The Student Printz March 21, 2018

MARCH 21, 2018 VOLUME 102 ISSUE 23

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FEATURES

The Tavern hosted a rocking music show.

5

ENTERTAINMENT

Love, Simon delivers an impactful coming out story.

7

SPORTS

Keep up with Southern Miss basketball and baseball.

serving southern miss since 1927

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Caleb McCluskey printz reporter

The Southern Miss Department of Theatre will be showing their newest play “Bulrusher” at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 22 at Hartwig Theatre.

The Pulitzer Prize-nominated play written by Eisa Davis follows mixed-race orphan and fortune teller Bulrusher in 1955 and takes place in the Californian town of Boonville.

Director of “Bulrusher” William Shannon Bain said he believes the play has important themes for actors of color to showcase.

“It is very timely even though it is set in 1955. Of course it talks about

civil rights, but it also talks about police brutality, abortion and same sex attraction,” Bain said.

The play was chosen by committee over a year ago according to Bain. “[Bulrusher] is a very important piece for our department. It was chosen specifically to highlight actors of color because we have an amazing group of actors of color,” Bain said. “We work on a lot of plays that allow that voice to be heard. We do colorblind casting in our department, so, of course, everybody is in those, but [Bulrusher] is specifically addressing things that are important to minority communities.”

Senior theatre performance major Lorena Cohea plays the titular character of Bulrusher. “[Bulrusher] is

kinda mean, kinda sassy, but she has a big heart. She is honestly just looking for her home and who she is,” Cohea said.

“This show means a ton to me because of this character. She is a mixed girl in the 1950s, learning about being someone of color and not really realizing that race is that big of a deal,” Cohea said. “That is something that I dealt with growing up mixed myself, so I was able to connect to the character very well.”

With a cast of six people, the actors have become intimate. Junior theatre major Detalion Dixon, who is playing the role of Logger, said that Logger is the glue of the play. “[Logger] is a very important person because each

character in the play has some sort of connection to him and his arch as a character. As he grows as a character the rest of the play grows,” Dixon said.

Bain added that the character of Logger is interesting to him because he is a black man in the backwoods of California, but he is treated like everyone else in the play. “They don’t see him as a person of color, and I feel like the playwright did that on purpose,” Bain said.

Freshman theatre major Nathaniel Jones said his character Boy represented the growth of his acting skills.

“Boy is symbolic of a lot for me,” Jones said. “I have been acting for a little bit. I went to the Mississippi

School of the Arts for high school, and I did theatre there, but getting here and doing Boy, I walked into it thinking I knew what I was doing.

Not thinking I was the best ever, but thinking I had a handle on how to do this work,” Jones said.

Bain stressed that alhough the play is for mature audiences, he does not think that it should scare audiences away, claiming it to be a life-changing play and with something there for everyone.

“Bulrusher” will also be performed at 7:30 p.m. on March 23 and 24 and March 27 and 28 at 7:30 p.m. A matinee showing will be held at 2 p.m. on March 25 with a pre-performance talk at 1 p.m.

New Orleans Saints, Pelicans owner Benson dies Grant Chighizola printz reporter

Tom Benson, the owner of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints and NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans, passed away on Thursday, March 15. He was 90 years old.

In an official statement released

by the Saints on their website, the organization said that Benson passed away at Ochsner Medical Center. The statement also went on to say that Benson had been hospitalized with the flu since Feb. 16.

Benson is perhaps best known for purchasing and keeping New Orleans’ two major professional

sports franchises in the city. He bought the Saints from original owner John Mecom Jr. in 1985 after other parties expressed interest in buying and relocating the team. Benson also bought the New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans) from the NBA in 2012 after former Hornets owner George Shinn sold the franchise to the league

in December 2010. Benson’s purchase of the Pelicans ensured the team’s long-term security in New Orleans.

A native of New Orleans, Benson was born in the city on July 12, 1927.

He studied business administration at Loyola University New Orleans, and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After his naval service and

completion of his studies at Loyola, he worked his way up in the automotive sales industry, eventually creating his own conglomerate of dealerships.

Benson also had ties to the banking industry, forming Benson Financial World in 1972.

CONTINUED ON PG 2

MARCH 21, 2018 ANDREW ABADIE

Assistant Sports Editor andrew.abadie@usm.edu

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SARAH ANNE SCHLOEMER

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ASHLEY HOBSON

CHUCK COOK

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The 2018 Southern Miss Jazz and Blues Festival will be held on Saturday, March 31, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach.

