Mississippi State basketball survives Wright State in Jackson, Mississippi

The No. 17 Mississippi State basketball team got out of the Mississippi Coliseum tonight with a win after a close game against the Wright State Raiders.

In a game that was a bit closer than many would have liked, the 17th ranked Mississippi State basketball team came out on top of the Wright State Raiders in a neutral site game in Jackson, Mississippi. The Bulldogs, without Abdul Ado, survived a strong second half push from the Raiders to get a 67-63 win.

Mississippi State got started tonight with a solid first half. The Bulldogs shot 50 percent from the field, went 4-11 from behind the three point line, and snagged 20 rebounds all while building a 35-24 lead over Wright State.

MSU also did a great job of spreading the ball around and getting multiple players involved scoring during the first half. Eight different players made it out on to the court at some point during the first 20 minutes of the game. Aric Holman led the way with 9 points and was followed by Tyson Carter off of the bench with 8 points.

In the second half though, the Raiders did everything that they could to get right back into the game. Wright State’s Bill Wampler put up 13 second half points as part of a 39-point second half for the Raiders as he led the way for their attempted comeback.

However, MSU had just enough offense to keep the Raiders at bay and maintain control of the game.

Quinndary Weatherspoon ended the game leading the Mississippi State basketball team in scoring with 14 points. Holman had an all around solid performance with 12 points, 9 rebounds, 4 blocks and 4 steals.

The Bulldogs were able to come out on top of this game despite not having Abdul Ado. However, the Mississippi State basketball team played pretty poorly in the second half. State will need to make sure that they play more efficient basketball once SEC play gets started in a few weeks.

All stats via hailstate.com

For now though, the Bulldogs can be proud of their No. 17 ranking and 11-1 record prior to Christmas. MSU still has a lot to prove this year and there will be plenty of tough foes ahead of them. But, in this moment, State has accomplished a good amount and can enjoy the holiday season while also having a solid record.