Currently ranked 27th in the College Basketball News Rating Percentage Index (RPI) poll and rated with the sixth-toughest schedule in the country, coach Rick Stansbury's Bulldogs sport a 15-10 overall record and 6-8 SEC mark after extending their winning streak to three straight games with last Saturday's 55-48 road win over the LSU Tigers. MSU's seven-point win in Baton Rouge this past weekend came on the heels of the team's recent back-to-back home victories over Auburn and Vanderbilt.
As MSU's third-year head coach goes for his 50th career coaching victory this week, Stansbury's Bulldogs look to be paced by senior all-SEC candidates Antonio Jackson and Tang Hamilton, who lead Mississippi State with respective scoring averages of 13.1 and 13.0 points per game. Jackson presently ranks among the SEC's statistical leaders in scoring (18th), assists (3.4 apg; 9th) and made three-pointers per game (1.96/gm; 7th). With 1,256 career points to his credit, Hamilton needs just two more points to surpass Jack Bouldin and move into 11th place on the school's all-time scoring list.
Owners of the nation's toughest schedule, according to CollegeRPI.com, the Georgia Bulldogs own a 15-12 overall record and 8-6 league mark heading into Wednesday's "Senior Night" contest against MSU. UGA most recently dropped a critical 64-56 home decision to South Carolina this past Saturday in Athens. Guided by second-year head coach and 21-year coaching veteran Jim Harrick, Georgia is paced by junior guard D.A. Layne, who leads the Bulldogs in scoring (16.9 ppg), assists (3.5 apg) and steals (1.3 spg).
With the all-time "Battle of the Basketball Bulldogs" series history deadlocked at 44 wins a piece, Mississippi State and Georgia are also tied at 8-8 in head-to-head games dating back to the beginning of the 1990s. Having also faced each other three times in SEC Tournament competition since the 1992-93 season, the last seven regular-season meetings between these two mascot namesakes have been decided by an average margin of only 4.7 points per game.
MSU will close out regular-season action this Saturday afternoon by playing host to the South Carolina Gamecocks on the Starkville campus. Tip-off time for the Bulldogs' "Senior Day" contest is slated for 2 p.m. at Humphrey Coliseum. Looking to match a single-season Coliseum standard with a 12th home victory this weekend, Mississippi State will recognize seniors Tang Hamilton, Antonio Jackson, T.J. Billups, Quentin Smith and Ward Griffith.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/25/01 (9:00 p.m.)
Women's Basketball - Mississippi State turned to two underclassmen on "Senior Night" to lead the Lady Bulldogs to a 74-66 win over Kentucky on Sunday. Junior Jennifer Fambrough and sophomore LaToya Thomas scored 26 and 34, respectively to lead MSU, 15-12 overall, 4-10 in the Southeastern
Conference. With the win, MSU claimed the No. 10 seed at the SEC Tournament, which begins Thursday at The Pyramid in Memphis.
"We had two seniors that were very emotional," head coach Sharon Fanning said after the game. "I donıt think the team has ever seen Meadow Overstreet cry. When they saw that breakdown early on, I think some of our players were a little nervous or apprehensive."
MSU started the second half with a 12-4 run over the first 4:28 to extend its lead to 10 at 43-33. Thomas scored six during that stretch, including a tip-in to end the run. Kentucky closed the gap to five points several times during the second half, but never got closer in MSU's fourth-straight win in the series.
Thomas once again led the way for State. She poured in more than 20 for the eighth consecutive game, finishing with 34 points. Thomas pulled down 14 rebounds, marking her 10th double-double this season. She is the first Lady Bulldog to tally 10 or more double-doubles in a season since Sharon Thompson accomplished the feat 12 times in 1998. It was the fifth time this year and the ninth time in her career she scored 30 or more, and the 59th consecutive time she scored in double digits.
Fambrough scored 26 and grabbed seven boards. She has scored more than 20 in three of her last five games, and contributed 19 points in Thursday's win over Alabama A&M. It was the fourth time this season and the seventh time in two years, that both Fambrough and Thomas scored over 20.