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88 by 28 orthogonal maze OPINIONS EDITORIAL POLICY The views represented in The Student Printz’s columns and editorials do not necessarily represent those of the faculty, staff or administration of The University of Southern Mississippi. We welcome letters to the editor representing similar and contrasting opinions. To be eligible for publication, all submissions must include name, class distinction, major, phone number and email address. Submissions should be emailed to printzeditors@ gmail.com by 5 p.m. on the Friday before publication. Please limit them to 500 words or less. The Student Printz reserves the right to refuse publication or edit any material on the basis of clarity, space or journalistic ethics.

Opinions expressed in The Student Printz are those of the writer and not necessarily those of The Student Printz, its publication manager, USM, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning or the USM Board of Student Publications.

New Orleans Saints, Pelicans owner Benson dies CONTINUED FROM PG 1 As owner of the Saints, Benson presided over some of the highest and lowest points in the franchise’s history. The Saints experienced their first winning season and playoff appearance, going 12-3 in 1987 under Benson. More success would later come to the franchise in 2010 when the Saints won their first and only Super Bowl to date.

That Super Bowl victory is the only major championship won by a New Orleans-based professional sports franchise to date.

Though Benson served as owner of New Orleans’ NBA franchise for only six seasons, he oversaw

major changes to the team. After purchasing the team, which was then known as the Hornets, he supervised a rebranding of the team, which was renamed the New Orleans Pelicans.

This gave the franchise a name and mascot with ties to Louisiana and the local area.

After his death was made public, tributes to Benson flooded social media platforms.

“Rest In Peace Mr B. Thank You for your Leadership and all that gave to our city. Thank You for believing in me,” Saints Head Coach Sean Payton said on Twitter.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees posted a tribute and picture of the

two men together on Instagram.

“I will forever be indebted to Mr. Tom Benson for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to be a member of the Saints organization and the New Orleans community,” Brees said. “I will miss his presence, leadership, and grandfatherly advice.

We know you will continue to watch over us all with that umbrella in your hand.”

Pelicans star forward Anthony Davis also tweeted about how Benson impacted his life.

“Mr Benson has meant so much to this city & to my career in NOLA. Mr B & his wife Gayle treated me like family since I arrived & I’m forever

indebted to them for their kindness & generosity. He will be missed!”

According to Forbes, Benson’s net worth was $3 billion dollars at the time of his death. Forbes also listed him as the richest person in Louisiana in 2017, but Benson was also known to invest in other ventures locally. In July of 2017, Benson purchased a majority stake in the Dixie Brewing Company with the intention of bringing the brewing operation for locally-renowned Dixie Beer back to New Orleans after its destruction by Hurricane Katrina.

In addition to his ownership of the Saints and Pelicans, Benson was also active in his community. The

statement announcing his death also highlighted how the Gayle and Tom Benson Foundation serves New Orleans and Texas through educational and charitable causes.

In 2014, Benson also donated $11 million to the Pro Football Hall of Fame to go towards the construction of the hall’s Hall of Fame Village development. As a part of the project and in acknowledgement of his contributions, the home of the annual Hall of Fame Game, Fawcett Stadium, was renamed Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

With his death, ownership of the Saints and Pelicans will now fall to his wife Gayle Benson.

MARCH 21, 2018

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Metalheads take over the Tavern with explosive show Caleb McCluskey printz reporter

A total of four metal bands of various levels of volume—all of which ear splitting—played at The Tavern on Saturday, March 17 to a group of devoted metal heads. The lineup consisted of the Stonecutters, ElderSun, Troll Skull and Cranial Exsanguination.

Chris Graham, owner of The Tavern, said, “I love The Tavern.

It is like home. Some of my regulars look of it more as going to the cool uncle’s house and not going to a bar. The people that come here have become a really close-knit group.”

The Stonecutters have seen many changes over the band’s 12year career; however, guitarist and vocalist Brian Omer said they have kept the same spirit alive since the beginning.

Omer said that they are working on their fifth album that is anticipated to be released later this year. Omer said, “[This album] will be one of our heaviest yet.”

Omer credited his guitarist Nick Burk for helping with writing.

Omer said, “[Burk] helps me out. It doesn’t put it all on me. [collaborating] pushes us to write strong material.”

