Southern Miss overcame a 19-point deficit to beat Jackson State 92-85 in overtime during an exhibition game on Monday night at Reed Green Coliseum.
The Golden Eagles got off to a slow start, with Jackson State making two 8-0 runs in the first half, giving the Tigers a commanding lead. By halftime, the Tigers were ahead 45-30, and Southern Miss struggled, shooting 2-for-12 from beyond the arc and 10-for-30 overall.
“I thought we came out a little cooler. Cool is not who we are. Cool is not Southern Miss, and the entire first half they took the fight to us,” said Southern Miss head coach Jay Ladner.
The second half saw a resurgence from the Golden Eagles. Led by Andre Curbelo, who scored 29 points, and Denijay Harris, who added 25, Southern Miss started chipping away at Jackson State’s lead. Down 54-38 early in the second half, the Golden Eagles went on an 11-1 run to narrow the gap.
“We were able to read how their big man was a little bit slow-footed, so we were trying to put him in actions where he needed to come up and guard a bit of the ball screens,” said Curbelo.
A 13-0 run later in the half, sparked by Christian Watson, tied the game at 67. The two teams traded baskets in the closing moments of regulation, with Jackson State tying the game at 76 on a three-pointer. Southern Miss had two opportunities to win the game in the final seconds, but a traveling call on Curbelo and a missed three-point attempt by Neftali Alvarez sent the game into overtime.
In overtime, Southern Miss took control with an 8-0 run, securing the victory.
“I’m proud of our team,” Ladner said. “That’s two games they bowed their necks open and came back and played winning basketball. That’s an attention-getter for us, and we’ll play the way you’re supposed to play basketball for 40 minutes.”
Although the stats from the game will not count officially due to its exhibition status, Southern Miss finished 2-0 in exhibition play after a previous overtime win against the University of New Orleans, 105-102.
