HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) -Gary Flowers scored 18 points to lead Southern Mississippi past cross-town rival William Carey 74-57 Tuesday night.
The Golden Eagles (4-0) led 34-26 at halftime but did not pull away until the waning minutes.
Guard Maurice Bolden added 17 points for Southern Miss, which shot 50 percent from the floor and outrebounded William Carey 36-28.
Center Corey Smith led NAIA William Carey (2-1) with 21 points, and was one of three players on William Carey's roster who once played for Southern Miss under head coach Larry Eustachy.
The win was the Golden Eagles second over an NAIA opponent in less than a week, and the 17-point margin of victory was the highest for Southern Miss of the season.
