CANCUN, Mexico (AP)—Gary Flowers had 19 points and 10 rebounds and Southern Mississippi defeated East Tennessee State 64-60 in the Cancun Governor’s Cup on Wednesday.
Southern Miss (8-1) blew an 18-point lead with 15:02 remaining and made 6 of 7 free throws in the final 45 seconds to preserve the win. ETSU pulled to within 62-60 on a 3-pointer by Micah Williams with 6 seconds remaining, but Angelo Johnson hit two free throws after being fouled on the ensuing inbounds pass to seal the win.
D.J. Newbill added 11 points and LaShay Page had 10 for the Golden Eagles, who have won three in a row.
Southern Miss entered the game as the nation’s top rebounding team, averaging 45 per game, but ETSU won the battle on the boards 37-35.
Williams had 16 points, Justin Tubbs added 14 and Mike Smith had 13 for the Buccaneers (4-6), who have lost two games in a row and four of their past five.
