STARKVILLE — Andy Kennedy needed role players to step up in big ways.
Ole Miss was without its leading scorers in Stefan Moody (24.3 points) and Sebastian Saiz (12.8 points). Moody was sidelined with a hamstring injury, while Saiz had surgery on his eye and missed this week’s overtime home loss to South Carolina. The Rebels were also without Martavious Newby, who was averaging five points coming in.
With three starters out, Kennedy had to put an unrecognizable lineup on the floor. He liked their effort, even if Mississippi State won 83-77 Saturday afternoon at Humphrey Coliseum.
“I thought we battled,” Kennedy said. “If you would have told me coming in, ‘Coach, you’re going to out-rebound them by five, you’re only going to have 10 turnovers and you’re going to shoot 50 percent from 3, would you take your chances? Absolutely.'”
Kennedy started Marcanvis Hymon (eight points), Tomasz Gielo (six points), Anthony Perez (14 points), Rasheed Brooks (team-high 20 points) and Donte Fitzpatrick-Dorsey (16 points). Both Brooks and Gielo started 14 games each, while Perez started nine games, Hymon five games and Fitzpatrick-Dorsey getting his first start.
Brooks, who was averaging a starting lineup-high 8.4 points, was 0 of 10 from the field and 0 of 8 from 3-point range in an overtime loss to South Carolina. He scored just two points from the free throw line.
On this day though, he gave the Rebels (12-7, 2-5 Southeastern Conference) a chance against the Bulldogs (8-10, 1-5) shooting 8 of 15 from the field and 4 of 7 from 3-point range.
“I always try to increase my production, but they just weren’t falling,” Brooks said of his performance against South Carolina. “This game wasn’t difficult offensively.”
Even with a depleted roster, the Rebels led 38-36 at halftime. With MSU leading 32-31 with 2 minutes, 27 seconds left in the first half, the Rebels went on a 7-0 run to lead 38-32. Perez made a free throw and a 3-pointer, while Gielo made a 3 of his own.
The Rebels tried to hold of a Bulldog run in the second half, but the game got away from them midway through the second half when Bulldog guard Malik Newman caught fire from 3-point range.
MSU coach Ben Howland said Ole Miss having three starters out changed the dynamic of the game, especially Moody.
Moody has proven himself as a 3-pointer shooter and a player who is capable of taking over a game. Howland said he has a game that can transition well into the NBA.
Even without Moody, the Rebels felt good.
“I felt a good chemistry. Those are my guys and we’re all a family, but I just wished Moody was out there,” Brooks said.
The Bulldogs built a 77-65 lead with with 2:36 remaining in the game, but it wasn’t over for the Rebels. Ole Miss went on a 10-2 run to cut the lead to 79-75, but a Gavin Ware dunk and a pair of I.J. Ready free throws put the game out of reach for the Rebels. Fitzpatrick-Dorsey scored six of the 10 points during the run, all three buckets being layups. He scored 12 of his team’s final 16 points.
The freshman missed the first 10 games of the season and was cleared in December.
“He’s having to play a lot of catchup,” Kennedy said. “Usually when you have a freshman, you have a couple of games in the non-league to get your rhythm, he doesn’t have that opportunity. When Stef (Moody) goes down, now we have issues and we put the ball in his hands in a hostile environment. I thought he did a good job and he stay composed. He made a few mistakes, but that was expected.”
Sam Finley, who was averaging five points, scored 10 points off the bench for the Rebels.
Kennedy said he had no other options with his lineup and told his guys not to look around for others to make plays, but step up and make plays.
“We have a core of guys that we challenged that we’ve got to play,” Kennedy said. “I thought a handful of those guys stepped up to the call and gave us an opportunity.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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