The University of Southern Mississippi men’s basketball team completed the fourth-largest comeback in school history with an 86-81 victory over Old Dominion on Saturday afternoon at Reed Green Coliseum.
Southern Miss trailed by 18 points before storming back in the second half, improving to 15-14 overall and 8-8 in Sun Belt Conference play. The win marked a season-high 10-3 record at home for the Golden Eagles.
Two players scored 20 or more points for Southern Miss, led by Tylik Weeks with 27 and Israel Hart with 21. Weeks reached the 20-point mark for the 13th time this season, while Hart’s 21 points represented his first 20-point game as a Golden Eagle.
Old Dominion opened strong, jumping to an early 8-0 lead and shooting 66.7% from the field in the first nine minutes. The Monarchs built their largest lead of the game, 18 points, before Southern Miss mounted its comeback. The Golden Eagles ended the first half on a 15-4 run to close the gap to 47-40 at halftime.
In the second half, Southern Miss quickly tied the game and eventually took the lead after Isaac Taveras stole a loose ball and dunked, sparking a 6-0 run. The Eagles expanded their advantage to as much as 10 points late in the game. Old Dominion responded with a 6-0 run of its own, but Weeks sealed the win with a clutch and-one basket in the final seconds. Both teams made free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.
The game featured notable performances from Weeks, Hart, and Taveras. The Eagles shot 54.5% from the field, their second-best shooting percentage this season, and made 20 of 30 free throws. Southern Miss also recorded 11 steals and eight blocks, tying its season high in blocks.
Southern Miss will play its final two games of the season on the road against Arkansas State and South Alabama. The team is scheduled to tip off in Jonesboro on Tuesday and in Mobile on Friday, both at 7:30 p.m., broadcast on ESPN+. Fans are encouraged to follow @SouthernMissMBB on social media for updates.