Three-piece metal group Troll Skull has been playing together for a year and a half, but have been in various bands previously to forming this one. Bassist of Troll Skull Robert Johnson said he quit caring about success in the music industry long ago. “[Success] taints

Caleb McCluskey, Printz

Caleb McCluskey, Printz

Caleb McCluskey, Printz the whole process. You end up with fights.” He said, “We’re just having a good time. We are addicted to metal and we can’t stop playing it or we’d lose our minds. This is mental health through insanity” Brian “Sweets” Cooper is the bass player of the instrumental metal band ElderSun. ElderSun has been spontaneously playing together for six years, but Cooper

said they are planning on playing more often.

“We’ve had several things happen over the course of time that, normally people would just start a whole new band” Cooper said, “We’re just going to keep going. Every member, except our guitar player has been replaced.”

“The current group has been together so long that we know how

to play with each other,” Cooper said. “We know where each other is going and since we don’t play full bore, blistering metal, there is a lot of room for us to do what we want. I don’t want to get too weird and say, ‘You just flow with the music.’ Honestly you just start playing, and then you don’t worry about whatever else is happening,” Cooper said.

Cranial Exsanguination is a small project between two—soon to be three— musicians that play “brutish, slamming death metal.”

Anthony Wheeler, guitarist, said that this band was to take a break between other project and just have fun.

Fans of metal can see Cranial Exsanguination on April 13 at The Tavern.

MARCH 21, 2018

The second opportunity of a lifetime Chadwick Easterling printz contributor

It’s official. I have arrived. I am a college student at USM! I get to attend an institution of higher learning and expand my mind. I get to wear a hoodie and a backpack and walk to class. I get to hang out in front of the library or at the Cochran Center in between classes. I get to go to athletic events and get in with my student ID. I get access to an incredible library with thousands of books and resources to advance my learning. I get to meet other students outside of my ethnic group. I get to establish my own identity and boundaries. I get to learn how to balance school, work, friends, activities, and downtime. I get a chance to do all these things, simply because I’m a college student. Again.

You see, I’m 42 years old. I actually did this once before. Back in the mid 90’s and eventually rolling into a whole new century, I went to college here at USM. At the time I hated the idea of going to school. I didn’t need a major or a degree or “higher learning.” I was a pompous, know it all 20-something.

I was too arrogant for my own good and too smart to be told anything by anyone else. I didn’t care about getting an education; it was just a means to an end and way to keep my parents off my back. I wasn’t interested in going to class or expanding my mind, at least not in the traditional regard.

My idea of the college experience was doing what I wanted. That

meant skipping classes a couple of times a week to sit on a patio for happy hour from 2pm until dark. It meant going barhopping at night and sleeping through my 8am and 9am and 10 classes. It meant taking 3-day weekends once a month and dashing down to the coast or New Orleans. It meant meeting new and exciting people who were living life on their terms. It meant hanging out with hippies and vagabonds who had travelled the country following Phish or working at Yosemite or living on a fishing boat down in the Keys. It meant meeting all the wrong people for all the wrong reasons. It ended up meaning wasted hours, days, weeks, months, and semesters with nothing to show for it.

To everyone’s surprise I finally burned through and out of school and graduated from USM in December of 2001. To put that in perspective, 9/11 happened the last semester of my senior year. I got my bachelor’s degree in English, thus my proclivity to write.

Eventually I found myself out in the real world. I was scared to death. I had no idea what I was supposed to do.

The only thing I knew how to do was have a good time. I could hold down a patio chair or barstool like nobody’s business. I could turn happy hour into a $100 tab that got charged to my credit card followed by a drunken drive home. I could turn drinks after work into a weekend long party. I had no limits or OFF button. I lived wide open.

What I came to realize, but only recently got the courage to admit to

Courtesy Photo myself and the rest of the world (in case they didn’t already know), is I am an alcoholic. I’ve spent the past 20 years believing that the road really would go on forever and the party really would never end. Without boring you with all the shocking details,

I hit rock bottom this past year. I was dead broke, without a job, and on the verge of being homeless. I called my parents and begged them to put me in treatment to get help. They agreed.

That was 6 ½ months ago. Let’s just say here I sit at age 42 with nothing

to my name but my sobriety and a second chance. A chance to embark on the opportunity of a lifetime I blew 20 years ago. I am excited beyond words. I am grateful beyond words. I am humble beyond words. But maybe more than anything, I am ready.

