HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Neftali Alvarez knocked down five triples and scored 19 points to lead Southern Miss to a 73-62 Sun Belt men's basketball win over Georgia Southern Saturday afternoon in Reed Green Coliseum.
Eagles of the Game
Tyren Moore scored 14 points to lead the Eagles, while Carlos Curry collected 12 points on 6 of 8 shooting to go along with seven rebounds. Andrei Savrasov posted 12 points and six rebounds, and Tai Strickland scored nine.
Key Moments
Southern Miss (24-5, 13-3) scored 10 straight points and opened a 15-point lead on an Alvarez triple with 11:09 to play. The Eagles (14-15, 7-9) trimmed the margin to 10 points twice, but Southern Miss answered both times as Felipe Haase drove to the bucket for a layup and Alvarez hit a 3-pointer.
Jalen Finch scored four in a 6-0 GS run that cut the lead to 68-60 with 1:31 remaining. The Eagles forced a 3-point miss late in the shot clock, but Moore missed a triple try at the other end. DeAndre Pinckney scored on a run-out dunk, and Alvarez drained a long triple from the wing for a 13-point lead with 12 seconds to go.
Stats and Notes
- It was the first meeting between the teams since Dec. 17, 2003, and their first as members of the Sun Belt.
- Southern Miss held Georgia Southern to 37 percent shooting from the field, including 6 of 22 from 3-point range.
- Southern Miss outscored GS by nine from the 3-point line.
- GS has not won in Hattiesburg since Feb. 15, 1966 (four games).
Next up
GS caps the regular season with home games vs. Coastal Carolina (Feb. 22 – Black History Night) and Appalachian State (Feb. 24 – Senior Night) next week. Both contests will tip off at 7 p.m. and air on ESPN+ and the GS Sports Network.
