It didn't take long for Memphis freshman forward Dedric Lawson to make a statement and have an impact in his first collegiate game.

Lawson had a hand in the Tigers' first 12 points as Memphis (1-0) routed the Southern Miss Golden Eagles 67-49 Saturday night at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn.

Lawson scored eight points and dished out two assists in the opening moments as Memphis overwhelmed Southern Miss.

His older brother, K.J., broke his brother's streak by assisting on the next Tigers basket and then scoring four more points for Memphis.

The Lawsons got plenty of help from senior forwards Shaq Goodwin and Trahson Burrell. Goodwin led the Tigers with 15 points while Burrell added 11.

Leading the way for Southern Miss was Eddie David III with 13 points.

Before Southern Miss (0-1) could break a sweat, the Tigers had sprinted out to a double-digit lead and 36-20 at halftime.

The second half was similar to the first. The Tigers' athleticism and defense prowess was on display again. But this time it was Goodwin who stole the spotlight as Memphis built a 47-24 lead.

In the first half, Dedric Lawson compiled eight points, two rebounds, three assists, three steals and a blocked shot and finished with 13 points.

The Golden Eagles made less than 27 percent of their field-goal attempts while the Tigers were significantly better at 39.7 percent.

Memphis held a huge advantage at the free-throw line, connecting on 18 of 25 attempts. Southern Miss went to the free-throw line only seven times and made good on four of those tries.