Thursday, November 7
Birmingham, AL
6:30 PM
Southern Miss
1-1,0-0Sun Belt
84
at
98
UAB
1-1,0-0AAC
1
2
F
Southern Miss.
40
44
84
UAB
56
42
98
MBB: Alvarez and Gordon Score 20-Plus in Road Loss at UAB
11/7/2024 9:51:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Southern Miss (1-1, 0-0 SBC) fell behind early at Bartow Arena on Thursday night as UAB (1-1, 0-0 AAC) pulled out a 98-84 win in Birmingham, Ala. Despite the loss, Southern Miss shot 50.9 percent from the floor and hit a season-high 10 three-pointers.
The Blazers got early help from Golden Eagle turnovers as they jumped to a 24-0 lead before Southern Miss could answer. Over half of those points were off Golden Eagle turnovers, while UAB scored 41 points off turnovers in the game. DeAntoni Gordon scored Southern Miss' first points on a pair of free throws seven minutes into the game.
Freshman Jett Montgomery followed with his first collegiate points after Jeffery Armstrong dumped a pass off to him on the wing for a three-pointer. The Franklin, Tenn. product followed that with another trey 37 seconds later.
Trailing by 26, Southern Miss went on a 22-9 run to close the half that cut a once 30-point deficit to 16. Southern Miss knocked down seven three-pointers over the first 20 minutes of play, but UAB's 53.7 shooting percentage in the first half was the difference. Gordon led all Golden Eagles in the first half with 12 points and nailed a career-best two three-pointers.
Southern Miss slowly chipped away at the Blazer lead in the second half and eventually got the once 30-point deficit to 12. Neftali Alvarez spurred a comeback attempt with just over six minutes to play. The Puerto Rican drained a three-pointer that put Southern Miss down 14, then pick pocketed Tyren Moore on the backend of back-to-back layups that cut the UAB lead to 12.
Though sitting in good shape on a potential comeback, a costly turnover turned into a 5-0 run that ended with an emphatic dunk. The Golden Eagles couldn't answer one last time and ultimately fell. Alvarez led all players with 21 points on 8-for-15 shooting. Gordon added another 20 points and knocked down a career-best two triples.
Denijay Harris quietly produced his first double-double of the season as the forward ended the night with 16 points and 10 rebounds. UAB forced 22 turnovers and scored 58 points in the paint. Alongside Montgomery, Brewer Carruth saw his first collegiate action when he came off the bench in the first half.
The Golden Eagles now return home to host Loyola New Orleans on Tuesday, Nov. 12. Tip-off at Reed Green Coliseum is set for 7 p.m. and will air on ESPN+.
Team Notes
- Southern Miss went with a new starting five tonight: DeAntoni Gordon, Chrisian Watson, Cobie Montgomery, Neftali Alvarez, Denijay Harris
- DeAntoni Gordon scored Southern Miss' first points via a pair of free throws at 13:56 in the first half
- Southern Miss made a season-high 10 three-pointers, while seven came in the first half
- The Golden Eagles shot 54.2 percent from the floor in the first half on 13-for-24 shooting
- Overall, Southern Miss shot 50.9 percent from the floor on 29-for-57 shooting
- UAB now leads the all-time series 38-20 and 23-7 in Birmingham
- The loss was Southern Miss' first of the season and moved the Golden Eagles to 1-1
Player Notes
- Cobie Montgomery made his first start of the season and his eighth career start overall
- Jett Montgomery appeared in his first collegiate game and scored a three-pointer for the first points of his career. He finished with a career-high six points
- Brewer Carruth made his first collegiate appearance off the bench
- Gordon hit a two three-pointers, marking a new career best
- Gordon scored a season-high 20 points and reached the 20-point plateau for the seventh time in his career
- Alvarez's 21 points were the most he's scored at Southern Miss, besting his previous high of 19 against Georgia Southern two seasons ago
- Harris finished with his first double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds) of the season and fourth of his career
The Blazers got early help from Golden Eagle turnovers as they jumped to a 24-0 lead before Southern Miss could answer. Over half of those points were off Golden Eagle turnovers, while UAB scored 41 points off turnovers in the game. DeAntoni Gordon scored Southern Miss' first points on a pair of free throws seven minutes into the game.
Freshman Jett Montgomery followed with his first collegiate points after Jeffery Armstrong dumped a pass off to him on the wing for a three-pointer. The Franklin, Tenn. product followed that with another trey 37 seconds later.
Trailing by 26, Southern Miss went on a 22-9 run to close the half that cut a once 30-point deficit to 16. Southern Miss knocked down seven three-pointers over the first 20 minutes of play, but UAB's 53.7 shooting percentage in the first half was the difference. Gordon led all Golden Eagles in the first half with 12 points and nailed a career-best two three-pointers.
Southern Miss slowly chipped away at the Blazer lead in the second half and eventually got the once 30-point deficit to 12. Neftali Alvarez spurred a comeback attempt with just over six minutes to play. The Puerto Rican drained a three-pointer that put Southern Miss down 14, then pick pocketed Tyren Moore on the backend of back-to-back layups that cut the UAB lead to 12.
Though sitting in good shape on a potential comeback, a costly turnover turned into a 5-0 run that ended with an emphatic dunk. The Golden Eagles couldn't answer one last time and ultimately fell. Alvarez led all players with 21 points on 8-for-15 shooting. Gordon added another 20 points and knocked down a career-best two triples.
Denijay Harris quietly produced his first double-double of the season as the forward ended the night with 16 points and 10 rebounds. UAB forced 22 turnovers and scored 58 points in the paint. Alongside Montgomery, Brewer Carruth saw his first collegiate action when he came off the bench in the first half.
The Golden Eagles now return home to host Loyola New Orleans on Tuesday, Nov. 12. Tip-off at Reed Green Coliseum is set for 7 p.m. and will air on ESPN+.
Team Notes
- Southern Miss went with a new starting five tonight: DeAntoni Gordon, Chrisian Watson, Cobie Montgomery, Neftali Alvarez, Denijay Harris
- DeAntoni Gordon scored Southern Miss' first points via a pair of free throws at 13:56 in the first half
- Southern Miss made a season-high 10 three-pointers, while seven came in the first half
- The Golden Eagles shot 54.2 percent from the floor in the first half on 13-for-24 shooting
- Overall, Southern Miss shot 50.9 percent from the floor on 29-for-57 shooting
- UAB now leads the all-time series 38-20 and 23-7 in Birmingham
- The loss was Southern Miss' first of the season and moved the Golden Eagles to 1-1
Player Notes
- Cobie Montgomery made his first start of the season and his eighth career start overall
- Jett Montgomery appeared in his first collegiate game and scored a three-pointer for the first points of his career. He finished with a career-high six points
- Brewer Carruth made his first collegiate appearance off the bench
- Gordon hit a two three-pointers, marking a new career best
- Gordon scored a season-high 20 points and reached the 20-point plateau for the seventh time in his career
- Alvarez's 21 points were the most he's scored at Southern Miss, besting his previous high of 19 against Georgia Southern two seasons ago
- Harris finished with his first double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds) of the season and fourth of his career
Team Stats
USM
UAB
FG%
.509
.513
3FG%
.455
.280
FT%
.762
.722
RB
34
36
TO
22
10
STL
4
12
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
21
FGM
8
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Pts
20
FGM
7
3FGM
3
FTM
3
Pts
16
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
5
Pts
7
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
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