Senior guards Cynthia Hall and Meadow Overstreet, playing in their final game at Humphrey Coliseum, combined for only six points, but continuously fed the ball to Fambrough and Thomas on the inside.
Kentucky was in foul trouble most of the afternoon, as three players fouled out of the contest. Starters Alvine Mendeng and Selia Helm both finished the game on the bench with five personals. MSU capitalized on the Wildcats' aggressiveness by hitting 26 of 32 free throws. Thomas hit on 12 of 16 from the line, while Fambrough made nine of 10.
MSU survived a sloppy first half with a two point lead, 31-29. The Lady Bulldogs forced 14 Kentucky turnovers, but committed 12 of their own to keep the Wildcats in the game. Kentucky outrebounded and outshot the Lady Bulldogs in the first half, winning the battle of the boards 20-14 and connecting on 46 percent of their shots from the floor. State shot 42 percent in the opening period.
"Our focus has been to try and improve all year long," Fanning said. "So that's why we are going to go into the tournament with the expectation to win. Hopefully, we'll be focused, the pressure will be on everyone else, and we will relax, have fun and play hard."
The Lady Bulldogs will be the No. 10 seed in the SEC Tournament, held this year at the Pyramid in Memphis. MSU begins play on Thursday, March 1, at 2:30 p.m. CST in Game #2 of the tournament.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/25/01
Men's Basketball - Mississippi State defeated LSU 55 to 48 at Baton Rouge Saturday night. It was their first SEC road victory this season.
MSU, now 15-10 on the season and 6-8 in SEC play, has now won three in a row.
MSU put four men in double figures; Senior Antonio Jackson 14 points (5 of 13 FG, 3 of 3 FT), Senior Tang Hamilton 11 points (4 of 8 FG, 2 of 3 FT), Junior Marckell Patterson 11 points (3 of 8 FG, 4 of 4 FT), and freshman Mario Austin 11 points (4 of 6 FG, 3 of 4 FT). Freshman Roy Goffer scored 4 points ( 1 FG, 2 of 2 FT) as did Senior Quentin Smith 4 points (2 of 3 FG).
LSU was led in scoring by Ronald Dupree with 16 points. Two other Tigers scored in double figures, Torris Bright with 10 points and Collins Temple with 11 points.
MSU hit 19 baskets out of 45 shots for 42%. They were just 3 out 18 from three-point range for a shooting percent of 17%. LSU made 18 of 52 from the field for a shooting percentage of 35%. LSU was 5 of 19 from three-point range for 26%. MSU hit 14 of 18 from the charity stripe for 78%. LSU was 7 out of 11 for 64%.
MSU outrebounded LSU 43 to 22. LSU came into the game outrebounding their opponents by 2. MSU turned the ball over 19 times while LSU turned it over 10.
MSU will continue on the road against Georgia this coming Wednesday. Georgia lost 64 to 56 to South Carolina Saturday.
Post-game radio show quotes from Rick Stansbury:
It is a great win for our players. Our players are the ones who deserve all of the credit. They are the ones who hung in there. Tonight, it paid off for them.
The keys to tonight's basketball game were, after the first two minutes of the first half when we gave up 7 points, we only gave up 14 points the remaining 18 minutes. I thought, defensively, it was one of our best efforts, especially on the road. At halftime their three big guns hadn't scored a basket. We were taking our chances with Dupree. At least when he is shooting it is is just two.
In the second half we got a lead but we knew they would make a run at us, which they did. To our kids credit, they hung in there and made those free throws down the stretch.
It wasn't a pretty game. We had some unforced turnovers in the first half. You are going to have those on the road. But you have to step up and make plays at critical times to win the game on the road and we did that tonight.
We won the game without Robert Jackson even playing tonight. I wasn't pleased with how he started the game. I believe he played one minute. I didn't like what I saw the first minute. Fortunately, for us, we got enough good plays from Mario Austin. I think that Quentin Smith did a good job for us. He did the best job on Dupree because he is bigger and harder to shoot over. He slides his feet a little better.
