In the final exhibition game before starting the regular season next week, Southern Miss rallied for the second consecutive game to defeat the Jackson State Tigers 92-85 in overtime Monday in a charity contest at Reed Green Coliseum in Hattiesburg.
Trailing Mo Williams’ SWAC squad by 15 at halftime (45-30), the Golden Eagles made a valiant effort to rally and force 15 turnovers from Jackson State, outscoring the Tigers in the paint (42-32) and off fast breaks (20-15).
What the Coach Said
Entering his sixth season as the head basketball coach, Hattiesburg native and Southern Miss Alum Jay Ladner has already dealt with two tough contests in the preseason.
“Give Jackson State and Mo Williams credit, just like the UNO (University of New Orleans) game last week we won in overtime, I knew it was going to be a tough ballgame,” Ladner said, who has compiled 65-89 record during his time with the Golden Eagles, but has finished 41-24 since the 2022-23 season. “I thought the entire first half, they took the fight to us. The main reason we scheduled the game against the preseason SWAC champion is because we have to prepare ourselves to get better.”
The Numbers Never Lie
While Southern Miss didn’t shoot well in the first half (32.3%) from the floor and were outrebounded by the Tigers (21-19), the Golden Eagles received solid outings from Columbus native & Arkansas transfer power forward Denijay Harris, who finished with a double-double (25 points, 13 rebounds), and point guard Andre Curbelo (29 points, 6 assists, and 4 steals).
When getting into overtime, Southern Miss guard Cobie Montgomery made a three point basket to break open the Golden Eagles’ 86-82 lead with 1:17 left. A few mishaps from Jackson State down the stretch secured the victory.
The Tigers were led off the bench by guard Juan Reyna III, who collected 20 points and knocked down 5 three-point baskets. Forest Hill alum Jayme Mitchell Jr. finished with 14 points for JSU.
Next Up
The start of the regular season begins next Monday, November 4, for both sides, with Southern Miss hosting Bowling Green at Reed Green Coliseum for the MAC-SBC Challenge. Jackson State will play on the road against the No. 4 ranked Houston Cougars in their season opener at the Fertitta Center Monday. Both games begin at 7pm and will be broadcast on ESPN+
