Men’s Basketball Picks Up Road Win at Southern Miss, 61-56

Wednesday, December 4

Hattiesburg, Miss.

7 p.m.

Tulane University

7-1

Southern Miss

2-7

Tulane

Southern Miss

Photo by: Parker Waters

Men’s Basketball Picks Up Road Win at Southern Miss, 61-56

Dec 4, 2019 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Tulane men's basketball team held off a late rally to close out a 61-56 non-conference road win at Southern Miss at Reed Green Coliseum.

Christion Thompson led the way with a game-high 15 points to go with nine rebounds, four blocks and a pair of steals, while Teshaun Hightower compiled his first-career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, complemented by three assists and two steals.

The Green Wave (7-1) didn't get off to the fast start it wanted, as the Golden Eagles' (2-7) defensive press slowed the early offensive momentum. Tulane's half-court offense proved to be effective in the first eight minutes however, netting a trio of 3-pointers to keep the score knotted at 13.

Tied at 17 with 9:09 remaining in the first half, the Green Wave built a 9-0 scoring run in four minutes time capped by a fast break layup by Jordan Walker off his own steal to widen the margin. Southern Miss went scoreless for five minutes before getting back on the scoreboard, but Tulane closed out the half with a six-point edge thanks to a Nic Thomas layup with 1:42 left marking the final score of the period to give the Wave a 30-24 lead at the break.

The Wave shot 12-for-27 (.444) overall in the first 20 minutes and held a 14-6 scoring advantage in the paint while holding the Golden Eagles to just 9-for-29 (.310) shooting.

Tulane got on the attack early in the second half and made offense difficult on Southern Miss, expanding its lead to double-digits for the first time, 44-33, on a Walker drive and reverse layup with 11:57 remaining.

Defense became the focal point for both teams over the subsequent three minutes of play, but the Green Wave kept its lead in double-digits, 51-40, on five-straight points by Lawson. Tulane was able to keep the Golden Eagles scoreless for another extended stretch, this one four minutes long down to the 2:45 mark, while holding a 54-42 advantage.

Southern Miss found a spark inside the final two minutes with a pair of 3s inside the final 30 seconds to pull within three, 57-54, but Tulane knocked down its free throws to hang on for the five-point win.

Tulane finished the night shooting 20-for-45 (.444) overall, 5-for-21 (.238) beyond the arc and 16-for-21 (.762) at the free throw line, while Southern Miss went 23-for-61 (.377) from the floor, 7-for-25 (.280) from the 3-point line and 3-for-4 (.750) at the charity stripe.

The Golden Eagles were led by Tyler Stevenson's 10 points and nine rebounds, as Southern Miss owned a 23-12 scoring advantage off turnovers and 21-12 off the bench.

Up next for Tulane is a trip to Phoenix, Arizona to face Saint Louis in the 2019 Basketball Hall of Fame Jerry Colangelo Classic on Sunday, December 8. Tipoff is set for 12:30 p.m. (CT) at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

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