Montana State University
Southern Mississippi
Southern Miss Slips By Cats
11/21/2009 10:22:33 PM | Men's Basketball
Southern Mississippi used a 15-0 run midway through the second half to overcome a double-digit Bobcat lead and post a 66-62 win at Montana State on Saturday.
Gary Flower scored a game-high 18 points, converting six-of-eight free throws down the stretch, to lead an Eagles team that worked from behind for the game's first 33 minutes. After MSU tied the game 59-59 with 1:05 to play, Flowers converted one of two free throws to give Southern Miss the lead. Flowers then converted four straight free throws to ice the win.
Bobby Howard hit a three-pointer out of the gate for the Bobcats, a harbinger of hard work and hot shooting that would help MSU build a lead as big as 11 with 10 minutes left. Montana State shot 53.5% on the night, hitting more than half its shots on each side of the intermission, but cooled off from behind the arc in the second half. MSU was 7-for-12 from three-point range in the first half, but shot just 4-for-11 in the second.
Southern Mississippi's night stood opposite MSU's. The Eagles used a late spurt to raise its shooting mark to 36% in the first half, then shot 54% in the second. USM forced 19 Montana State turnovers, committing just eight, and hit 16 of its 21 free throws while MSU was jut five-for-nine from the line.
The loss drops Montana State to 1-2 on the season, while Southern Miss is now 3-0. Montana State plays at San Francisco on Wednesday before visiting Oregon Saturday.