MARCH 21, 2018

“Love, Simon” delivers a raw coming out story Carlton McGrone printz reporter

What begins as yet another humdrum teen film slowly morphs into an empowering, passionate coming out story. While toting a flat, ultimately unlikeable cast of characters and an almost too perfect protagonist, “Love, Simon” manages to deliver an impactful message throughout its final act, cementing itself as one of the best book adaptations in a long time.

Despite the high praise, this film is far from perfect or even great. Most of the acting is a bit too cheesy and over dramatic, and there is little underlying personality within the film. A chord is finally struck, however, once Simon’s inner demons take center stage, forcing him to reveal his secret before he’s ready.

Based on the award-winning novel “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda,” “Love, Simon” follows Simon Spear, a typical awkward high school senior with a pretty decent life. His parents are successful in their fields, and his sister is an aspiring chef. Simon gets coffee for his friends before scooping them up in his car, and they jam to ’90s songs on the way to school. He just has one huge secret: He is gay.

When there’s a post about there being a closeted gay guy at his school, Simon immediately begins an email chain with the mysterious Blue. However, their romance is shaken when the emails are found, and Simon will do anything for his secret to not be revealed to the entire student body.

Being a film based on a young-adult novel, “Love, Simon” falls victim to the curse that most adaptations face.

Namely, the storyline feels overdone and otherwise uninteresting simply because it is a rushed cluttering of its source material. As such, each character is doomed to be flat because of the limited time given to portray the complex, fleshed out characters from the novel.

Even Simon suffers from seeming gruelingly boring in his almost perfect life rather than a constantly tortured closeted boy like in the novel.

Departing from comparisons to the novel, each non-original character in “Love, Simon” also feels heavily orchestrated and dreadfully boring. On multiple occasions, the writers attempt to get the audience to care about Simon’s friends, but each one of them offers very little to the overall plot and does nothing in terms of development. The film also fails as a high school narrative because of its tame nature and simple, one-dimensional teenagers. Put simply, to successfully build a story centered around high school students, there needs to be a heavier focus on the struggles and anxieties of teenagers rather than parties and football games.

The fact that the film attempted to follow faithfully to the novel also keeps the film from telling an interesting, new story. “Simon vs.” has won awards because of its fantastic story, but this film could have built on that narrative and taken audiences into deeper, more emotional places that the novel could not reach. For those who had the pleasure of reading the novel before seeing the film, the story feels as if it simply drags and only gets interesting until the final act. This film may have worked better as a short Netflix series about the harsh reality of being gay in high school rather

than the upbeat narrative the novel and film portray.

There is one important theme than can be interpreted from the characterization of Simon and his loved ones. Both the film and novel demonstrate that not every closeted gay student comes from a broken home or is in danger of being shunned and discarded because of his or her sexual orientation. As Simon mentions, he is well aware that his family will truly accept who he is, but he simply does not want his normal, stable life to change because of his secret. This film does an incredible job of not making the main character an anti-social, disturbed basket case. Instead, he is portrayed as a boy who just wants to live an openly gay life.

Despite being kept out of his head, Simon is handled relatively well once the world surrounding him has been established. Once his email thread falls into the wrong hands, Simon’s selfish colors finally show. The writers do an excellent job of displaying an almost crazed Simon who is willing to smash lives apart and go against his own morals to protect his secret. As one may guess, Simon ultimately redeems himself in the end and becomes one-half of one of the most talked about relationships in youngadult history.

The humor in this film is also a delightful highlight and made trudging through the drab narrative bearable.

There are multiple hilarious moments throughout the film that only add to the charm and characterization of certain characters. To name just few, Simon’s relatable text to his mom telling her to pick him up because kids at the school

Courtesy Photo dance are drinking alcohol was fantastic.

Also, Bram’s post-precedency Barack Obama Halloween costume was an excellent addition to his character.

“Love, Simon” definitely manages to draw tears and shine with its last dying breath. Once Simon is forced to come out as gay, the entire tone of the film shifts from a cheerful story about a boy in love to a devastating narrative about discrimination, the loss of relationships and hate crimes against gays.

