Maybe it was a coincidence, but the Southern Miss men’s basketball team would not let the Lamar Cardinals grab the lead as long as Andre Curbelo was in the game.
Curbelo, a transfer from Illinois who had been one of several players across the nation being strongarmed by the NCAA, finally got his first chance to play in the black and gold and did not disappoint. The former Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year finished with 13 points, six assists, and six rebounds as his presence was felt on both sides of the ball.
Curbelo was part of an ongoing national lawsuit that several attorneys general, including Mississippi’s, filed against the NCAA to allow two-time transfer eligibility this season. The guard played his freshman season at Illinois before transferring to play for St. John’s in New York.
According to Southern Miss athletic director Jeremy McClain, Curbelo had cleared waivers and met all of the NCAA requirements when he transferred to Hattiesburg this summer. However, the membership institution failed to respond to the university’s application, forcing the Puerto Rican native to miss the first 10 games of the season.
Monday night’s game in Beaumont, Texas was close in the first half as lead changes occurred on a handful of occasions. The Golden Eagles managed to take a three-point advantage into the locker room at halftime with the score at 38-35.
In the second half, Southern Miss jumped out for a 14-2 run before Lamar made its first field goal of the period with 13:59 left. Slowly but surely, the Cardinals (5-6) got themselves back into the game, mainly by converting from the charity stripe. They eventually tied the game up with a little over three minutes remaining.
That’s when Curbelo showed what all the hype was about. He scored six clutch points and dished out an assist to give the Golden Eagles the 82-79 victory.
Sun Belt Preseason Player of the Year Austin Crowley finished with a team-high 22 points as the West Point native scored his 1,000th career point in the first half. For Lamar, Adam Hamilton and Cody Pennebaker each had 16 points.
Next up for the Golden Eagles (6-5) will be a neutral site matchup against No. 25 Ole Miss (10-0) in Biloxi. Tipoff on Saturday is set for 1 p.m. CT at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.
