An electric crowd at Reed Coliseum and stout defensive play by Southern Miss led to a 69-66 victory for the Golden Eagles over Arkansas State on Wednesday night.
Despite missing two of their best players in Andre Curbelo and Victor Hart, Southern Miss (10-8, 4-2) overcame a 33-31 halftime deficit to win its fourth conference game of the season. After multiple lead changes throughout the second period, preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year Austin Crowley knocked down a jumper with 54 seconds left to take a 67-66 lead that the Golden Eagles would not relinquish. Arkansas State (7-11, 3-3) called three timeouts to try to draw up a play that could get the lead back but to no avail.
Head coach Jay Ladner said after the game that even with depth issues, he was proud of how his team played.
“[Curbelo and Hart] practiced for a little bit yesterday, but both seemed to be further away today. They look more likely to play on Saturday,” Ladner said. “It’s certainly not optimal and our depth may be a little short, but I am happy with the effort we have given. Everybody has to circle the wagon and we have to tighten our belts. We certainly do not have an injury plan in place; we just anticipate the next man up.”
Ladner also gave credit to Arkansas State, calling them “one of the most improved teams in the conference.” The Red Wolves displayed that by shooting over 41% from beyond the arc. However, the Golden Eagles were able to outrebound and outscore them in the paint, which is what ultimately sealed the contest.
Leading the stat sheet for Southern Miss was Crowley with a game-high 25 points. Donovan Ivory had 15 points and eight rebounds, while Victor Iwuakor secured a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The Nigerian-born forward added six blocks. For Arkansas State, Caleb Fields had 16 points and nine assists.
Next up for Southern Miss will be a home game against Troy (11-6, 5-0) on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+. The Trojans got the best of the Golden Eagles when they faced off this past weekend, winning 82-56.
