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Eagles pull away for 89-69 exhibition win

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss shook off a slow start to defeat Truman State, 89-69, in its final tune-up before the regular season, Sunday afternoon at Reed Green Coliseum.
Aaron Brown led all scorers with 17 points. Michael Craig added 16 points and had game-highs of seven rebounds and six assists. Daveon Boardingham had 16 points and five rebounds and Deonte Houston added 14 points, seven boards and three assists.
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"I thought our team improved from the first exhibition," said Southern Miss head coach Donnie Tyndall. "We did a better job of taking care of the ball and we did a better job on the glass. I don't think we gave up as many second shots. So I was pleased that we cleaned up a few things."
Southern Miss started off sluggish, as it was just 2-of-12 to start the game. The Golden Eagles led 7-6, but a three-pointer by Andrew Vander Zwaang sent Truman State on a 10-2 run to take 16-9 lead midway through the first-half.
Following a pair of free throws from Houston, Southern Miss hit four of its next five shots to go on a 10-0 run. Mike Carlson hit two free throws to cut the deficit to one, but the Golden Eagles scored seven straight points, including four from Houston to take a 25-18 lead.
The teams traded field goals but the Golden Eagles closed the half on a 17-7 run to take a 44-28 lead heading into halftime.
The teams went back-and-forth for the first five minutes of the second half. After Reed Mells hit three free throws, Brown drained the Golden Eagles' first three-pointer of the game. Following a pair of free throws from Matt Carlson, Matt Bingaya hit a three to give Southern Miss its largest lead of the game, 70-47.
The Bulldogs then went on a 13-2 run to pull within 12 points, but that is as close as they would get.
Southern Miss was 31-of-57 (54.4%) from the field and 4-of-11 (36.4%) from behind the arc. Truman State was held to just 39.6-percent (21-of-53) from the floor and 18.5-percent (5-of-27) from three. Southern Miss outrebounded TSU, 40-26.
Vander Zwaang led Truman State with 16 points and Carlson added 13 points and a team-high three rebounds.
Tyndall added, "Matt Woodley, in just his third year, has done a great job in building the Truman State program. He has a tough, physical team, and they resemble their coach in that they are tough and gritty."
Southern Miss opens the 2013-14 regular season this Friday, Nov. 8, when it hosts in-state foe Jackson State. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT.
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