Jan. 1, 2007

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss opens the 2007 portion of its men's basketball schedule here Tuesday at Green Coliseum with Auburn of the Southeastern Conference. Game time is set for 6 p.m.

The game will be broadcast on the Southern Miss/ISP Sports Network with affiliates throughout the region, as well as on CSS (Comcast Cable Channel 25 in greater Hattiesburg) with Matt Stewart providing the play-by-play and Sonny Smith the color analysis.

The Golden Eagles (9-2) look to extend their 10-game home win streak with the Tigers, as it will be the first time an SEC opponent has traveled to Hattiesburg in over a decade.

The Golden Eagles will face an SEC school for the first time at home, since dropping an 83-69 decision to Alabama on Feb. 6, 1996, as it was one of two meetings against the league at Green Coliseum that year. Southern Miss also played Mississippi State at home that year, falling 72-69 in overtime.

Freshman Jeremy Wise continues to pace the Golden Eagles in scoring at 16.0 points per game average. Wise ranks No. 5 in Conference USA in scoring and is No. 2 in free throw percentage at 89.4 percent.

Following Wise in the scoring column in points per game for Southern Miss is sophomore Courtney Beasley (9.9), freshman Jarvis Hill (9.6), freshman Sai'Quon Stone (8.4) and junior Demar Dotson (8.2).

Southern Miss will be meeting Auburn for the 16th time, with the Tigers holding a 14-1 advantage in the series. This will be the Tigers second visit to Hattiesburg and first time since 1993, when AU captured a 81-75 decision in that meeting.

The Tigers (10-4) have won 12 straight over the Golden Eagles, with the lone Golden Eagle victory coming during the 1989 Blue Angel Classic in Pensacola, Fla., when Southern Miss captured an 84-73 victory at the Pensacola Civic Center.

Darrin Chancellor led five Southern Miss players in double figures that night with 21 points, while Russell Johnson added 19 points, Clarence Weatherspoon and Daron Jenkins tallied 13 apiece and Jerome Jones added 10 points. Weatherspoon also added a game-high 12 rebounds and Johnson tallied a game-high 11 assists.

Auburn won last year's meeting in Alabama, 80-57, on Jan. 4, 2006.

David Cornwell and Courtney Beasley were the lone Golden Eagles in double figures, scoring 11 and 10, respectively.

In the first half, AU opened with a 17-9 advantage through the first 10 minutes of play. But Southern Miss then went on a 9-0 run to take the lead at the 8:01 mark. That lead would change hands a few more times, before the Tigers took the lead for good, 26-23, with 4:41 to go and closed with a 42-28 advantage at the break.

In the second half, the Golden Eagles got as close as seven points, 53-46, with 12:17 remaining. But Auburn picked up the pace and continued to push the lead to the eventual win.

Rasheem Barrett scored 21 points to lead the host Tigers, while Daniel Hayles added 17 and Ronny LeMelle added 16.

This season, the Tigers have five players scoring in double figures including transfer Quan Prowell, who has tallied a team-best 15.0 points per game in three contests. Korvotney Barber is next for the Tigers at 13.9 points per game, followed by Rasheem Barrett at 12.9, Josh Dollard at 12.4 and Frank Tolbert at 12.1.

Following tonight's game, the Golden Eagles return to the road for their final non-conference tilt of the season at Savannah State. Southern Miss did collect a 61-45 decision over SSU earlier this season in Hattiesburg. Game time is slated for 3 p.m. CT at SSU's Tiger Arena.