DeAndre Pinckney's final stat line spoke for itself as the senior turned his best of the game of the early season.
Pinckney shot 5 of 8 from the field goal line, 2 of 3 from the 3-point line, and 4 of 8 from the free throw line, which totaled 16 points along with seven rebounds, four steals and no turnovers in 20 minutes of play.
Behind a strong first-half performance from Pinckney, the Golden Eagles ignited for an 86-62 win over Loyola (La.), who are the reigning NAIA National Champions. With the win over Loyola, the Golden Eagles are now off to their first 3-0 start since the 2018-2019 season.
But in the last two games, Pinckney has quickly improved his lackluster opening game in Southern Miss' 75-42 win over William Carey. In that game, Pinckney was 0-for-5 from the court and 1-for-4 on the free throw line, culminating in scoring one point in 13 minutes.
"I know starting the season didn't go as expected," Pinckney said. "I know I put in the work every day, so I can't dread the situation and be down on myself about it because I'm not having a good shooting night or the ball is not going in the basket. There are other things that I can do to impact the game. I know I put in the work, so it's all going to come together. Everybody has shooting slumps, and everybody has bad games. It's not about that game. It's about how you respond to it."
Social media pointed out Pinckney's poor outing, but the forward has turned in two solid performances since that game. Prior to Loyola, in Southern Miss' recent 60-48 win against Vanderbilt, Pinckney posted a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds despite shooting 4 of 11 from the field.
"He knew he didn't play well in that exhibition game and in that first game, but he the kind of guy you don't have to tell him," Ladner said. "He kind of got us kickstarted tonight. He's a better free-throw shooter. I have to say something negative he's too good of a shooter to miss that many free throws."
But since that victory in Nashville, Southern Miss fans have embraced dubbing Pinckney as Mr. Efficient. Notably, Pinckney's 16 points against Loyola was the fourth most he has scored in a game during his career.
"We just pull for the next guy," Pinckney said. "In the first two games (including USM's exhibition game), we won by 30, and I had a combined three points. Every night is not going to be the same person's night. Tonight, maybe my day, but tomorrow might be the next person's day. It's my job to be happy for him and his job to be happy for me because I've been in a shooting slump and have support from my teammates. With my teammates, there is going to come a time where they will be in a shooting slump, and I have to be there to support them to keep the energy hype and positive."
Pinckney accounted for 13 of his points and four of his rebounds in the first half, which helped the Golden Eagles spark a 10-2 run that helped USM separate from Loyola and close the half leading 45-32.
"(Pinckney) is always on point in every rotation and in practice," Felipe Haase said. "He's committed to the team and knows his role very well. He's just mastering it. I see how much time he puts into the gym every day and every morning before practice. I wasn't concerned about his numbers. I didn't even know he played bad in that (William Carey) game. Dre gets those steals and plays as hard as nails. He gives us that confidence.
"(Tonight) we started kind of slow. We were missing (shots), and Dre was everywhere, getting offensive rebounds, taking steals and stuff. It's Dre. It's what he's going to do, and it's what we expect him to do."
Southern Miss carried over the momentum, with the Golden Eagles opening the second half with an 18-6 run, which ultimately helped them cruise to their victory.
NOTABLE NUMBERS
Although Loyola was the first team to score over 50 points against Southern Miss this season, the Golden Eagles still turned in a strong defensive performance. USM forced 17 turnovers, 11 of which were on steals. The Golden Eagles also outrebounded Loyola 44-26.
"In the first half, we were kind of tentative out of respect," Ladner said. "Their point guard is really quick. They have a few guys that can really shoot the ball. We made adjustments and went back to our bread and butter, and so that's when our pressure ignited. I thought that was the difference in the game. We were down two and ended up leading at the half by 13, and it continued into the second half."
Along with Pinckney, four different Southern Miss players scored in double digits. Haase led USM with 17 points and eight rebounds, Austin Crowley posted 15 points and four rebounds. Denijay Harris put up 12 points and nine rebounds.
ALVAREZ INJURY
Starting guard Neftali Alvarez played just under seven minutes against Loyola. After halftime, the redshirt junior returned to the team bench in a boot and on crutches.
"I didn't really see a step on the foot or something," Ladner said. "One time, he did drive and made a real quick pivot. He didn't know what he did. I couldn't pinpoint the time it happened, and he didn't either."
It was unclear how Alvarez injured himself, but according to Ladner, he may have reinjured his leg, which he had surgery on last year.
"The first thing on my mind is last year," Ladner said. "What I'm worried about is that he had surgery last year when he was at Mercer, and it stopped his season. I was talking to our trainer, and they have X-rayed and already sent that to the doctor."
Southern Miss will now take part in the Cancun Challenge, which will have the Golden Eagles play Liberty, Winthrop and then either Purdue Fort Wayne or Eastern Michigan. USM will first travel to Virginia to play Liberty on Friday, with tipoff set for 6 p.m.
Follow @AndrewAbadie on Twitter for Southern Miss coverage.
