STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State men’s basketball team’s ability to mount a comeback is undeniable.
In the last week, MSU erased a 19-point deficit to beat Tennessee and turned a 21-point deficit into a six-point loss at Auburn.
MSU’s next step: avoid the deficit that precedes the second-half surges of late.
The search for answers will continue at 7 p.m. Saturday when MSU (14-9, 5-6 Southeastern Conference) plays host to No. 19 South Carolina (19-5, 9-2) at Humphrey Coliseum. ESPN2 will televise the game live.
“We just need to do a better job of coming out and playing,” MSU freshman forward Schnider Herard said. “We don’t have to be down 20 to realize we need to play harder than that. We need to come out and not get down by 20 in the first half.”
MSU hasn’t led at halftime since it led Texas A&M by one point on Jan. 14 — a stretch of seven games. MSU went on to win 67-59.
A number of reasons have contributed to the halftime deficits. Turnovers have played a role, such as eight Tuesday against Auburn, 11 against Kentucky on Jan. 17, or 12 against Ole Miss on Jan. 31. Shooting woes also have played a role. MSU shot 20 percent from the field in the first half against Tennessee. It was 1-for-6 from 3-point range against Alabama.
Former MSU coach and current radio broadcaster Richard Williams has a suggestion as to what might be causing the Bulldogs’ problems.
“I think part of the issue, and I think coach (Ben) Howland would say this, particularly in the first half of games, has been our transition defense,” Williams said.
Herard agreed, adding, “We come out too relaxed. We have to come out and treat the game the same way in the first and second half. We’ve been talking about it and in practice (Thursday) we’re going to talk about it again. We’re going to look at film and see what we’ve been doing wrong in the first half to make sure we don’t do it again.”
Mastering the art of starting a game isn’t easy task for a young team like MSU, as Williams can attest to from personal experience. Williams said he doesn’t know if there is one reason he can point to.
“As a coach, you can show them film, you can tell them what a team will be like, but until they get out on the floor and experience it, they don’t realize what it’s going to take,” he said.
MSU will need to come out focused from the start against No. 19 South Carolina, which is coming off a 90-86 loss to Alabama in four overtimes.
Williams said it would be easier for the Bulldogs to rally at home, but he hopes it doesn’t come to that. He also knows remembered one game against Ole Miss in his coaching career that went to four overtimes and the fallout from it.
“You have to be careful about not overworking your players after that,” he said.
Williams said South Carolina — projected by Joe Lunardi of ESPN to be a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament — is the most physical team in the league.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
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