HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Cortez Edwards scored 21 points with 8-for-10 shooting to lead Southern Miss to a 72-64 win over Louisiana Tech on Saturday.
After taking a 40-17 advantage into the break, Southern Miss (14-17, 7-11 Conference USA) had to scramble in the second half to hold off a Louisiana Tech rally that twice pulled the Bulldogs to within two points in the final three minutes.
Louisiana Tech (16-15, 7-11) used a 13-0 run capped by Amorie Archibald's 3-pointer to cut the gap to 61-59 late in the second half. Archibald again pulled the Bulldogs to within a possession, 64-62, on a layup with 1:39 left before Southern Miss dug in, getting a free throw and a 3-pointer, with 31 seconds left, from Edwards to stretch the advantage to 68-62.