HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - Gary Flowers scored a career-high 32 points to lead Southern Mississippi to its sixth win in seven games, 72-55 over East Carolina on Saturday.
Flowers, a senior forward, also grabbed 11 rebounds and had 21 points by halftime, when the Golden Eagles (20-6, 9-4 Conference USA) led 36-30.
Flowers and Maurice Bolden scored five points each during a 14-2 run that increased Southern Mississippi's advantage to 52-34 with 4:37 gone in the second half.
The Pirates (13-13, 5-7) got no closer than 14 points after that.
A three-point play by Flowers with 3:26 remaining in the first half broke a 26-26 tie, and Southern Mississippi never trailed again.
Flowers' previous high point total was 31 in a 100-71 win over Alcorn State on Dec. 10.
Bolden finished with 11 points for the Golden Eagles.
Brock Young scored 18 points and Jontae Sherrod 12 for East Carolina.
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