Never has there been a film that’s affected me quite like this when the credits rolled. In its final 40 minutes,

“Love, Simon” managed to evoke so many emotions that other films never came close to touching. As a massive activist for the LGBT community, “Love, Simon” struck a nerve with its scenes of brutal bullying of gays and the painfully accurate portrayals of being a gay high school student. As I cried multiple times throughout the final act, several other audience members could not contain their sniffles. Despite its minor gripes, the themes of acceptance and pride in one’s sexuality make “Love, Simon” a mustsee film.

“Love, Simon” is out now in theaters.

“A Wrinkle in Time” appeals only to children Carlton McGrone entertainment editor

Praised as a signature children’s book, “A Wrinkle in Time” has received multiple awards for its extraordinary storytelling and powerful themes that Madeleine L’Engle crafted in 1962.

Unsurprisingly, the film is simply baseless and leads audiences on an extended trip to almost nowhere.

Though supported by a star-filled cast, “A Wrinkle in Time” is packed with cheesy acting and an even cheesier script.

The film follows thirteenyear-old Meg Murray on the fourth anniversary of her father’s disappearance. After suffering years of bullying, Meg learns that her father may be alive and must leap through space in order to find him and defeat the darkness.

The outdated plot is a direct reflection of the year that the novel was published. The story of the “chosen girl” has become a commonplace narrative for young adult fiction, which gave director Ava DuVernay the chance to create more a dynamic story. Instead, the film follows the plot from the novel almost beat-by-beat while also cutting out important scenes that promoted the major scenes L’Engle managed in the novel. This resulted in a lack of a sensible storyline pasted together by impressive CGI. In this way, “A Wrinkle in Time” has been said to be a film that appeals to children rather than adults. Several moments in the film are filled with stunned silence of

confusion rather than amazement.

Many scenes felt as if the writers attempted to maintain the initial psychological themes that L’Engle promoted but left much to be desired in terms of meaning or substance.

Despite these negatives, most of the cast did not disappoint. Headlining, Oprah Winfrey stood out amongst her galactic sisters. Her makeup and wardrobe were incredibly done, and each of her lines was competently delivered. The film’s lead Storm Reid will likely be the breakout star while Deric McCabe, her younger brother in the film, will undoubtedly become one of the most outstanding actors of his time. In fact, the only weak link of the film is Levi Miller, the almost silent and basically useless companion.

The film does succeed in garnishing a drastic emotional response that may be unfit for children. As the main themes of the film surround abandonment and loss of a loved one, the film eventually reaches a moment of intense terror once Meg finds her father. Tears will definitely be shed once she reaches her father’s prison, but after mere seconds they are both dragged to an unknown fate. The untimely pacing joined with confusing sets and questionable writing decisions will do little to please older audiences.

As a Disney film, “A Wrinkle in Time” is almost painfully aimed at younger viewers and suffers in terms of attracting adults or those that may have read the novel at a young age.

A “Wrinkle in Time” is out now.

Courtesy Photo

MARCH 21, 2018

Lanie Leach printz reporter

During my senior year of high school, tragedy struck throughout the hallways when the class of 2017 learned about the death of a classmate. That same feeling arose within me again when I heard that another one of my classmates died during spring break. It’s disturbing that I have lost more classmates than my

mother has. At such a young age, I should not be losing classmates at the rate that I have.

My class was made up of approximately 378 people.

From what I have been told, that is a rather large class size, but I somehow knew pretty much everyone. The entire class was never very close, but that is to be expected with so many people. Still, we all tend to hurt when we lose one of our own.

The class split up and went to different colleges and universities while some started working. I was one of the few who made the decision to come to Southern Miss, whereas most people went to Mississippi State, Ole Miss or Alabama. I purposely became very disconnected from my graduating class.

Even though I distanced myself, I still like to keep up with everyone, which is why I was affected by my former

classmate’s death.

One of the hardest parts is wondering if there was anything we could have done or said. We often tell ourselves that there was nothing we could have done, but is that what we say just to comfort ourselves?

We should not have to suffer through losing our classmates at such a young age when we have not had the opportunity to truly live yet.

It has been 30 years since my mom (Sorry for giving your age away, Mom) has graduated high school, and she has only lost one classmate thus far. Only one.

It has not been a year since my graduation, and I have already lost two. It’s not right.

As the grieving process begins again, it is hard not to start wondering if this will happen again soon and wonder who will go next.

