STARKVILLE — What was an eight-point halftime lead for Mississippi State was quickly erased after the Bulldogs went cold to start the second half.
Following a trend of the first half, where South Carolina started out the game 8 for 9 from the field, taking a seven-point lead 6:30 in, the Gamecocks once again came out firing in the second.
South Carolina outscored the Bulldogs 15-3 early on, taking a 49-46 lead that they were able to stretch out to 57-53 at the 8:20 mark.
However, with Tuesday night being a must-win game for the Bulldogs, Mississippi State came thundering back heading into the under-8 timeout, tying things up and re-taking the lead.
Things got ugly, but like how the Bulldogs (20-10, 8-9 Southeastern Conference) ended the first half, they did the same to end the second half, storming ahead for a 74-68 win on senior night.
“Certainly the game didn’t unfold the way we wanted it to,” Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans said. “It was like a glorified pickup game in terms of the offenses of both teams scoring at will. I’m sure that was frustrating for both coaching staffs.
“… They played really, really well, but fortunately in the second half, our defense took hold and got some turnovers.”
Four Bulldogs were recognized on senior night, including Tolu Smith, who scored 16 points in the win, one of three Mississippi State players to finish in double figures.
Smith had the added benefit of playing with no fouls in the first half, allowing him to play more freely in the lane as he scored 12 of those points in the first half.
He exited the game to a massive ovation from the Hump in his final home game in a Mississippi State uniform, something that really didn’t hit him until afterwards.
“It was a great feeling, man,” Smith said. “I love Starkville from the bottom of my heart. I enjoyed every moment of it. I enjoyed all of the fans screaming my name, coming to the games.”
Along with Smith, Eric Reed Jr., D.J. Jeffries and Tyler Stevenson were recognized on the court before the game, with Reed helping to re-energize the team as Jans switched the lineup after the 13:30 mark of the first half.
Reed, Will McNair Jr. and Shawn Jones Jr. helped to close that seven-point gap as the Bulldogs not only tied things up, but went on a 6-0 run to end the half, taking a 42-34 lead.
In the second half, with South Carolina taking a slim lead, it turned from the Tolu Smith show to the Shakeel Moore show as he not only led the Bulldogs with 20 points in the win, but he scored 14 of those 20 points in the final 10:10 of play.
His biggest contribution, however, came in the final two minutes of play as he drew two charges, igniting the crowd as those crucial turnovers made the ultimate difference in the win.
“(Jans) stresses that it’s going to come down to the wire, down to who can make the winning play,” Moore said. “I felt like those two plays were the game-changers.”
He shot 6 of 8 in the second half and 9 of 15 overall for State, replicating the same success he had the first time the Bulldogs and Gamecocks played where he finished with 22 points.
A developing bright spot for the team came from the play of Jones, the freshman, who set a new career-high with 11 points in 15 minutes played, shooting 3 of 5 from the field and 2 of 4 from beyond the arc.
“He keeps getting better and better,” Jans said. “He made some huge shots, especially in the first half. He makes some plays where you go ‘Wow.'”
Tuesday’s win was a must-win game for the Bulldogs when it came to their NCAA tournament hopes, and with just one game remaining and the SEC tournament following, it’s must-win basketball the rest of the way.
Mississippi State takes on Vanderbilt in its regular season finale at 7:30 p.m. Saturday before finding out its SEC tournament seeding for next week in Nashville.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
