HATTIESBURG — Southern Miss coach Larry Eustachy had said he expected Faulkner University to provide a good test for the Golden Eagles Monday night at Green Coliseum.
    
Faulkner did that, and then some.
   
USM trailed the NAIA school from Alabama by 10 points less than 5 minutes into the second half and was still down by a point with 1:19 to play before rallying for a 60-56 victory in its final exhibition tuneup.
"We were outplayed in every facet of the game except on the scoreboard," Eustachy said. "We were lucky to win. We shouldn't have won."
    
But USM did, in large part thanks to veterans Jarekus Singleton and Jason Forte.

Singleton scored all 15 of his points in the second half, including a three-point play with 48.6 seconds to play that gave the Golden Eagles the lead for good.
   
"We can't depend on making shots," said Singleton, who was 5-of-7 from the floor and 5-of-5 from the foul line.
   
"We've got to make defensive stops, man."

Forte, who had eight points and five rebounds, did down the stretch, coming up with steals on back-to-back possessions in the final minute.
   
"Without those two, we don't win," Eustachy said.

USM nearly didn't. Faulkner, ranked No. 9 in the preseason NAIA poll, brought two bus loads of fans from Montgomery, and the visitors were having themselves some fun at the expense of the struggling Eagles.
   
USM led by as many as six points early before Faulkner's zone choked off the offense. In the final 8 minutes, 24 seconds, USM's offense consisted of six free throws.
   
Faulkner not only caught USM at 13-13 but sped away from a 17-13 deficit by outscoring the Eagles 13-2 over the final six minutes of the half to take a 26-19 halftime lead.

That hole grew to 10 on Richarde McCray's 3-pointer with 15:26 to play.
   
But USM whittled away, with Singleton, Forte and Kendaris Pelton supplying most of the pop. Pelton's shot along the baseline let USM catch Faulkner at 36-36. Four more ties and five lead changes would ensue from there before Singleton's big play put the Eagles clear.

Kyle Lamonte made 4 of 6 free throws down the stretch to help USM hold on.
   
McCray led the way for the 2-0 and ninth-ranked Eagles with 17 points. Jon Uriarte added 10. Faulkner head coach Jim Sanderson was pleased with his team's effort in a hostile environment.
     
"Our guys didn't care that they were a NCAA Division I team,'' Sanderson said. "We went out there and expected to win. We weren't intimidated, and came close at the end. I'm proud of what I saw here tonight as we get ready for conference play.''
     
Faulkner opens Southern States Athletic Conference action Thursday night at home against Shorter. The game tips off at 7.