Saturday, January 6
Hattiesburg, Miss.
2 PM
Southern Miss
8-7,2-1Sun Belt
81
vs
71
James Madison
14-1,2-1Sun Belt
1
2
F
James Madison
35
36
71
Southern Miss.
44
37
81
Photo by: Joe Harper/bgnphoto.com
Golden Eagles Slay Previously Unbeaten and Nationally Ranked James Madison
1/6/2024 6:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Austin Peay, Virginia Tech, Alabama, South Carolina, Marquette, Central Florida – and now No. 19 James Madison.
The then-undefeated Dukes became the latest ranked team to fall following an 81-71 win for the Golden Eagles at Reed Green Coliseum on Saturday afternoon. The historic win was the third ranked victory in Hattiesburg and the latest since No. 22 UCF fell to Southern Miss on Jan. 15, 2011.
"We are a next-game team," said Austin Crowley. "No matter what, we want to push forward. We never think back to the past or what we did badly. We know what we are capable of, and we know the team that we have. We always answer back. That's our theme: if you punch us, then we'll punch right back."
The lead hit eight on a 6-0 Golden Eagle run, then hit 10 on another 6-0 run with five minutes and some change to play in the half, but it was the crowd of 4,107 that made it feel much larger. The biggest momentum-swinging play of the game to that point came on an Andre Curbelo floater that gave the Golden Eagles their largest lead of the game at 11.
Victor Hart immediately set the tone for the second half after he threw down a dunk that exploded the roof off the Coliseum and gave the Golden Eagles a 12-point lead minutes into the second half. Victor Iwuakor then put home a layup that gave Southern Miss a 15-point lead that would go on to be its largest lead of the day. With things going Southern Miss' way, James Madison took advantage of the Golden Eagles for an 11-0 run that cut it to a four-point game in three minutes.
Michael Green III turned it into a four-point game after a layup in the paint with 6:14 to play. Hart followed with a three-point answer that energized the Coliseum crowd and boosted Southern Miss to a 9-0 run that put the lead back to 13 points with four minutes remaining. Hart ultimately sealed the win with a pair of free throws that put Southern Miss at 73 points.
The Dukes had no answer the rest of the way and the Golden Eagles hung on for the 10-point win. Donovan Ivory stamped the afternoon with a transition dunk that gave flashbacks to Southern Miss' win over Louisiana last season in front of a sold-out crowd.
Hart led all scorers with 16 points and seven rebounds – Hart, however, picked up a pair of technical fouls and had to leave the ballgame with 2:51 left in the game. Curbelo, who was coming off a triple-double against Georgia State last Thursday, finished his weekend with a 15-point, nine-assist performance. The senior guard has dished out 20 assists over the last two games and brought his season total to 30 through five games.
Crowley filled up the box score with 15 points and eight rebounds while only playing seven minutes in the first half due to foul trouble. Cobie Montgomery went 4-for-4 from the floor en route finishing with 12 points. Iwuakor continued his paint dominance as the forward added three blocks following his four against the Panthers on Thursday.
Southern Miss' win over No. 19 James Madison was the eight-ever in program history and the third at Reed Green Coliseum. Its last win against a top-20 team was against then-No. 19 Arkansas on Nov. 18, 2000.
All-Time Ranked Wins
No. 20 Austin Peay – Jan. 3, 1974
No. 18 Virginia Tech - Feb. 22, 1986
No. 6 Alabama – Nov. 30, 1990
No. 21 South Carolina – Jan. 10, 1991
No. 15 Arkansas - Nov. 18, 2001
No. 21 Marquette – Jan. 16, 2004
No. 22 UCF – Jan. 15, 2011
No. 19 James Madison – Jan. 6, 2024
Game Notes
- Andre Curbelo dished out nine assists and brought his total over the two previous games to 20
- The win was the first over a ranked opponent since Jan. 15, 2011 against No. 22 UCF
- James Madison moved to 14-1 on the season after suffering its first loss
- Austin Crowley went for 15 points after scoring 25 in the Sun Belt home opener on Thursday
- Victor Hart finished as the leading scorer for the sixth time as a Golden Eagle
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.
The then-undefeated Dukes became the latest ranked team to fall following an 81-71 win for the Golden Eagles at Reed Green Coliseum on Saturday afternoon. The historic win was the third ranked victory in Hattiesburg and the latest since No. 22 UCF fell to Southern Miss on Jan. 15, 2011.
