MSU took down Ole Miss

By: Joel Coleman, Senior Writer

THE BOTTOM LINE: Mississippi State got off to a slow start on Saturday night in Oxford, but before things were said and done, the No. 22 Bulldogs essentially ran No. 19 Ole Miss out of its own gym. MSU topped the Rebels 81-71 at the Sandy and John Black Pavilion. State ended the first half on a 13-2 run that turned a four-point deficit into a seven-point lead and from there, the rout was on. Less than eight minutes into the final period, MSU had itself a double-digit advantage that would stay that way the rest of the night. The Dawgs led by as many as 19 points before settling for the 10-point victory. The triumph was yet another testament to both State’s resilience, as well as the team’s toughness on the road. MSU bounced back in a big way from the disappointment of last Tuesday night in Starkville to earn its third consecutive Southeastern Conference road win. The Dawgs are now an incredibly impressive 4-2 in league play away from the Humphrey Coliseum this season. Overall, MSU now boasts an 18-7 record with a 6-6 mark in SEC action.

KEY NUMBERS: State pretty much handled Ole Miss all across the stat sheet. The Dawgs outshot the Rebels overall 43 percent to 38 percent, and from three-point range 26 percent to 25 percent. Also, like in the two teams’ initial meeting, State dominated on the glass, outrebounding Ole Miss by 12 and getting 16 second-chance points off those boards. Individually, the Bulldogs were incredibly balanced. Five State players scored at least 10 points and seven Dawgs had six points or more. Five of MSU’s guys had at least four rebounds. RJ Melendez‘s 17 points paced State in scoring. KeShawn Murphy and Cameron Matthews led the way on the boards with eight each.

NEXT UP FOR THE DAWGS: Mississippi State returns home for another critical SEC matchup. MSU faces Texas A&M on Tuesday, Feb. 18. Tip time at The Hump is set for 6 p.m. CT and the game will be televised by SEC Network.