Katy Perry kissed a boy and he didn’t like it Ashley Hobson social media editor

If you’ve been following “American Idol” this year, you’ve probably felt uncomfortable several times while viewing interactions between judges and contestants, specifically between judge Katy Perry and the male contestants. Perry’s awkward and sexually charged interactions with male contestants escalated to an unfortunate, but predictable boiling point when Perry stole a kiss from 19-year-old contestant Benjamin Glaze.

Katy Perry did not steal just any kiss from Glaze; she stole his first kiss.

Because of her position of power and elevated social status over the cashier from Enid, Oklahoma, she expected that he would be grateful for the favor. She could not have been more wrong.

“Would I have done it if she said, ‘Would you kiss me?’” Glaze later asked The New York Times.

“No, I would have said no…I was uncomfortable immediately. I wanted my first kiss to be special.”

While there are so many questions we should be asking, perhaps the most obvious is: How would we respond if the roles were reversed? In the wake of the #MeToo movement, how would we feel if fellow judges Lionel Richie or Luke Bryan stole a kiss from a young female hopeful. If a man in a powerful position forced a sexual act even an “innocent” kiss on a younger woman in a vulnerable position, we would have his head— or at least his job.

Glaze was stunned by Perry’s actions and visibly uncomfortable.

He asked for a drink of water before being sent home by the judges.

Courtesy Photo Glaze later tried to make light of the situation.

The New York Times reported that Glaze did not feel sexually harassed and was grateful for the exposure.

“So in that way, I’m glad she did it because it’s a great opportunity to get my music out,” Glaze said.

The problem with this statement is that no one has heard Glaze’s music beyond his audition for “American Idol.” No news outlets are focusing on how great he can sing, and no social media is blowing up with clips of his performances. What is dominating the conversation is the kiss. This mentality of “It helped

me instead of hurting me” exposes another problem. Sexual acts of any kind should not be used to advance careers. If Glaze was a woman capitalizing on a kiss from a male judge to advance her music career, society would inevitably have a few derogatory names for her. We’ve seen it before. We’ll see it again.

Here’s the thing we have to get behind. Acts of sexual misconduct committed by women are still acts of sexual misconduct. The recent movement to prosecute and expose male figures who have committed these unwanted acts should not give women false confidence to commit those acts themselves.

MARCH 21, 2018

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Andrew Abadie, Printz Nick Sandlin pitching against UTSA.

Southern Miss wins the conference weekend opener Andrew Abadie

assistant sports editor Southern Miss continued to stay hot over the University of Texas at San Antonio. The Golden Eagles now hold a six-game win streak and improve their overall record to 14-4.

Southern Miss dealt with two rain out days and salvaged a doubleheader on Saturday.

In game one Nick Sandlin and the Southern Miss bats took control of the game early.

In the first inning, Sandlin stuck out the side of UTSA to start the game.

The Golden Eagle bats exploded early and took a 6-0 lead.

“Whenever you spot him six runs after one inning, it’s pretty tough for

the opposition to recover from that with him on the mound,” Head Coach Scott Berry. “He set the tone right off the bat in that first inning.”

The Golden Eagles started with Gabe Montenegro walk and a double from Matthew Guidry. Hunter Slater and Cole Donaldson then hit back-to-back RBI singles. Mason Irby then tripled hit a triple to score to more run and LeeMarcus Boyd topped the inning off with an RBI single.

Southern Miss then had back-toback three-run innings. In the fifth inning, Matt Wallner led the inning off with a first-pitch solo home run. Slater doubled and Boyd got on base with an error which was capitalized on a tworun single by Montenegro.

In the sixth inning, Slater hit a three-

run home run after Luke Reynolds singled and Wallner walked to start the inning.

In the top of the ninth relief pitcher, Alex Nelms gave up a two-run home run just before the end of the game.

In seven innings pitched, Sandlin allowed three hits but tied his careerhigh with 14 strikeouts.

The Golden Eagles finished with 14 hits, Montenegro finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Slater finished 3-for-5 with four RBIs. In game two, Southern Miss’ pitching overcame a 3-0 deficit to take the second the game of the doubleheader 4-3.

UTSA scored its first run in the third inning off an RBI double and then extended its lead in the next inning from a leadoff solo home run.

Starter Stevie Powers pitched the first 3.1 innings before having to remove himself due to aggravating his oblique muscle. In Powers’ start, he allowed two runs on three hits and struck out three.

Keller Bradford and J.C. Keys stepped in relief and combined for 4.2 innings pitched allowed three hits and one run.

