Storm Ends 2015 With USM, TSU Road Swing

Men's Basketball | 12/28/2015 1:05:00 PM

DURANT, Okla. - Southeastern will close out the 2015 calendar year with a pair of road games, first taking on Division I Southern Miss in an exhibition contest on Dec. 29 in Hattiesburg, Miss., at 7 p.m. before closing out the first half of the year against No. 7 Tarleton State at 4 p.m. on Dec. 31 in Stephenville, Texas.
 
The Savage Storm head into the road swing with a 4-5 record, but have dropped four-straight going back to an overtime road loss at No. 16 Central Missouri.
 
SE is paced on offense by Sami Bzai who is averaging 18.2 ppg while shooting 42.6 percent from three-point range with 23 made threes on the season.
 
Anton Cook has added 15.1 ppg while shooting 47.3 percent from the field, while Nathan Jackson has shot 62.9 percent from the field while averaging 10.8 ppg.
 
The Storm is putting up 78.3 ppg as a team, but having trouble stopping opponents as they are allowing 81.8 per contest.
 
Cook is dishing out 3.3 assists per game, while Bzai is adding 3.1 per outing and SE is averaging 15.3 assists per game as a team.
 
Jackson paces the team on the boards with 7.6 rebounds per game, while the club holds a 39.9-to-39.6 rpg edge on the glass.
 
Tyler Lonzie is averaging over a block per game as the Storm have 4.5 blocks per game combined.
 
Southern Miss enters the matchup at 2-8 on the season and has lost two in-a-row.
 
USM is paced on offense by Khari Price who is averaging 10.5 ppg, while averaging 56.4 ppg as a team.  Price also leads the team in assists with 3.2 apg.
 
Eddie Davis III leads the team on the glass with 5.7 rebounds per outing while opponents hold a 37.1-to-33.6 rpg edge on the glass.
 
Tarleton State heads into the Dec. 31 matchup at 9-2 on the year, but are coming off a 68-67 loss to Drury in Las Vegas.
 
The Texans are led by EJ Reed who is averaging 20.1 ppg, while Charles Hill is next in line at 14.0 ppg.  Meanwhile, Michael Hardge is dishing out a team-best 5.1 assists per game.
 
Reed also leads the way on the boards at 8.9 per outing while the team pulls down 42.0 rebound per outing.