RUSTON – The Louisiana Tech men's basketball team gets its seventh season of Conference USA basketball underway on Monday night when they face travel partner Southern Miss in Hattiesburg at 7 p.m. inside Reed Green Coliseum.
 
The matchup will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Lee Roberts and Larry Boyd calling the action.  Fans can also listen to Dave Nitz and Jack Thigpen call the game on KXKZ 107.5 FM (Ruston), KOKA 93.3 FM/980 AM (Shreveport) and KJVC 92.7 FM (Mansfield) as well as on the LA Tech Athletics app.
 
LA Tech (9-3) enters C-USA action on a three-game winning streak after disposing of Southern-New Orleans, 87-47, in the final non-conference game of the season. 
 
Thirteen different Bulldogs got to see playing time in the contest and 12 of them scored.  Defensively, the team held their third opponent this season to under 50 points.
 
Derric Jean scored just five points against SUNO, but it was just enough as the redshirt senior became the 42nd player in program history to eclipse 1,000 career points.
 
The guard is one of six players averaging at least eight points per contest – DaQuan Bracey (12.4), Kalob Ledoux (12.3), Amorie Archibald (12.1), JaColby Pemberton (9.7), Mubarak Muhammed (9.2) and Jean (8.4). 
 
LA Tech currently ranks first in C-USA in five different categories – scoring margin (+16.8), field goal percentage defense (37.8), rebounding offense (39.2), turnover margin (4.6) and assist/turnover ratio (1.3).
 
The Bulldogs, who was picked third in the preseason poll, are 5-1 in C-USA openers.  Four of the six league openers have come against the Golden Eagles and the 'Dogs have won all four (two at home and two on the road).
 
Southern Miss (4-9) is coming off a 96-77 victory over Tougaloo back on Dec. 21.  They had lost five of their previous six games prior to the home win.  All four of their victories this season have come at home, having put together a 4-2 mark inside Reed Green Coliseum.
 
USM shares the basketball well, ranking second in C-USA and 57th in the country in total assists with 196.  They average 15.1 assists per game.
 
It's scoring by committee for the Golden Eagles with five players averaging at least nine points per game.  LaDavius Draine is arguably their best shooter, averaging 2.5 made threes per game.  Leonard Harper-Barker does a little of everything, averaging 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game.
 
Monday will be the 84th meeting between LA Tech and USM, the longest rivalry of an out-of-state school for the Bulldogs.  The Golden Eagles narrowly lead the series, 44-39, and are 29-7 at home against the 'Dogs.