We started Roy Goffer for the first time. One thing that he did that doesn't show up in the stats is he defended all night long. He made a big basket. He played 27 minutes.
I thought that Tang had a very solid game for us. Marckell gave us a lot of energy and made some big plays. Antonio, down the stretch, made some plays and some shots and made those free throws at the end that were very important to us.
We came in here and won this game by outworking them on the defensive end and rebounding the basketball.
We are going to carry this game over to Wednesday night. As big a win as this was for us, the game Wednesday night is the most important game of the season. It will be another great opportunity for us to go get a road win.
02/24/01 (10:15 p.m.)
Women's Basketball - Sharon Fanning's Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs will close out the regular season by entertaining the Kentucky Lady Wildcats Sunday at 2 p.m. in Humphrey Coliseum. MSU (14-12, 3-10) has won four of its last five games, including a 79-75 upset victory at Florida last Sunday and a 99-70 nonconference route of Alabama A&M Thursday. Kentucky (6-19, 2-11) is coming off a 75-54 loss to Mississippi on Thursday.
The Lady Bulldogs are paced by sophomore forward LaToya Thomas, who enters the weekend averaging an SEC-leading 22.9 points per game. Her 8.5 rebounds per game are third-best in the conference. Junior forward Jennifer Fambrough is also averaging double-figures with 14.2 points per outing and is pulling down 5.8 boards per contest.
MSU is averaging 71.2 points per game while giving up 67.5. After a school-record 63 percent shooting effort Thursday, the Lady Bulldogs are shooting 46 percent from the field, 34 percent from three-point range and 70 percent from the free-throw line.
Two starters, Cynthia Hall and Meadow Overstreet, will be honored along with the rest of the senior class during pre-game Senior Day activities. Hall has started 57 games in her four-year career at State and is averaging 7.5 points per game this season. She averaged 12.7 points per game last season before moving to the point guard position this year.
Overstreet has started 51 games in her four-year career, including all 25 games so far this season. She leads the team in three-pointers this season (52). She has averaged 17.2 points per contest in the last five games.
Kentucky is led by two players in double-figures. Sese Helm is pouring in 12.3 points per game while pulling down 4.6 boards. Right behind her is LaTonya McDole, with 12.2 points per contest. UK averages 61 points per game, while giving up 76.
Sharon Fanning coached at Kentucky from 1987-1995, compiling a 134-97 record (.580). She coached UK to a 23-8 record and a WNIT championship in the 1989-90 campaign. While at State, Fanning is 3-3 versus her alma mater, including last season's 63-46 victory in Lexington.
Mississippi State will begin play in the Southeastern Conference Tournament in Memphis, Thursday, March 1st. State advanced to the championship game of last season's tournament before falling to top-seeded Tennessee.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/24/01
Men's Basketball - Upon putting together back-to-back conference victories for the first time in two seasons, the Mississippi State Bulldogs head to Baton Rouge to take on the LSU Tigers Saturday night in search of their first SEC road win of the 2000-2001 campaign. Tip-off time for the 177th series meeting between these SEC Western Division rivals is set for 7 p.m. at LSU's Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Most recently, coach Rick Stansbury's Bulldogs, now 14-10 overall and 5-8 in league play, capped a successful two-game homestand by snapping a nine-game losing skid against SEC Eastern Division opponents with an 80-63 victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores this past Wednesday in Starkville. Last Saturday, MSU halted a nine-game series losing streak versus Auburn by claiming an 85-74 home triumph over the Tigers.
Winless in six previous league road outings this season, the Bulldogs are bidding to stop a 12-game SEC road losing streak that dates back to last January. MSU's most recent conference road win was a 61-59 victory in Oxford over the Mississippi Rebels (Jan. 12, 2000).
Looking to assure themselves of a winning season with a road win this weekend, the Bulldogs are led in scoring by senior all-SEC candidates Tang Hamilton and Antonio Jackson. Averaging a team-high 13.1 points as well as 6.6 rebounds per game on the season, Hamilton recorded his third career double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds earlier this week against Vanderbilt. With 1,245 career points in his 116-game MSU career, the Jackson native needs 13 points to move past Jack Bouldin and into 11th place on the school's all-time scoring chart. Having started every contest of his 54-game MSU career, Jackson is averaging 13.0 points per game this season, while ranking seventh in the SEC in both assists (3.5 apg) and made three-pointers (2.00 per game).