Solid performance covering 3.1,” Berry said. “Obviously, J.C. [Keys] really covered those inning and it was what we need him to do coming out of the ‘pen to get the back end. That’s three outings in a row now where he’s come on in relief and he’s throwing really good.

In the sixth inning, UTSA added another run to give them a 3-0 lead.

Southern Miss responded and capitalized on mistakes by UTSA’s

pitching. In the inning, UTSA threw three wild pitches, hit a batter and walked another helped give the Golden Eagles a pair of runs. Guidry then scored on a fielder’s choice which tied the game, 3-3.

Southern Miss then took the lead in the eighth inning from an RBI infield single from LeeMarcus Boyd.

Matt Wallner closed the game in the ninth inning giving only one hit to record his third save of the year.

The final game of the series was canceled due to weather. This is the second-time Southern Miss could not complete a three-game conference series which was against Memphis in 2000.

Southern Miss will return to action against Southern University at Pete Taylor Park.

Southern Miss basketball shows bright future after conference tournament Andrew Abadie

assistant sports editor Southern Miss had its best season in four years under head coach Doc Sadler.

The 16-18 record is the best mark with seven conference wins this past season which is also an improvement. Not to mention that the team only had nine players on scholarship to compete such the remarkable feats.

Last season, Southern Miss barely made the conference tournament with just nine wins.

This year Southern Miss pulled two wins over Florida International and basketball powerhouse Middle Tennessee.

Southern Miss held on to beat FIU 69-68 and upset the No.1 seeded regular season champions, Middle Tennessee, 71-68 that created a media frenzy. After the win Sadler said in a press conference: “It has been a long four years, but as I’ve been telling the guys, when you get to this situation... the support has been unbelievable and you know it’s just around the corner. As champions do, they made some plays down the stretch, but I told the team that day that the best team is in our locker room.

There are a lot of people who believe in you, but you have to start believing you are the best basketball team. They beat a heck of a basketball team; a team that a lot of people picked to at least go to the sweet 16, but we have a heck of a basketball team. I’m so proud of these guys. We could have dropped our head going into that overtime, but we didn’t.

So proud of them. We beat a heck of a basketball team.”

The Golden Eagles then lost in the semifinals to eventual tournament champions Marshall 85-75. Despite the score, Southern Miss faced a 20-point deficit but cut it to six points with two minutes left in the game.

In the tournament, junior Cortez Edwards averaged 27.3 points per game in the tournament.

Although many fans have not been satisfied with head coach Doc Sadler, he has certainly been the key component in essentially having to rebuild the program from scratch after dealing with NCAA sanctions. Along with improving his record every season, the key to his success has been his ability to find transfers.

Oklahoma State transfer Tyree Griffin and Grand Canyon State

transfer Dominic Magee were immediate impacts this past season.

Griffin averaged 15 points and Magee averaged 11 points per game with each also bringing another dynamic to the defense. The duo and Edwards complimented each other well and became the focal points of the offense.

Other than D’Angelo Richardson Richardson Southern Miss returns its entire roster with several other new additions. The main issue for the Golden Eagles has been lack of size which could have been the difference in keeping Southern Miss from having a winning season.

If Sadler’s trend can stay true, then the team may have found their answer.

Leonard Harper-Baker is a 6’5 transfer from Moberly Area Community College and 6’9 transfer Boban Jacdonmi are potential answers for the big man problem.

Sadler has been given a one-year contract extension which makes his contract good until 2021. The extension came right after the conference tournament and shows Athletic Director Jon Gilberts’ confidence in his coach.

With a stable coaching staff, the

Andrew Abadie, Printz Kevin Holland dribbles down court. return of an experienced team, an influx of new talent, and now being able to have 12 players on scholarship

team is primed for a successful season next year. A season that Southern Miss fans have been long for four years.

MARCH 21, 2018

www.studentprintz.com

Southern Miss swept by Marshall Grant Chighizola printz reporter

After a span of four straight nonconference games against Auburn and Troy, the Southern Miss Softball team (11-20, 1-5 C-USA) returned to conference play against the Marshall Thundering Herd (12-13-1, 4-1-1 C-USA) on Mar. 17 and 18, with Marshall winning all three games against the Golden Eagles.

