STARKVILLE — Monday saw the Mississippi State men’s basketball team drop 10 spots in the Associated Press poll to No. 25, largely because it struggled to shoot the 3-pointer. It ranked 330th in the nation at 26.2 percent; its first loss was largely due to making eight of its 30 attempts (26.7 percent) from range.
Alcorn State (1-6) came to Humphrey Coliseum with a zone defense. MSU was forced to shoot the 3-pointer well, and it did.
The Bulldogs (5-1) shot 45.8 percent from 3-point range (11-for-24) and 61.1 percent from the field in a commanding 88-65 win Monday night, by far its best marks of the season in both respects.
“Just waiting and being more patient,” MSU coach Ben Howland said. “The reason we were shooting such a poor percentage from the 3-point line is being rushed and anxious to want to get it going shooting rather than letting it come to you and being patient. It’s my responsibility. Everything we’re doing in practice right now is offense-first.”
That showed with how the Bulldogs attacked the zone.
Three quick passes on a first-minute possession created an open look for sophomore guard Nick Weatherspoon. Weatherspoon also dribbled into the top of the 2-3 zone to create a 3-pointer later.
Out of the first media timeout, Alcorn State threw its bag of tricks at MSU, presenting 2-3, 1-3-1 and 3-2 zones, sometimes differing by possession. MSU forced all three varieties to collapse by passing and creating backdoor opportunities early in the first half, which showed in taking its lead from five to 12 without a made 3-pointer over 90 seconds.
With that run, the damage was done. MSU had enough room to beat the Braves from range — as long as it knocked down the opportunities.
The patience that made the overall shooting better applied more to Lamar Peters than most. He made three of his 12 3-point attempts in the two games in Las Vegas, but five of eight Monday on his way to a season-high 17 points.
“By staying in the gym, never losing confidence, believing in my technique, keeping the same form,” Peters said. “Coach kept telling me to take better shots: if I get good looks, he believes I’m a better shooter and I’ll knock them down.
“I just want to keep it going by taking smart shots, sharing the ball and playing the right basketball.”
Peters did just that and took pride in it, mentioning the exact ratio of assists (24) to made field goals (33) after the game. Peters had seven of those assists.
Peters assisted two first-half Reggie Perry dunks, four of his career high 16 points; his 11 rebounds also made it his first double-double as a Bulldog. Perry and Peters were two of five Bulldogs to score in double figures: Nick Weatherspoon had 17, Quinndary Weatherspoon had 14 and Tyson Carter had 10.
On Friday, MSU has to travel to Dayton to face a Flyer defense that ranks just above average nationally in 3-point shooting defense, 144th. It’s possible MSU is more poised than ever to face such a team.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
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