With their lone conference win of the season to date having come last month (Jan. 24) at Mississippi State, the LSU Tigers are now 11-13 overall and 1-12 in conference play. Having to forge through the second half of the current season with just five scholarship players due to injuries and NCAA sanctions, the Tigers have lost eight consecutive SEC contests since claiming their 82-73 road win over MSU. Guided by fourth-year head coach and former MSU assistant coach John Brady, LSU is paced by sophomore forward Ronald Dupree. The Biloxi native ranks among the league's top three leaders in scoring (16.9 ppg), rebounding (9.4 rpg) and double-doubles (13).
In a series that dates all the way back to the 1908-09 season, LSU owns a 95-81 all-time lead over Mississippi State through the years. However, the Bulldogs have prevailed in 12 of the last 15 MSU-LSU hoops encounters since 1993-94.
Mississippi State will close out the regular season next week by playing at Georgia on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET) and then playing host to South Carolina on "Senior Day" next Saturday afternoon. Tip-off time for MSU's regular-season home finale is slated for 2 p.m. at Humphrey Coliseum.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
The Dickson, Tenn., native compiled a 3.52 grade point average in accounting in five semesters at Mississippi State.
On the court, she ranks eighth in the Southeastern Conference in scoring (14.2), 20th in rebounding (5.8), sixth in free-throw percentage (.777) and seventh in field-goal percentage (.493).
The 6-2 forward has started for the Lady Bulldogs since donning the Maroon and White (86 games). She became the 12th member of MSU's 1,000-point club and now stands sixth with 1,280 points. She is third on the schools free throws made chart with 308 and fifth on the free throw attempts list with 393.
To be eligible for the team, student-athletes must be a starter or front line reserve and must have at least a 3.20 GPA. The selection is made by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America from District VI.
The Verizon Academic All-America Team will be announced Thursday, March 10th.
The Lady Bulldogs conclude the regular season on Sunday, Feb. 25, hosting Kentucky at 2 p.m. in Humphrey Coliseum.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/23/01
Women's Basketball - Mississippi State scored eight points in the first minute and ran off 16 straight before Alabama A&M got on the board in a 99-70 MSU win on Thursday. MSU is now 14-12 on the season, Alabama A&M fell to 7-17. State shot a school record 62 percent from the floor, including
19-of-24 (79.2%) shooting in the second half.
"Iım pleased with the win and now it's time to refocus and start somewhat of a new season on Sunday," head coach Sharon Fanning said after the game. "We just want to continue to improve and become a better basketball team."
Senior Meadow Overstreet followed the Lady Bulldogs opening eight with eight points of her own to give MSU an insurmountable 16-0 lead before Lashowann Smith put A&M on the board more than three minutes into the game. Overstreet finished with 16 points aided by a 4-of-6 performance from three-point range. It was her fifth consecutive game with at least three long-range baskets.
Sophomore LaToya Thomas extended her double-digit scoring streak to 58 games with her 12 in the first half. She finished with 24, her seventh-consecutive contest with 20 or more. She also had 17 rebounds. It was her ninth double-double of the year. With her two blocks in the game, she moved into second all-time on the MSU chart with 63 in her career.
Sophomore Jennifer Fambrough finished with 19 points on the evening. Freshman Dana Benemon scored a career-high 14, besting her previous high by four. Point guard Cynthia Hall also had a career high with three blocked shots in the first half.
MSU led 46-28 at the break spurred by 51 percent shooting from the floor. Overstreet led all scorers with 13 in the first period, followed by Thomas' 12. Benemon also added 10 in the opening half. David Webster led Alabama A&M with 12 first-half points.
All twelve Lady Bulldogs that saw action both scored and grabbed a rebound. It was the first time in school history that occurred.
