Junior forward Tylik Weeks scored 25 points as he led the Southern Miss Golden Eagles (10-7, 4-1 SBC) into an 80-70 overtime victory over the Texas State Bobcats (9-8, 2-3 SBC) Thursday evening at the Reed Green Coliseum in Hattiesburg, Miss.
Texas State came into Thursday’s game off a win against the UL-Monroe Warhawks on Jan. 3 and tried to secure consecutive wins for the first time since they started 6-2.
Weeks led all scorers as he also accounted for seven rebounds and four assists to complement his high scoring game. Guard Chiante Tramble was the second highest scoring Golden Eagle, finishing with 14 points coming off the bench, a season high.
Senior guard Mark Drone led all Texas State scorers with 18 points, along with eight rebounds and four steals. Junior guard Kaden Gumbs scored 15 points on an efficient night, shooting 6-8 and had four big steals; however, his absence in overtime due to getting fouled out about a minute and a half into the period played a crucial role when the game closed in on its finish.
Freshman forward DJ Hall also made an impact, scoring 12 points and grabbing eight boards, but his being in foul trouble almost the entirety of the game played a role in the Golden Eagles’ victory as well.
The Bobcats had many chances to put the game away, but Southern Miss wasn’t letting its foot off the gas. With the game being tight as it went 29-28 into halftime, the Golden Eagles were familiar with winning games being up at halftime, as they sat 7-1 when leading at half coming into this matchup.
The momentum was in the Golden Eagles’ hands all game long. However, the Bobcats did shine in one particular sector of the game: defense.
Texas State had 11 steals and six total blocks, but what came with those stats was essentially a double-edged sword, as it came with a high percentage of fouls, with the Bobcats finishing with 23. Despite the aggression on defense, the team was playing on its heels all game long, where multiple Bobcats got into early foul trouble, not helping the fact that the team went into OT.
Three-point shooting was among the struggles for Texas State, as they shot the ball 25 times beyond the arc but only hit six of them. For the Bobcats, this marks their fourth straight loss against Southern Miss in Hattiesburg and their second game this season losing in overtime.
The Bobcats will look to bounce back and shake off this loss, shifting their focus to Jonesboro, Ark., as they will take on the Sun Belt-best Arkansas State Red Wolves next. Texas State is seeking to avenge a 70-89 home loss that occurred earlier this season.
Tipoff is slated for 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10, at the First National Bank Arena in Jonesboro, Ark. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+.
