Thursday, January 11
Monroe, LA
7:30 PM
Southern Miss
9-7,3-1Sun Belt
71
at
58
ULM
4-10,0-4Sun Belt
1
2
F
Southern Miss.
28
43
71
ULM
29
29
58
Golden Eagles Edge ULM in Gritty Road Win
1/11/2024 10:54:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MONROE, La. – Thursday night was a tale of two halves for the Southern Miss men's basketball team at ULM (4-10, 0-4 Sun Belt). The Golden Eagles (9-7, 3-1 Sun Belt) ultimately leaned on a pair of 20-point games from Austin Crowley and Donovan Ivory to pick up their third-straight Sun Belt win after beating the Warhawks, 71-58.
Victor Hart picked up his fourth double-double of the season after grabbing a career-high 14 rebounds to go along with 11 points. The Golden Eagle were boosted by Hart's 10 first half rebounds, but it was the three rebounds over the final three minutes of the first half that helped Southern Miss turn an eight-point deficit into a one-point game at the break.
Jose Benitez came off the bench in the first half and provided key minutes for a shorthanded Golden Eagle team. The sophomore guard grabbed a defensive rebound with 38 seconds left in the first half that led to a Southern Miss timeout that allowed Jay Ladner to draw up a play – the play worked to perfection. Crowley dished an assist to Cobie Montgomery under the basket that turned into a massive dunk and swung the momentum to the road team as the clock wound down.
Southern Miss was held without a three-pointer in the first half but made up for the empty stat with exceptional play on the defensive end. The Golden Eagles forced 10 turnovers in the first 20 minutes and swatted three ULM shots – they ultimately finished with 10 blocks. Hart paced the box score with three of Southern Miss' six steals in the half.
The second half was all Southern Miss. Ivory sparked a 5-0 run out of the gates that put Southern Miss in front after Hart closed the run with a nifty layup. A Crowley jumper and Montgomery three-pointer stretched the lead to six, then Hart pushed it to eight with 11:26 to play in the game.
With its back to the wall, ULM made a comeback attempt thanks to a 7-1 run that tied the game at 50-all. Well, Southern Miss answered the bell and threw a punch of its own. Crowley started a 9-2 run that safely put the Golden Eagles back in front – Ivory had seven of those points.
Montgomery delivered the final dagger by the form a three-pointer with 2:05 left to play that put Southern Miss ahead by nine. Crowley then iced the game with a pair of free throws that put the lead into double digits. Montgomery cashed in on three triples in the second half, while Ivory added two on four attempts. The Golden Eagles also got timely free throws as they went 15-of-19 in the second half, while Ivory went 7-for-7.
Big man Tegra Izay racked up a career-high four blocks in 13 minutes of action in the second half and helped Southern Miss record the most blocks in the Ladner era. It was the most blocks by a Southern Miss team since Dec. 23, 2009 – it had 10 against Dillard.
The Golden Eagles finished their night shooting at a 39.3 percent clip and held ULM to a 36.7 shooting percentage. The Warhawks were limited to three triples on 16 attempts. Montgomery finished with 12 points as Benitez, Victor Iwuakor and Mo Arnold each had two points.
Southern Miss continues its two-game road trip at Troy on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off from Trojan Arena is slated for 4 p.m. on ESPN+.
Game Notes
- Victor Hart grabbed 10+ rebounds for the fourth time this season – 10 came in the first half
- Hart finished with 14 rebounds and became the second player this season to reach 14 boards
- Tegra Izay finished with a career-high five blocks and became the first Golden Eagle to reach the mark since Isaih Moore had six during the 2021-22 season
- Southern Miss' 10 blocks were the most since it recorded 10 against Dillard on Dec. 23, 2009
- The Golden Eagles moved their winning streak to three games following wins over Georgia State, No. 19 James Madison and ULM
Follow @SouthernMissMBB on Facebook, Instagram and X for updates. Season tickets are available for the 2023-24 season -- Fans can purchase tickets at SouthernMissTickets.com, by calling 1-800-844-TICK (8425) or visit the Pat Ferlise Ticket Office on campus weekdays during normal business hours.