Junior Charita Jarrett played four minutes and scored a basket and sophomore Randi Williams poured in four points down the stretch for the Lady Bulldogs.
The Lady Bulldogs will honor their seniors and conclude the regular season Sunday when Kentucky comes to town. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. and the game can be heard on 107.9 FM WFCA with Bart Gregory calling the action.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/22/01 (12:25 p.m.) - MSU postgame basketball press conference:
MSU Coach Rick Stansbury:
Comments:
Coach Stansbury: Considering that we spotted them 14 points before we started playing, I thought it was a huge, huge effort for us and a great win for our team against a very, very good Vanderbilt team. They have been in every game. They have some great road wins. Coach Stallings does a terrific job. Offensively, they are about as tough as any team that we have played. To out kids credit, I thought we stepped up and defended Vanderbilt about as well as you could defend them.
Some young men came off the bench and gave us great effort. We knew we were going to see a bunch of zone tonight. We moved AJ (Antonio Jackson) back to the point and played Timmy Bowers at the two guard. I thought Timmy gave us some very good minutes when he played. I thought another young man, Roy Goffer, came in and, besides giving us points, did one thing better than anyone else and that was he put the glove on Chuck Moore. Moore was killing us in that stretch. He didn't score another basket when we put Roy on him.
I thought our team showed the most poise that it has shown all year in adjusting from man to zone. They kept changing defenses on us. I thought that we made as good of adjustments as we have all year.
Asked about having not played Roy Goffer more?
Coach Stansbury: We want to play Roy at the point. People are jammed up at that position. His inability to play the point is because he can't communicate. He is from Israel. Playing the point is difficult for him due to communications.
A couple of things that he has done in practice is shoot the basketball and defend. I made the decision last week that we needed something to spark this basketball team; just find something that can win that close game on the road. That is why I inserted him in the last game against Auburn. I thought that during the 8 or 9 minutes that he played against Auburn gave our team a little spark. The more he plays, the more comfortable he is going to get. Tonight he got more minutes and, besides his defense and his ability to make shots, he had a great floor game. You saw him drive and make some passes and play with a lot of intelligence and awareness.
Talk about Quentin Smith's game.
Coach Stansbury: He came in in the first half and had about 8 or 9 points at halftime. He defended Williams very well. As a matter of fact, he defended better than Rob (Robert Jackson) does. He is a better post defender. I think he was 4-for-5 in the first half. When he missed, he should have caught it and dunked it. But I think he was so tired that he couldn't finish it. That is what we need right now. We need guys like Quentin Smith and some other guys to come off the bench and give us a little spark. We found it tonight.
Does Roy play that tough on defense in practice?
Coach Stansbury: Everyday. I see him everyday in practice do that. Again, his inability to communicate at the point is the reason that we have not played him there. That is why I made the decision that we were going to get him in at the two-spot. Then you can hide his inability to communicate and get his toughness in the game. You saw some of his toughness Saturday but you saw a lot more of it tonight.
He has had a tough year with the toughness standpoint because he is on that unit that has to defend everyday. He doesn't get to do much on offense. When you have to defend and fight through screens everyday, he has had to take a-many of an elbow. That has made him a tougher player.
How did Roy Goffer wind up at State?
Coach Stansbury: Assistant coach Phil Cunningham knew about him. Roy was looking for a place to go and Phil knew a man over there that had sent film out on Roy. Roy came over and visited several other places and came here and liked the opportunity to play division-one ball. He is a fine young man and a great student. I think from here on out he will do some things to help our team. The way you saw him shoot the basketball tonight, he can do that. Those are not shots that he just did. He has great ability to shoot the basketball.
MSU guard Roy Goffer:
Talk about the game.
Roy Goffer: It was a very important game. We came to play hard. We started out a little slow but we didn't give up. We came back though our defense. That is the important thing; to play hard and to play hard together. Everything else will come.
At the beginning they didn't miss any shots. We started playing harder on defense and they started missing. We started making some easy shots. The game started developing our way. And we played smart at the end. We moved the ball.
Talk about your defense on Chuck Moore.
