Southern Miss Edges Kent State 66-65 on Last-Second Free Throws

HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Isaac Taveras scored his first points since December to help Southern Miss defeat Kent State 66-65 Saturday afternoon in the MAC-SBC Challenge.

Taveras made two free throws with one second left to give the Golden Eagles a one-point lead. The win marked their third straight at Reed Green Coliseum and improved their record to 13-13 overall and 6-7 in Sun Belt Conference play, according to school sources.

Southern Miss, which had not played since December due to injury, finished the game shooting 19 of 24 from the free-throw line. Kent State, 17-7 and 8-3 in MAC play, lost despite holding a late lead. They scored 65 points, well below their season average of 87.0 points per game, according to school officials.

In the final moments, Taveras drained two free throws after being fouled while attempting a layup. Kent State responded with a free throw from Cian Medley to cut the lead to one, but Taveras sealed the game with his clutch free throws. Dylan Brumfield’s foul cost the Golden Eagles the chance to hold the lead, but they managed to secure the victory at the line.

Southern Miss’s key contributors included Taveras with 15 points, Binet with 17, and Weeks with 15 points and a season-high 11 rebounds. Binet also tied his career high with 10 rebounds. The team outrebounded Kent State 43-36 and had 11 turnovers compared to nine for the Golden Flashes, according to game stats.

The Golden Eagles return home Thursday to host South Alabama at Reed Green Coliseum at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available through the university’s website and ticket office, with fans encouraged to follow @SouthernMissMBB on social media for updates.

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