Southern Miss pulls away from N Dakota St 78-65

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) Matt Bingaya scored 15 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, to lead Southern Mississippi to a 78-65 win over North Dakota State on Wednesday night.

Southern Miss (4-2) pulled away early in the first period with a 23-3 run that included a half-dozen 3-pointers - two each from Bingaya, Chip Armelin and Davon Hayes - to make it 26-7 with 10:15 to go before the break. North Dakota State (4-3) narrowed the gap in the second half but couldn't overcome its 39-21 halftime deficit, despite a school-record seven 3-pointers from Lawrence Alexander.

Armelin finished with 14 points, Rasham Suarez added 13, Shadell Millinghaus had 11 and Norville Carey 10 for the Golden Eagles, ending a four-game Bison win streak. Southern Miss shot 64.4 percent from the floor and was 10 of 20 from 3-point range.

Alexander led North Dakota State with 23 points.