Roy Goffer: I just came to play defense. He is a shooter. I ran at him everytime. I didn't let him get an open shot. I throw all of my effort into him. That is why I play good defense.
Coach Stansbury said that the last couple of weeks he has been talking about putting you in the games more. Has he talked to you about that?
Roy Goffer: Yes, he has told me that. He told me that he didn't put me in because I'm not from here (United States) and I had to adjust to the game here. I usually play the point but he told me that I am going to put you at the shooting position so that you can go into the game and it worked.
Were you comfortable playing the two?
Roy Goffer: Yes, it is easier to play the two because you don't have all the pressure that you do at the point.
How hard is it to play so many minutes after having played so little during the season?
Roy Goffer: It is hard. That is why it is easier to play the two position instead of the point guard where you have all the pressure of trying to control the players and taking care of the ball.
How do you prepare for a game when you play so little during the season? What goes through your mind sitting over there watching?
Roy Goffer: You get frustrated when you don't play for a long time. The assistant coaches tell me to keep working hard and I would get my chance to get in. I kept working hard in practice. Coach told me last week that he would start playing me more in games. So I went in and played hard.
How about talking about how much you played basketball in Israel.
Roy Goffer: I played for a lot of years. We have club basketball over there. I played in clubs since I was little. Then, I went to the army for three years. When they get good athletes, they let him go out every day and practice and keep playing. So I kept playing. When I was 18 years old, I move to a (not sure what he said) team, sort of like a first division team in Israel. I played on and off because I was young. Then, I played on the National team at the age of 20. That was in 1997. That was a great experience.
How did you wind up in the United States?
Roy Goffer: I played on the seniors team in Israel for three or four years. Because I played on and off and because the league there has problems due to money they try to bring players in from here (United States) and Europe. Even though they might not play as good as the young Israelis, they still play them. Because of that, guys from Israel, after the army, come here to play in college. It is a good experience so I decided to do it.
02/21/01 (11:20 p.m.)
Men's Basketball - With 16 points apiece, Mississippi State's Marckell Patterson and Robert Jackson led five Bulldogs in double figures to lead MSU to an 80-63 win over Vanderbilt (15-11, 4-9) Wednesday night at Humphrey Coliseum.
The win helped MSU (14-10, 5-8) record back-to-back victories for the first time since Jan. 6 and the initial time within SEC league action. With the loss, Vanderbilt has dropped five straight SEC contests and six of its last seven outings.
Vanderbilt was led by Chuck Moore's game-high 20 points, including a 3-of-6 showing from behind the arc. Greg LaPointe and Russell Lakey also finished in double digits for head coach Kevin Stallings' club with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Vanderbilt's Billy Richmond paced the visitors to a quick start with seven early points, helping the Commodores build a 17-4 lead by the 13:34 mark of the opening half. After Vandy held a 20-8 lead, reserve guard Roy Goffer drilled a three- pointer to begin State's comeback midway through the first half. Vandy's Anthony Williams put the Commodores up 24-17 with a bank shot before the Bulldogs exploded on a 10-2 run to capture their first lead, 27-26, following a Marckell Patterson trey with only three minutes left before the break.
Mississippi State held a 33-30 advantage at halftime.
The second half saw both teams trade the lead back and forth before State built its lead to 43-37 following an Antonio Jackson leaner off the glass. However, Vandy responded with a 10-3 run to hold a 49-46 advantage at the 10:54 mark of the second half.
But MSU would grab the lead for good at 56-54 after Patterson followed up a Goffer miss at the 8:30 mark of regulation. After building the lead to 66-60 with only three minutes left in the contest, MSU's Goffer, who registered a career-high nine points on three treys, drilled a three-pointer with the shot clock winding down to ice the win for head coach Rick Stansbury and the Bulldogs.
MSU's bench helped the cause, outscoring the Commodores, 24-6.
Antonio Jackson finished with 14 points for State, while senior Tang Hamilton recorded his third career double-double, including his second this season, with 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Fellow senior Quentin Smith also enjoyed his finest outing this season with a season-high 11 points, four rebounds and two blocks.
