin Crowley went on to score the next six Golden Eagle points and handed Southern Miss the lead for good.Postgame highlights presented by @Popeyes pic.twitter.com/AeEW0XDgqQ
— Southern Miss MBB (@SouthernMissMBB) November 16, 2023
The lead quickly shifted to Southern Miss' side as it utilized an 11-2 run – including Cobie Montgomery's first collegiate points – to build a 10-point advantage. The redshirt junior then hit a pair of free throws to start a 11-0 run that pushed the lead to 18. The offensive onslaught continued down the stretch as Southern Miss took a 41-20 lead into the half.
Ivory went on a solo 8-0 run early in the second half that gave Southern Miss a 36-point lead, its largest of the night at that point. Jose Benitez added much-needed bench points for Southern Miss as the sophomore hit a smooth euro step en route to four second-half points.
With the game already out of reach, the Gold Rush hit an eight-minute field goal drought that proved Southern Miss' defense was still up to the task up 38 points. The Golden Eagles limited Xavier to a 25.5 percent shooting clip from the floor. Southern Miss shot 43.3 percent from the floor and 23.8 percent from deep.
Montgomery and Ivory led all scorers with 11 points. Montgomery also added a team-high seven rebounds to his career night. Jeffery Armstrong came off the bench and scored a career-high nine points and helped the Golden Eagles to a season-best 38 bench points.
Victor Hart joined Ivory and Montgomery in double figures, scoring 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting from the floor. Benitez finished with eight points and connected on all three field goals he attempted.
Up Next
The Golden Eagles will take on Utah Valley in the Jacksonville Classic on Sunday, Nov. 19 at 11 a.m. CT. The game will be played at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Fla.
Game Notes
- The 45 points allowed are the second fewest under Jay Ladner. The record low of 42 points allowed was set in the season opener against William Carey
- Cobie Montgomery (11), Jeffery Armstrong (9), Jose Benitez (8) and Bryson Hall (5) all set career marks in scoring
- Montgomery had a career-high seven rebounds and led the Golden Eagles in that category
- Southern Miss picked up its 17th consecutive home win -- started against William Carey in the 2022-23 season opener
Follow @SouthernMissMBB on X, Instagram and Facebook for updates.
Team Stats
XULA
USM
FG%
.255
.433
3FG%
.208
.238
FT%
.800
.633
RB
31
50
TO
23
15
STL
8
15
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
11
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
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