Sports in Brief: February 26, 2013

Football field possibly damaged by tornado

The Southern Miss football field is currently off-limits due to potential damage from the Feb. 10 tornado.

It’s currently unclear whether the field will need any type of work done on it, but there is a possibility it could need to be replaced.

“It is very possible that it could be sanitized, but it’s also very possible that it can’t be because of the age of the turf,” Athletic Director Jeff Hammond told the Hattiesburg American. “All options are open at this stage.”

Southern Miss is set to start spring football practice on March 19, and the annual Black and Gold Game is scheduled for April 20. It is still unclear whether the field will be ready for use by practice time.

The Hattiesburg American reported last week that the turf is scheduled to be replaced at the conclusion of the 2013 football season.  The cost would be $650,000 to $700,000 and is already slotted into the facility upgrade plan.

Basketball falls at Memphis

The Southern Miss men’s basketball team suffered their thirteenth straight loss at Memphis on Saturday afternoon, falling to the Tigers for the second time this season, 89-73.

After trading baskets for the majority of the first half, Memphis went on an 18-3 run to finish the half up 46-30.

The teams continued to trade buckets for the remainder of the game, with Memphis leading by as much as 23 points.

Dwayne Davis led Southern Miss with a career-high 28 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Jerrold Brooks added 16 points for the Golden Eagles, and Jonathan Mills added 11 points and a game-high 9 rebounds.

Chris Crawford and Shaq Goodwin led five Memphis players in double figures with 19 points apiece. The win also locked up the regular season conference title for Memphis.

Southern Miss (21-7, 10-3 C-USA) will face East Carolina at Reed Green Coliseum next Saturday at 7 p.m.

Jamie Collins impresses at NFL Combine

Former Golden Eagle football standout Jamie Collins has been impressing NFL scouts over the weekend in Indianapolis.

After conducting medical examinations, psychological evaluations and interviews the past couple of days, Collins got to go to work on the field today.

The 6’3” Collins showed off his athletic ability on Monday, especially in the broad jump, where he broke the all-group combine record with an 11-foot, 7-inch jump.

He also stood out in the 40-yard dash (4.64 seconds), the bench press (225 lbs for 19 reps) and the vertical jump (41.5 inches). The vertical jump mark was one inch off of the record for linebackers.

Southern Miss’s Pro Day is scheduled for March 8 at the Rock, with NFL.com naming Collins and offensive lineman Jason Weaver as “notable players to watch.”

Track and Field finishes No. 6 and  No. 8 at indoor championships

The Southern Miss indoor track and field teams concluded the 2013 Conference USA Indoor Championship at the Birmingham Crossplex in Birmingham, Ala. on Sunday after winning several medals over the weekend.

The men’s team finished tied for sixth place with 49 total points. The women’s team finished ninth with 30 total points.

The shotputters highlighted the weekend for the Golden Eagles, winning three medals total. Senior shotputter Robert Collingwood took home the lone gold medal for the Eagles, winning the men’s shot put with a throw of 17.72 meters. Collingwood’s twin brother also medaled in the event, finishing third overall with a throw of 17.05 meters.

Junior Rachel Polk took home the bronze medal in the women’s shot put with a throw of 15.17 meters. 

Also taking home bronze medals were freshman triple jumper Christopher Monroe and 60-meter hurdler Randy McCoy.

Freshman Felice Johnson recorded a school-record of 4:51:24 in the women’s one-mile run while finishing sixth overall in the event.