STARKVILLE — Gavin Ware figured Saturday was finally his time.
That’s why the Mississippi State sophomore center became visibly angry at his teammates on possessions he didn’t get the ball.
The former Starkville High School standout put that frustration to good use, scoring 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to lead MSU to an 81-72 overtime victory against Texas A&M at Humphrey Coliseum.
Ware was a factor early and often in earning his sixth double-double of the season. He also had the game’s most critical basket in regulation to help MSU (12-5, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) force the extra session.
During a timeout in the second half, Ware screamed at Trivante Bloodman and Fred Thomas after he worked to get position on the block and didn’t get a post look on back-to-back possessions.
“(Gavin) needs to be that way all the time. That’s the key,” MSU coach Rick Ray said. “We do a lot of things to get Gavin the ball. He’s got to continue to work the post to create seals because teams will make mistakes if we force them into it.”
The Bulldogs eventually listened, which helped Ware score eight points in overtime, when MSU outscored Texas A&M 14-5 to get its 10th victory at home.
“I had to scowl at Fred Thomas a little bit early on, but we worked some things out in the timeout and we got it all figured out when to get me a look inside,” Ware said.
With MSU trailing by two, Craig Sword missed runner near the baseline with 30 seconds left, but Ware didn’t quit on the play. Even when it appeared, Texas A&M has corralled the basketball, Ware’s pressure on the rebounder forced a turnover. He then turned the mistake into the game-tying basket.
“Normally I just raise my arms as I’m going down the court to the other end and as I’m doing that, the ball touched my hand,” Ware said. “I was as shocked as anybody, and at that point I’m thinking, ‘Well, do I pass or go in and try to dunk this?”
Texas A&M (12-5, 3-1) entered the game leading the SEC in field goal percentage defense, but its sunk-in 2-3 zone defense wasn’t enough to contain an aggressive Ware inside. MSU shot 63.3 percent in the final 25 minutes thanks to timely jump shots by Sword and Thomas, who had 13 points, five rebounds, and three steals in 41 minutes.
Following a lackluster offensive effort at Alabama, Ray said he told his players the basketball had to be passed into the post or driven into the lane before an outside shot was allowed.
“Our guys had a directive they couldn’t shoot a 3-pointer until the ball touched the paint, and that’s the way we have to play,” Ray said. “We’re going to play that way until we start shooting better. If they want to shoot threes then get in the gym and shoot it.”
Sword made his mark by getting to the free throw line. Eight of Sword’s game-high 23 points came from the free throw line. The sophomore has shot double-digits free throw attempts in three of MSU’s first four SEC games.
MSU looked out of sync without freshman point guard IJ Ready. Texas A&M capitalized by forcing contested jump shots and getting consistent stops. However, Texas A&M’s free throw shooting (1-for-6) allowed MSU to take a 27-26 halftime lead.
“We didn’t shoot free throws well enough, we didn’t adjust to the officiating well, and Gavin Ware destroyed us near the basket,” Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy said. “We had no answer for him.”
Despite Texas A&M’s methodical approach, MSU scored 16 fast-break points thanks in part to allowing the Aggies one offensive rebound in the second half.
“We’re a running team, and we have to to have the full success we’re capable of,” Thomas said. “When we get out on the break, we feel like nobody can stop us from getting to the hole.”
Follow Matt Stevens on Twitter @matthewcstevens.
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