STARKVILLE — Ben Howland’s fears of a trap game were all too real as he took Mississippi State into halftime — then Wofford immediately made them worse.
Howland knew the pesky Wofford Terriers (9-4) — having already beaten South Carolina on the road — would be a tough out. Their nine-point halftime lead and a quick 3-pointer out of the break confirmed every last one of those fears.
At the time, MSU needed a spark, having missed four of its final five shots of the first half.
No one is more equipped to deliver that spark than Lamar Peters. He has done it before, and on Wednesday night, he did it again.
Some of the best basketball of Peters’ life continued when the No. 17 Bulldogs needed it most: 16 of his 19 points came in the second half, on the back of 4-for-4 3-point shooting. A patented Peters hot streak triggered a patented MSU hot streak and salvaged a 98-87 win.
The junior point guard was once again the best version of himself: making creative passes, devastating with the dribble and knocking down the shot he needed to take.
“It’s amazing because, like I’ve said before, you see someone that’s put the work in like he has and the stuff he’s been through, and he comes out on top, you can celebrate and be happy for him,” senior forward Aric Holman said.
Holman can take an extra layer of pride in how he started it off.
Peters’ first shot of the second half was a wide open three that he made, created by a Holman assist. His rhythm established, he activated his lethal arsenal of dribble moves to break down Wofford guard Storm Murphy for a highlight-reel 3-pointer.
“My teammates had some good looks but passed up their good looks for a better look and got me an open shot,” Peters said. “I just wanted to knock those shots down when they swing it to me.”
Holman completed the comeback by tying the game with a post-up score. The game mostly stayed within a couple of possessions for the next 10 minutes — until Peters took over again.
A similar two 3-pointer sequence — first from the catch-and-shoot and then from the dribble — put the Bulldogs (10-1) up 11 with just over 5 minutes to go.
Then came crunch time, when MSU needed Peters to be the closer. By then, it looked as if his moment has passed.
After his second burst of 3’s, he was fouled taking another one. He missed the first two free throws — the hot hand was gone.
“My teammates picked me up, kept talking to me. They told me to knock down the next one and move forward,” Peters said.
He did just that, making one of the three to extend the lead to 10. There were still over 4 minutes left to be played and Wofford put it to good use, once bringing the game within five points.
Thus, Peters was needed when he didn’t have the hot shooting hand. So he seamlessly melded into the rest of the offense. He became the facilitator.
He allowed the ball to move, he forced Wofford to defend the entire floor — a task it could not do without fouling. MSU was able to ice the game with the help of eight made free throws, plus a field goal assisted by Peters.
“I have to get other guys going because I have good scorers around me. It’s not high school anymore where I was the main focus, the main player; I’m surrounded by good players,” Peters said. “I have to pick and choose and be smart when I’m going to decide when I’m going to take a shot and decide when I’m going to facilitate.”
On Wednesday, he did both masterfully, and earned the Bulldogs another quality win in the process.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
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