The James Madison Dukes and the Southern Miss Golden Eagles meet Saturday in college basketball action from Reed Green Coliseum. James Madison just finished up a Thursday game versus Troy. In that one the Dukes eked out an overtime win. As for Southern Miss, they played South Alabama in their Thursday game. The Eagles ended up winning by four. Check back all season long for free college basketball picks at Sports Chat Place.
James Madison Dukes
The Dukes went 10-4 over their first 14 games, losing to North Carolina, Valparaiso, Virginia and Coppin State along the way. James Madison went 2-3 in their next five games with losses to Texas State, App State and South Alabama.
On Thursday versus Troy, James Madison trailed by seven points at halftime. The Dukes rallied to tie it up by the end of regulation, and after one overtime period they had an 89-87 win. Vado Morse led the team on 25 points.
Southern Miss Golden Eagles
Over on the Southern Miss side, they opened the year on a 12-2 run with losses to Northwestern State and UNLV. The Eagles hit a 3-2 stretch in the next five with wins over App State, LA-Monroe and Arkansas State.
Matched up against South Alabama on Thursday, Southern Miss overcame a 37-33 halftime deficit with a 43-35 run and ended up with a comeback win 76-72. Austin Crowley put up 25 points with five assists to lead the way.
ANDREW’S FREE PICK
I’ll probably stick with Southern Miss. The Eagles have been a mixed bag over their last five games, going 3-2 with 67 points or fewer in three of those outings. That said, Southern Miss has scored a combined 150 points over their last two games and should be comfortable in this matchup. As for James Madison, they’ve scored 172 combined points over their last pair, coming after a string of three games with just 62 points scored. This should be an interesting and competitive matchup regardless, but I think the Eagles can power out the cover.