In the first two games of the series on Mar. 17, the Golden Eagles struggled against the Marshall lineup. Marshall took the 7-2 win in the first game after recording 10 hits and getting out to a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. The Golden Eagles narrowed the Marshall lead by scoring one run in the top of the second inning, but Marshall held the team to just one more run for the rest of the game to seal the victory.

Samantha Robles took the loss in the circle for the Golden Eagles in game one. Robles allowed seven runs and struck out four battles in five innings of work.

Marshall’s offense started off hot in game two of the series. The Thundering Herd scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning, then added two more runs in the

bottom of the second inning.

Southern Miss would get on the board in the game on a two-run home run by Samantha Papp in the top of the fifth inning. Ciara Cherry would add another run for the team in the top of the sixth inning when she hit a solo home run, her second home run this season.

In game three of the series on Mar. 18, the two teams started off the contest with two scoreless innings. Marshall took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third, then added three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 4-0 lead over the Golden Eagles. Southern Miss avoided the shutout after a run scored off of a Rebekah DiLavore RBI single in the top of the seventh inning, but Marshall ended the inning soon afterwards to secure the 4-1 win and series sweep.

DiLavore finished the game with two hits in three at bats. Papp, Cherry and Caitlyn Aldous also recorded hits for the Golden Eagles in the contest.

The Golden Eagles will look to bounce back from the sweep when they take on conference opponent UTEP in a three-game home series from Mar. 24-25. First pitch for game one of the series is set for 1 p.m. at the Southern Miss Softball Complex.

Andrew Abadie, Printz

Samantha Robles pitching inside the circle.

Southern Miss track and field starts outdoor season Andrew Abadie

assistant sports editor

Andrew Abadie, Printz

Kadaria Thompson sprints the 100 meter.

Southern Miss opened the outdoor season with eight event winners at the Jaguar Invitational hosted by South Alabama.

“We opened the season with some pretty good marks, so watching our athletes improve as the season goes will be a lot of fun,” Head Coach Jon Stuart said.

In the men’s 100m dash, Cra’Vorkian Carson finished in second running 10.32. and Chedlin Sagesse ran 6.78 finishing fifth, respectively. In the 200m dash, Lorenzon Burton ran 21.39 to finish in fifth place. In the men’s 400m dash Cameron Cox finished ninth running a 50.31. Kacey Spinks won the men’s 400m hurdles with a time of 55.12 and Dexter Molden ran 57.67 to finish sixth.

Devonta Brassell finished in second in the men’s triple jump with a jump of 14.24m.

In the men’s 4X100 relay, Southern Miss won running a time of 39.85 and was notably the only team to run sub 40.

In the women’s short distance, Keiyana Gaskin won the 100m dash with a time of 11.65 and Rikianne Patterson ran 11.83 to finish in second place. Chanelle Ricketts won the 200m dash and Rian Robinson finished in third with times of 23.86 and 24.53. In the 400m dash, Aireanna Taylor ran 59.17 and 55.45 to eighth, respectively. In the women’s 400m hurdles Talia Thompson and Brooklyn Polk finished second and third with times of 1:03 and 1:04.

In relays, the women’s 4X100

team ran 45:95 and placed second being just edged out by conference opponent the University of Alabama at Birmingham who won with a time of 45.61.

In the 110m hurdles, sophomore Caleb Parker won the event with a time of 14.09. Christian Strong and Keionis Spears ran 15.00 and 15.73 finishing fourth and seventh, respectively. Parker doubled in the high jump and took second place with a jump of 2.16m.

In the women’s high jump, sophomore Jamari Drake took third place with a jump of 1.74m.

The women’s distance team was led by a first-place finish

by Madeleine Bell with a win in the 3000m run. Bell ran 10:41, Rachel Tedder finished in fourth and Chloe Tedder finished in fifth with times of 10:59 and 11:01.

In the men’s shot put, Robert Watson, threw 13.41m and finished in ninth place and also too seventh in the hammer throw with a throw of 51.74.

For the women’s throwers, senior Alexis Chiles and Brashe Wood took first and third place in the shot put with throws of 14.73m and 14.51m. Junior Danisha Jones finished in fifth place with a throw of 14.06m.

“Caleb was solid today with wins in both the high jump and 110m hurdles,” Stuart said.

“Keiyana and Chanelle took the 100 and 200 titles while Alexis Chiles threw very well in rainy conditions. I couldn’t be happier with a season opener.”

The Golden Eagles will travel to Tallahassee, Florida to compete in the Florida State Relays on March 23.