Mississippi State coach Ben Howland hoped his team’s NIT invite could be a way to springboard his youthful roster with positive momentum heading into next season.
So far, so good.
The No. 4-seeded Bulldogs knocked off No. 1 seed Saint Louis 74-68 on Saturday in the first round of the NIT in Frisco, Texas.
“That’s a really good team,” MSU coach Ben Howland said. “We beat an outstanding team today. They’ve been through all the wars. We did an outstanding job defensively on them, and D.J. (Stewart) really came alive in that second half.”
With the win in the single-elimination tournament, the Bulldogs will face Richmond in the quarterfinals on Thursday. MSU (16-14) is also guaranteed to finish the year with a record above .500.
“We shot it well today,” Howland said. “Overall, it’s a great team win, and I’m really excited to get this win and allow us to continue our season.”
Three MSU players finished in double figures for the Bulldogs, including Stewart (20), Iverson Molinar (19), and Derek Fountain (10). Both Deivon Smith and Tolu Smith scored eight points apiece. The Bulldogs shot 50 percent from the field and were 6 of 13 from the 3-point line.
“The guys stayed together collectively, played hard together and came out with the win,” Stewart said. “ … We just were happy to continue to play the game we love.”
At halftime, MSU led Saint Louis (14-7) by a score of 33-26. That lead was erased eight minutes into the second after Saint Louis deployed a full-court press that disoriented the Bulldogs and led to an array of turnovers.
MSU made key plays down the stretch on both ends of the court, including the game-sealing steal by freshman Cameron Matthews up three with less than a minute remaining.
“When I’m in, I just try to do the best I can with the time I have. I’m here to play defense and make plays,” Matthews said. “Defense just comes easy to me. I just love to bring the energy.”
Stewart made three clutch free throws in the final 40 seconds to cement the win.
Javonte Perkins had a game-high 21 points for Saint Louis, while Hasahn French chipped in 17 and Jordan Goodwin added 14. SLU shot 42.2 percent from the field and 6 of 22 from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs outrebounded Saint Louis 35-32.
Hodge is the former sports editor for The Dispatch.
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