"We are a next-game team," said Austin Crowley. "No matter what, we want to push forward. We never think back to the past or what we did badly. We know what we are capable of, and we know the team that we have. We always answer back. That's our theme: if you punch us, then we'll punch right back."
Southern Miss GRIT was on full display Saturday afternoon as it nearly dominated the game from start to finish. James Madison briefly took a two-point lead after TJ Bickerstaff and Julien Wooden answered a pair of Austin Crowley baskets, but Crowley – who scored Southern Miss first nine points – hit a free throw at the 15:57 mark that gave the home team the lead for good.𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗢 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘. 𝗦𝗘𝗘 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗦. pic.twitter.com/roQVc69wsS
— Southern Miss MBB (@SouthernMissMBB) January 6, 2024
The lead hit eight on a 6-0 Golden Eagle run, then hit 10 on another 6-0 run with five minutes and some change to play in the half, but it was the crowd of 4,107 that made it feel much larger. The biggest momentum-swinging play of the game to that point came on an Andre Curbelo floater that gave the Golden Eagles their largest lead of the game at 11.
James Madison tried to trim it down but couldn't get any closer than eight points over the final five minutes of the first half. The Dukes, though, managed to make it a nine-point game at the break after Terrence Edwards Jr. connected on a jumper with five seconds left. Both teams minimized the turnover number to two in the first half and ultimately both finished with 10 for the game.Mood at the half 😎 pic.twitter.com/7sjy8HXcle
— Southern Miss MBB (@SouthernMissMBB) January 6, 2024
Victor Hart immediately set the tone for the second half after he threw down a dunk that exploded the roof off the Coliseum and gave the Golden Eagles a 12-point lead minutes into the second half. Victor Iwuakor then put home a layup that gave Southern Miss a 15-point lead that would go on to be its largest lead of the day. With things going Southern Miss' way, James Madison took advantage of the Golden Eagles for an 11-0 run that cut it to a four-point game in three minutes.
Michael Green III turned it into a four-point game after a layup in the paint with 6:14 to play. Hart followed with a three-point answer that energized the Coliseum crowd and boosted Southern Miss to a 9-0 run that put the lead back to 13 points with four minutes remaining. Hart ultimately sealed the win with a pair of free throws that put Southern Miss at 73 points.
The Dukes had no answer the rest of the way and the Golden Eagles hung on for the 10-point win. Donovan Ivory stamped the afternoon with a transition dunk that gave flashbacks to Southern Miss' win over Louisiana last season in front of a sold-out crowd.
Hart led all scorers with 16 points and seven rebounds – Hart, however, picked up a pair of technical fouls and had to leave the ballgame with 2:51 left in the game. Curbelo, who was coming off a triple-double against Georgia State last Thursday, finished his weekend with a 15-point, nine-assist performance. The senior guard has dished out 20 assists over the last two games and brought his season total to 30 through five games.
Crowley filled up the box score with 15 points and eight rebounds while only playing seven minutes in the first half due to foul trouble. Cobie Montgomery went 4-for-4 from the floor en route finishing with 12 points. Iwuakor continued his paint dominance as the forward added three blocks following his four against the Panthers on Thursday.
Southern Miss' win over No. 19 James Madison was the eight-ever in program history and the third at Reed Green Coliseum. Its last win against a top-20 team was against then-No. 19 Arkansas on Nov. 18, 2000.
All-Time Ranked Wins
No. 20 Austin Peay – Jan. 3, 1974
No. 18 Virginia Tech - Feb. 22, 1986
No. 6 Alabama – Nov. 30, 1990
No. 21 South Carolina – Jan. 10, 1991
No. 15 Arkansas - Nov. 18, 2001
No. 21 Marquette – Jan. 16, 2004
No. 22 UCF – Jan. 15, 2011
No. 19 James Madison – Jan. 6, 2024
Game Notes
- Andre Curbelo dished out nine assists and brought his total over the two previous games to 20
- The win was the first over a ranked opponent since Jan. 15, 2011 against No. 22 UCF
- James Madison moved to 14-1 on the season after suffering its first loss
- Austin Crowley went for 15 points after scoring 25 in the Sun Belt home opener on Thursday
- Victor Hart finished as the leading scorer for the sixth time as a Golden Eagle
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
JMU
USM
FG%
.394
.491
3FG%
.118
.267
FT%
.684
.758
RB
42
38
TO
10
10
STL
5
4
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
16
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
5
Pts
15
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
9
Pts
15
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballG
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