FRISCO, Texas – Jacob Germany had a career-high 28 points and 12 rebounds to lead UTSA men's basketball but Southern Miss got 20 second-half points from Tyler Stevenson to fuel a second-half charge from the Golden Eagles, posting a 67-64 win over the Roadrunners, on Tuesday night at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco.
UTSA (10-22) saw its five-point lead at halftime erased by a furious second-half performance from Stevenson, who had 20 of his 22 points in the final 20 minutes.
Southern Miss (6-24) took the lead for good with 2:16 left in the second half to erase a UTSA lead that was as much as seven in the opening minutes of the final period.
Trailing 8-7 early in the game, UTSA used a 10-0 run, including seven straight from Germany and seven consecutive missed Southern Miss efforts, to build a 17-8 lead. The UTSA defense was stifling early, forcing misses in 18 of the first 23 Southern Miss shots. UTSA took a five-point lead into the half, led by 17 from Germany.
The Golden Eagles scored 11 of the first 15 in the second half to earn their first lead since 8-7, 36-34 with 15 minutes left. The teams traded buckets throughout the final 10 minutes but Southern Miss made its final six shot attempts and used late buckets from Stevenson to secure the wins.
A native of Kingston, Okla., Germany had his career-high 10th double-double of the year and the 17th of his career. He has scored in double figures in 26 of UTSA's 32 games on the year. He was 12 of 20 from the field in 36 minutes.
Erik Czumbel finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Isaiah Addo-Ankrah had 14 points and five rebounds on four made 3-pointers.
The Roadrunners shot 44.8 percent in the loss, with Southern Miss shooting 43.9 percent. UTSA committed 18 turnovers. UTSA held a 40-28 margin in total rebounds and held the lead for nearly 30 minutes of game action.
Stevenson led USM with 22 points and seven rebounds.
Germany's drive and slam opened the game and Dejijay Harris answered on the other end with a bucket. Germany gave UTSA a 4-2 lead with a paint basket before Rashad Bolden sank a corner 3-pointer. Addo-Ankrah responded with his corner triple before Walyn Napper hit a wing trey for an 8-7 lead at the first media timeout.
Germany scored the next seven points, including three hook shots and a free throw for a 14-8 lead. The run went to 10-0 after a Czumbel and-1 push the lead to nine before Napper sank a triple to snap the streak.
Napper's transition finish was answered by a Darius McNeill drive and dish to find Lachlan Bofinger for a 19-13 lead with 7:48 left. Bofinger was found to Czumbel on a drive to answer a Napper bucket for a 21-15 lead but USM ripped on consecutive 3-pointers from Napper and Jaron Pierre Jr. to even the game at 21.
Germany had four straight to push the lead to 25-21 before Pierre got to the rim. Germany cleaned up his own miss for a 27-23 lead before a USM tip-in. The Roadrunners held for the final shot of the half, getting a wing 3-pointer from Addo-Ankrah for a 30-25 lead. Germany led all scorers with 17 points and six rebounds at the break, with UTSA shooting 44 percent and USM held to 29 percent.
Bofinger and DeAndre Pinckney traded buckets to open and Pinckney hit two at the line to cut the lead to 32-29. Pinckney evened the game at 32 after a deep wing 3-pointer. Bofinger's hook shot gave UTSA a 34-42 lead with 16 minutes left.
Stevenson finished a tough bucket on the block to even the game at 34 and Pierre hit two at the line to give Southern Miss its first lead since 8-7 with 16:04 left in the first half. Germany finished an and-1 on the other end for a 37-36 lead.
Addo-Ankrah and Czumbel hit 3-pointers, sandwiched around a Stevenson basket, for a 43-38 lead. Southern Miss cut the lead to 43-41 before Bofinger netted his 10th point of the game. Pierre hit two at the line and Stevenson tied the game at 45 with 10 minutes left and he gave them the lead with one at the line for a 46-45 advantage.
Addo-Ankrah hit his fourth triple for a 48-46 lead with nine minutes left and Harris evened the game up at 48 with 8:42 remaining. Stevenson finished a dunk for a 50-48 lead after UTSA's 16th turnover led to a run-out.
Germany finished a baseline hook to tie the game at 50 but Stevenson immediately answered in the paint amongst a double team. Germany sank a 18-footer from the wing to even it at 52. Two at the line from Addo-Ankrah gave UTSA a 54-52 lead with 5:17 left. Germany's foul-line jumper gave his 26 points and a four-point UTSA lead with 4:44 left.
Stevenson answered to cut the lead to two and Napper tied it with a transition lay-in with four left. McNeill cleaned up a missed 3-pointer to regain a 58-56 lead. Czumbel took it to the rack after a defensive stop for a 60-56 lead with 3:15 left, prompting a USM timeout.
Stevenson finished an and-1 out of the timeout to narrow the lead to 60-59 with 2:53 left. Pierre hit a corner triple with 2:14 left to give Southern Miss a 62-60 lead. Germany answered with two on the other end to even it with 1:52 left.
Napper finished at the rim for a 64-62 lead with 88 seconds on the clock. Czumbel tied the game with a drive to the rim with just over a minute left.
Stevenson gave USM the lead with 50 seconds left. Germany's attempt at a putback rimmed out at Stevenson grabbed the rebound with 22.3 left, getting fouled.
Stevenson hit the final of the two free throws for a 67-64 lead. Deing's game-tying 3-pointer missed and Southern Miss got the ball after a jump ball was called with five seconds left.
Deing's attempt at a game-tying 3-pointer with five seconds left missed as Southern Miss secured the win.
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