Victor Hart picked up his fourth double-double of the season after grabbing a career-high 14 rebounds to go along with 11 points. The Golden Eagle were boosted by Hart's 10 first half rebounds, but it was the three rebounds over the final three minutes of the first half that helped Southern Miss turn an eight-point deficit into a one-point game at the break.
Jose Benitez came off the bench in the first half and provided key minutes for a shorthanded Golden Eagle team. The sophomore guard grabbed a defensive rebound with 38 seconds left in the first half that led to a Southern Miss timeout that allowed Jay Ladner to draw up a play – the play worked to perfection. Crowley dished an assist to Cobie Montgomery under the basket that turned into a massive dunk and swung the momentum to the road team as the clock wound down.
Southern Miss was held without a three-pointer in the first half but made up for the empty stat with exceptional play on the defensive end. The Golden Eagles forced 10 turnovers in the first 20 minutes and swatted three ULM shots – they ultimately finished with 10 blocks. Hart paced the box score with three of Southern Miss' six steals in the half.
The second half was all Southern Miss. Ivory sparked a 5-0 run out of the gates that put Southern Miss in front after Hart closed the run with a nifty layup. A Crowley jumper and Montgomery three-pointer stretched the lead to six, then Hart pushed it to eight with 11:26 to play in the game.
With its back to the wall, ULM made a comeback attempt thanks to a 7-1 run that tied the game at 50-all. Well, Southern Miss answered the bell and threw a punch of its own. Crowley started a 9-2 run that safely put the Golden Eagles back in front – Ivory had seven of those points.
Montgomery delivered the final dagger by the form a three-pointer with 2:05 left to play that put Southern Miss ahead by nine. Crowley then iced the game with a pair of free throws that put the lead into double digits. Montgomery cashed in on three triples in the second half, while Ivory added two on four attempts. The Golden Eagles also got timely free throws as they went 15-of-19 in the second half, while Ivory went 7-for-7.
Big man Tegra Izay racked up a career-high four blocks in 13 minutes of action in the second half and helped Southern Miss record the most blocks in the Ladner era. It was the most blocks by a Southern Miss team since Dec. 23, 2009 – it had 10 against Dillard.
The Golden Eagles finished their night shooting at a 39.3 percent clip and held ULM to a 36.7 shooting percentage. The Warhawks were limited to three triples on 16 attempts. Montgomery finished with 12 points as Benitez, Victor Iwuakor and Mo Arnold each had two points.
Southern Miss continues its two-game road trip at Troy on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off from Trojan Arena is slated for 4 p.m. on ESPN+.
Game Notes
- Victor Hart grabbed 10+ rebounds for the fourth time this season – 10 came in the first half
- Hart finished with 14 rebounds and became the second player this season to reach 14 boards
- Tegra Izay finished with a career-high five blocks and became the first Golden Eagle to reach the mark since Isaih Moore had six during the 2021-22 season
- Southern Miss' 10 blocks were the most since it recorded 10 against Dillard on Dec. 23, 2009
- The Golden Eagles moved their winning streak to three games following wins over Georgia State, No. 19 James Madison and ULM
Follow @SouthernMissMBB on Facebook, Instagram and X for updates. Season tickets are available for the 2023-24 season -- Fans can purchase tickets at SouthernMissTickets.com, by calling 1-800-844-TICK (8425) or visit the Pat Ferlise Ticket Office on campus weekdays during normal business hours.
Team Stats
USM
ULM
FG%
.393
.367
3FG%
.300
.188
FT%
.778
.579
RB
39
39
TO
11
16
STL
9
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
22
FGM
6
3FGM
2
FTM
8
Pts
20
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
7
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
1
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballSouthern Miss-Alabama State Highlights - 12/05/24
Friday, December 06
MBB: Southern Miss vs. Loyola New Orleans Highlights
Wednesday, November 13
Postgame Highlights - Southern Miss vs. Xavier (La.)
Wednesday, March 06
La Familia Special Edition
Thursday, January 11