Southern Miss ousts Texas State to reach Sun Belt quarterfinals
PENSACOLA, Fla. — Tylik Weeks scored 32 points to lead Southern Miss to an 81-77 victory over Texas State in the Sun Belt Conference men’s basketball tournament Friday night at the Pensacola Bay Center.
Weeks, who scored 31 points just a day earlier, continued his strong tournament performance. Three other Golden Eagles scored in double figures, helping Southern Miss extend its winning streak to three games. The team also made 28 free throws, tying its season high for the second consecutive game, according to sources.
The Golden Eagles will face No. 4 seed App State at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. The Mountaineers defeated Southern Miss earlier this season by seven points in Hattiesburg. Saturday’s game will determine which team advances to the tournament semifinals against No. 1 Troy.
Southern Miss started with the same starting five as recent games, including Weeks, Izzy Hart, Isaac Taveras, Dylan Brumfield, and Djahi Binet. The game featured six lead changes and five ties, with the teams battling physically throughout.
Southern Miss shot 56.5% in the first half and held Texas State to 43.3%. Weeks scored seven straight points in the second half to help the Golden Eagles take the lead, which they maintained despite a late Texas State push. The team made 29 free throws in the game, their 13th game with at least 20 free throws this season, according to sources.
Weeks became the second player in school history to record at least 200 free throws in a season, passing Nick Revon’s 205 from 1953-54. The forward also scored his 30th game in double figures this season, including his fourth 30-point game of the year.
Southern Miss improved to 2-0 in the Sun Belt tournament under coach Jay Ladner and is 6-4 all-time in the conference tournament. The team has now won three of its last four tournament games. The Golden Eagles also hold a 6-4 record against Texas State overall, with a 1-1 mark in the Sun Belt tournament against the Bobcats.
Isaac Taveras, Djahi Binet, and Dylan Brumfield each scored 10 points, while Chiante’ Tramble added seven. The team’s next game against App State will be broadcast locally, with fans encouraged to follow @SouthernMissMBB for updates.
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