Mississippi State Men’s Basketball: Bulldogs Survive LSU in SEC Tournament

Mississippi State Overcomes Tigers’ Comeback Attempt

In the SEC Tournament in Saint Louis, the Mississippi State Bulldogs thwarted LSU’s comeback bid. MSU came away with the 80 to 77 win after an incredible attempt by the Tigers to claw their way into the game.

The Bulldogs came out firing and put the Tigers in a bind early. At the break after the first half, Mississippi State held a 16 point lead.

In the first half, MSU hit 9 of 12 three point attempts and racked up 17 rebounds. Sophomore guard Lamar Peters paced State in points with 13 early on. Freshman guard Nick Weatherspoon was right behind him with 9 points.

Despite that 45-29 lead, LSU fought back into the game and cut the Bulldogs’ lead.

In the second half, Tremont Waters helped carry the Tigers. The young guard gave LSU 17 points in the second half alone. However, Peters and Quinndary Weatherspoon combined to put up 21 points in the latter half, keeping the game just barely out of reach.

By the end, Lamar Peters totaled 24 points and 6 assists, Nick and Quinndary Weatherspoon had 15 points each, and Aric Holman had 11 points and pulled down 12 rebounds to get a double double.

The Tigers are now eliminated from the SEC Tournament and won’t have anymore chances to get into the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers will likely find their way into the NIT after the loss. Mississippi State, however, can continue to play and build their resume.

Mississippi State (22-10 overall, 9-9 SEC) will face off against Tennessee tomorrow. If the Bulldogs want to make the NCAA Tournament, they will almost certainly need to win out. If the Bulldogs can win tomorrow, they’ll advance into the SEC Tournament semifinals on Saturday. Should they continue to survive and advance, we can all hope they get a shot at the SEC Tournament Championship and a chance at the NCAA Tournament.