Nov. 21, 2013

The Last Meeting Southern Miss 67 South Alabama 54 December 7, 2011 Mobile, Ala. Southern Miss Handles South Alabama, 67-54 Neil Watson scored 19 points and Maurice Bolden tallied a double-double to lead Southern Mississippi over South Alabama 67-54 on Wednesday night. Recap | Box Score

The Last Meeting William Carey 59   Southern Miss 89 (Vacated) December 31, 2012 Hattiesburg, Miss. Golden Eagles Roll Past William Carey, 89-59 Southern Miss used a pressure defense to wear down William Carey, earning an 89-59 victory, Monday afternoon at Reed Green Coliseum. Recap | Box Score

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss men's basketball team closes the CBE Hall of Fame Classic this weekend in Mobile, Ala. The Golden Eagles face South Alabama on Friday at 7 p.m. and Houston Baptist on Saturday at 3 p.m. On Sunday, Southern Miss returns home to face crosstown rival William Carey at 2 p.m.

Southern Miss and South Alabama will meet for the 38th time and the first since 2011. The Golden Eagles hold a 22-15 advantage. When played at South Alabama, the Golden Eagles hold a 10-8 advantage. Southern Miss has won the last three games and eight of the last 11.

Southern Miss enters tonight's game with a 3-0 record. The Golden Eagles won their second straight road game, 70-69, at North Dakota State.

Junior forward Aaron Brown leads the Black and Gold with 14.3 points. He is currently tied for second in Conference USA in three-point field goal percentage (.636) and is in fifth in field goal percentage (.667). Senior forward Daveon Boardingham is averaging 11.7 points and 6.7 rebounds and is hitting 55.6-percent from the floor. Senior forward Michael Craig is averaging 9.7 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds and senior guard Jerrold Brooks is also adding 9.7 points.

Southern Miss is averaging 70.7 points per game and is leading C-USA by allowing just 62.7. The Golden Eagles are connecting on 47.9% from the field and 35.9% from three while allowing just 39.7% from the floor and 29.4% from behind the arc. Southern Miss is also outrebounding its opponents, 35.3-to-30.0.

South Alabama comes into tonight's game with a 2-1 record. USA was picked second in the Sun Belt Conference Preseason poll. It is coming off a 76-53 win over William Carey on Monday.

Preseason First Team All-Sun Belt Conference senior forward Augustine Rubit is averaging a double-double with 14.3 points and 10.7 rebounds. Preseason Third Team All-Sun Belt Conference junior forward Mychal Ammons is averaging 12.3 points and 7.3 boards. Senior guard Antoine Allen is scoring 11.7 points and sophomore guard Barrington Stevens is adding 10.0 points and 3.0 assists.

South Alabama is averaging 75.7 points and allowing just 65.0. USA is connecting on 42.1-percent from the floor and 38.4% from three while allowing just 37.3-percent from the field and 25.0-percent from three. The Jaguars are being outrebounded 42.3-to-41.7.

Head coach Matthew Graves is in his first year at South Alabama. He has a record of 2-1 (.667).