Southern Miss (7-9, 3-6) vs. Louisiana Tech (13-5, 6-3)
Thomas Assembly Center, Ruston, Louisiana; Saturday, 3 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Louisiana Tech goes for the season sweep over Southern Miss after winning the previous matchup in Hattiesburg. The teams last faced each other on Jan. 28, when the Bulldogs shot 47.7 percent from the field while limiting Southern Miss’s shooters to just 40 percent en route to a 76-63 victory.
LEADING THE WAY: Tyler Stevenson is averaging 13.9 points and 7.4 rebounds to lead the way for the Golden Eagles. Jaron Pierre Jr. is also a big contributor, accounting for 9.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. The Bulldogs have been led by Isaiah Crawford, who is averaging 11.6 points and 5.2 rebounds.
RAMP IT UP A NOTCH: The Golden Eagles have scored 67.1 points per game against conference opponents thus far, an improvement from the 58 per game they managed over five non-conference games.CLUTCH CRAWFORD: Crawford has connected on 35.4 percent of the 65 3-pointers he’s attempted and has gone 8 for 18 over the last three games. He’s also converted 66.1 percent of his free throws this season.
SLIPPING AT 70: Southern Miss is 0-6 when it allows at least 70 points and 7-3 when it holds opponents to less than 70.
THREAT BEHIND THE ARC: Southern Miss’s LaDavius Draine has attempted 85 3-pointers and connected on 40 percent of them, and is 7 for 17 over the last three games.
DID YOU KNOW: Louisiana Tech attempts more free throws per game than any other CUSA team. The Bulldogs have averaged 22 free throws per game this season and 24.8 per game over their last five games.
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