HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) -- Jerrold Brooks scored 19 points to lead Southern Miss to its seventh straight win with an 81-64 victory over Charlotte on Sunday.
Jeremiah Eason scored at the 10:18 mark in the first half, sparking a 21-8 run to give Southern Miss a 41-22 halftime lead. Brooks hit a 3-pointer to stretch the lead to 50-30 with 14:36 to play. Michael Craig scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Southern Miss. Aaron Brown added 13 points and Neil Watson had six assists.
The win keeps Southern Miss (21-3, 8-1 Conference USA) tied with UTEP atop the conference standings, and snaps a 12-game losing streak against Charlotte (14-9, 5-5 Conference USA).
Shawn Lester scored 20 points and had five rebounds to lead Charlotte. Pierria Henry scored 11 points and Willie Clayton added 10 points and five rebounds for the 49ers.
