The Southern Miss men’s basketball team (11-22, 5-13 Sun Belt) recently concluded its season with a 78-64 loss to Georgia Southern (17-15, 8-10 Sun Belt) in the second round of the Sun Belt Championships.
Denijay Harris led Southern Miss in scoring for the 15th time this season, finishing with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field. Harris capped his collegiate career with 956 total points.
Georgia Southern shot 70% from the floor in the second half, finishing with a 52.5% shooting percentage for the game. Southern Miss, in contrast, was held to 38.1% shooting.
Christian Watson added 11 points for Southern Miss, making a career-high three three-pointers, while Alfred Worrell Jr. scored 12 points after recording a career-high 22 points in the first-round win over Coastal Carolina.
Southern Miss started strong, with Worrell Jr. giving the Golden Eagles an early 5-2 lead with a three-pointer. The Golden Eagles shot 50% from the field in the first five minutes, with Harris contributing four quick points.
However, Southern Miss went cold for a six-minute stretch, allowing Georgia Southern to take control with an eight-point lead. DeAntoni Gordon broke the scoring drought with two free throws, and Jose Benitz forced a turnover and scored, trimming the deficit to 19-15 with 6:36 left in the first half.
Georgia Southern responded with a Bradley Douglas dunk and a Eugene Brown III three-pointer, extending its lead to nine at halftime.
Georgia Southern opened the second half with a 12-2 run, pushing the lead to 19 points. Despite a brief Southern Miss run that cut the deficit to 12, the Eagles quickly regained control and extended their lead to 18.
Southern Miss continued to fight back, going on a 7-2 run to close within 13 points, but Georgia Southern’s shooting proved too much, as they made nine of their last 10 shots to seal the victory.
First Round Victory
Southern Miss entered the second round after earning head coach Jay Ladner his first Sun Belt tournament win, defeating Coastal Carolina 66-63 in the first round. DeAntoni Gordon hit a late jumper to secure the win, while Alfred Worrell Jr. led the team with a career-high 22 points.
Southern Miss’s victory was powered by strong rebounding and solid defense, forcing 10 turnovers while limiting Coastal Carolina’s opportunities. Worrell Jr. hit four three-pointers, and the Golden Eagles made key stops down the stretch to survive and advance.
Looking Ahead
As the season comes to an end, Southern Miss will look to build on its first-round tournament success and focus on improving consistency on both ends of the floor in the upcoming season.
