Super Saturday Nightcap: Tylik Weeks Dominates as Southern Miss Upsets Troy

The Southern Miss Golden Eagles took down the Troy Trojans, the top-rated team in the Sun Belt, on Saturday night at Reed Green Coliseum.

Tylik Weeks would not be denied as Southern Miss defeated Troy, 69-65, on Saturday night at Reed Green Coliseum. / Kendall Trigg

HATTIESBURG – Southern Miss had already experienced two big wins from the baseball and women's basketball teams on what was deemed "Super Saturday" on campus, and it hoped to get the same result from the men's basketball team in the nightcap.

Thanks in large part to Southern Miss star junior guard Tylik Weeks, that's exactly what happened, as head coach Jay Ladner's squad bounced back from Thursday's home loss by notching its biggest win of the season by taking down a Troy team that came in tied for first place at the top of the Sun Belt standings with South Alabama. With the 69-65 win at Reed Green Coliseum, the Golden Eagles improved to 14-14 (7-8), while Troy fell to 17-10 (9-5).

Tylik Weeks With A Golden Eagle Performance For The Ages

Tylik Weeks exploded for 32 points as Southern Miss defeated Troy at Reed Green Coliseum on Saturday night. / Kendall Trigg

After falling behind 59-56 with 4:22 remaining, the Golden Eagles outscored the Trojans 13-6 down the stretch. In fact, Weeks outscored Troy by himself during that stretch, too, 8-6.

In a tightly-contested game where neither team led by double digits, Weeks absolutely dominated, especially in the second half, where he scored 30 of his game-high 32 points. He shot 11-20 overall and 10-11 from the free-throw line while also grabbing four rebounds and one steal. I have been coming to games at Reed Green for many years, and I can honestly say that was one of the more remarkable halves of basketball I've ever witnessed from a Southern Miss player.

Supporting Cast Help From Djahi Binet And Isaac Taveras

Southern Miss center Djahi Binet dominated in the paint with 14 points and 18 rebounds against Troy. / Kendall Trigg

Senior big man Djahi Binet and junior guard Isaac Taveras also played big roles in Saturday's upset. Binet was a monster in the paint, scoring 14 points (7-13 FG) and grabbing 18 rebounds, including several offensive boards and putbacks down the stretch that kept the Golden Eagles within striking distance.

Taveras, who is still working his way back into game shape after returning from a hand injury, as Coach Ladner told Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI, finished with 11 points (5-16 FG), seven rebounds, two assists, five steals, and one block.

Sun Belt Tournament Seeding Becomes A Focus Down The Stretch

The Golden Eagles will try to climb as high as they can in the Sun Belt standings over their final three games of the regular season. / Kendall Trigg

Next up, Southern Miss will celebrate Senior Day at Reed Green on Saturday, Feb. 21, against Old Dominion (9-18, 5-9), before wrapping up the regular season schedule with road games at Arkansas State (16-11, 7-7) and South Alabama (19-7. 9-4).

The Golden Eagles currently sit in ninth place in the Sun Belt standings, but they could potentially climb as high as fifth place depending on how these final three games play out. The Sun Belt Conference tournament is a gauntlet, so it will be important for Southern Miss to secure as high a seed as possible.

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