HATTIESBURG, Miss. (Interstat) — A surging Kent State squad aims to continue its climb when it visits a struggling Southern Mississippi team in a nonconference men’s basketball matchup Saturday at Reed Green Coliseum.

The Golden Flashes (17-6) enter with momentum from a 75-72 road victory at Toledo on Tuesday, their fifth win in six games. The Golden Eagles (12-13), meanwhile, have lost seven of their last nine, including an 81-77 defeat at Marshall on Wednesday.

The game features two of the nation’s more prolific scorers in a backcourt showdown. Kent State’s Delrecco Gillespie is averaging 18.1 points per game and comes off a 25-point, three-block performance against Toledo. He has scored 20 or more points in four of his last eight contests.

Southern Mississippi will counter with Djahi Binet, who erupted for a career-high 31 points in the loss to Marshall. Binet has been a bright spot, averaging 16.3 points over his last four games despite the team’s slide.

Kent State’s success has been built on offensive efficiency and resilience, with three of their recent wins coming by three points or fewer, including a double-overtime thriller at Eastern Michigan. Southern Mississippi has struggled to close games, with four of its last five losses coming by single digits.

The Golden Eagles will need a strong defensive effort to slow Gillespie and a Kent State offense averaging 78.2 points per game. Southern Mississippi’s offense, which has been held under 70 points in five of its last seven games, must find consistent scoring beyond Binet to keep pace.

This is the first meeting between the programs since 2019. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. EST Saturday.