Postgame Interview with Ron Cottrell (video)

MOBILE, Ala. – HBU jumped out to a 10-point first half lead, but Southern Miss chipped away and pulled out a 67-62 victory over the Huskies in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic Saturday afternoon at the Mitchell Center.
 
Sophomore guard Rob Lewis came off the bench to lead HBU (1-4) with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 2-of-3 from behind the arc. Sophomore forward Dauson Womack added 12 points and six rebounds off the bench. Freshman guard Jimmy Barton scored nine points, making all three of his 3-point attempts, and junior center Ricmonds Vilde led the Huskies with a game-high 12 rebounds.
 
Neil Watson and Daveon Boardingham each had 15 points for USM (5-0), with Boardingham pulling down seven rebounds. Michael Craig led the Golden Eagles on the glass with eight boards to go along with eight points, and Matt Bingaya added nine points.
 
HBU shot 44 percent for the game, including 5-of-11 from long range, while USM shot 38 percent, including 5-of-16 on 3-pointers. The Golden Eagles were 22-for-31 from the line, while the Huskies were 21-for-31. USM outrebounded HBU, 33-30, and turned the ball over seven fewer times, 17-10.
 
Sophomore forward Cody Joyce made one-of-two free throws on HBU's first possession, but that would be the only score until Michael Craig scored the game's first field goal for USM at the 15:17 mark. The Golden Eagles would score the next six, but Lewis drilled a three and a pull-up jumper, then Womack found Vilde cutting through the lane for a two-handed jam to tie the game. Lewis pulled up for another jumper to cap the 9-0 run to give HBU a 10-8 lead with 10:25 left.
 
Barton's 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down put HBU up by four, but Boardingham scored on a layup on the other end. Lewis answered, shaking a defender and burying a fadeway baseline jumper, Womack made a free throw, and freshman forward Alex Fountain followed the miss on his second for a putback to extend the Huskies' lead to 20-13 with 7:31 to go. Boardingham got inside for another bucket, but Lewis once again had a response, draining a three. Barton threw an over-the-top pass to Joyce, who laid it in to make the score, 25-15, with 5:41 on the clock.
 
USM closed to within five after a three-point play by Bingaya, and HBU would take that same advantage into halftime, 32-27.
 
HBU shot 44 percent in the first half, including 3-of-6 from 3-point range, while holding USM to 33 percent, and 0-for-7 from long distance. The Huskies were 9-for-12 from the free-throw line, and the Golden Eagles were 9-for-14 in the opening frame.
 
Watson opened the second half with a three for USM, but Joyce took a no-look pass from Vilde for a jump hook and a three-point play. Watson made a pair of free throws and Boardingham followed a miss with a putback layup to cut the Huskies' lead to one with 17:16 remaining. Boardingham tied the game, 36-36, with a pair of free throws with just over 16 minutes to go.
 
HBU reclaimed the lead on a layup by Womack on a dish from Vilde, but Watson made another three for USM with 13:52 remaining to give the Golden Eagles their first lead since the 11:06 mark of the first half. Watson hit his third three of the half to make the score 42-38, but Lewis made a free throw and Fountain nailed a short turnaround jumper to make it a one-point game.
 
After a jumper by Deonte Houston, Barton tied the game with a three and a Womack free throw gave the Huskies the lead back with 10:40 left. Jerrold Brooks made a three from the corner to put the Golden Eagles ahead once again, then a Bingaya layup extended the advantage to four. Barton answered with another three, but Brooks hit a trey for USM.
 
The Golden Eagles led by six with 7:26 on the clock after Ifeanyichukwu hit two free throws, Russell made a pair of free throws, and Joyce banked in a jumper to cut the deficit to two. Brooks made a free throw and Boardingham hit a short jumper to put the Golden Eagles up 61-56 with just under three minutes to go, then Russell drove the length of the floor for a bucket to once again make it a three-point game. Watson made two free throws, then Russell sank a floater off the glass with 1:39 left to make the score, 63-60. Brooks missed two free throws, but Craig was able to get the putback for the Golden Eagles and Houston made two free throws to extend the advantage to seven. Junior guard Marcel Smith's free throws in closing moments provided the final margin. 
 
The Huskies wrap up the tournament against South Alabama Sunday at 2 p.m.