The Bulldogs shot 53.6 percent from the floor, including a 55.2 percent showing in the second half, while Vanderbilt only shot 37.9 percent from the field. MSU also won the board battle with a 38-31 edge in rebounds. Both teams committed 11 turnovers, while State grabbed six steals compared to Vanderbilt's five swipes in the contest.
MSU next travels to Baton Rouge Saturday to battle SEC Western Division foe LSU. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Vanderbilt returns home to play host to in-state rival Tennessee in a noon meeting at Memorial Gym.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
Mississippi State and Alabama A&M have only played twice with MSU winning both games. On Feb. 18, 1999, State defeated AAMU 78-44. On Nov. 24 of that year, MSU won 96-50. Both match-ups were played in Starkville.
State standout LaToya Thomas scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the winning effort. For all of her accomplishments last week, Thomas was named Southeastern Conference Player of the Week for the second time this year. The sophomore forward is the only player in the SEC to garner the award twice this season. She continues to lead the SEC in scoring at 22.9 points per game, while ranking third in the league in rebounds (8.1 rpg).
The leading scorer for MSU in the Florida game was junior Jennifer Fambrough, who scored 21 of her 23 points in the second half. Fambrough increased her season scoring average to 14.0 points per outing to go with her 5.7 rebounds per contest.
Senior guard Meadow Overstreet is finishing up her career in the Maroon and White on a positive note, averaging 11.0 points and 6.0 assists over the last six games. She has hit at least three from long-range in each of the last four outings. For the season, Overstreet is averaging 7.1 points and 3.3 assists per game.
The victory over Florida improved the Lady Bulldogs overall mark to 13-12 and their conference record to 2-10.
Alabama A&M enters the game with a 7-16 overall record. Senior Pearlene Fairly is the only AAMU player averaging double-digits with 10.0 points per game. Freshman Lahowann Smith leads A&M in rebounding, averaging 6.7 per outing.
Following the Alabama A&M contest, the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs will wrap up the regular season by hosting Kentucky on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Hump.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/20/01 (8:45 p.m.)
Men's Basketball - Looking to claim consecutive SEC wins for the first time this season, the Mississippi State Bulldogs close out their brief two-game homestand by playing host to the Vanderbilt Commodores Wednesday evening on the MSU campus. Tip-off time for the midweek inter-divisional contest is set for 7 p.m. at Humphrey Coliseum.
Upon snapping their nine-game series losing streak against Auburn with last Saturday's 85-74 home win over the Tigers, the Bulldogs will now look to halt a nine-game losing skid versus SEC Eastern Division opponents when they welcome the Commodores this week. MSU's most recent win over an SEC East foe was a 71-59 home triumph over Georgia during last year's conference opener.
Coach Rick Stansbury's Bulldogs, 13-10 overall and 4-8 in league play, have registered a 10-3 home record on the year, marking the eighth time in the last nine seasons that they have reached double digits in home victories. MSU owns a current three-game SEC home winning streak with double-digit victories over SEC West rivals Auburn, Alabama and Mississippi all within the past month.
Statistically, Mississippi State continues to be paced by senior all-SEC candidates Tang Hamilton and Antonio Jackson, who top the Bulldogs in scoring at 13.2 and 13.0 points per game, respectively. Now with 1,235 career points to his credit, Hamilton enters the Vandy game needing 11 points to move up another notch and into 12th place on the school's all-time scoring chart. Jackson needs a pair of three-point field goals to improve his current total of 110 career treys and move into sixth place on the school's all-time chart.
Bidding to become the first MSU club to have four different players average 10 or more points on the year, the Bulldogs also presently feature double-figure scorers Robert Jackson (11.6 ppg) and Marckell Patterson (11.5 ppg). In all four of the team's SEC wins this season, State has had at least four different players score 10 or more points in the same game.
Having dropped their last three decisions by a collective total of only 12 points, the Vanderbilt Commodores are 15-10 overall and 4-8 in league play on the season after falling at home, 79-74, to Kentucky this past Saturday in Nashville. Guided by second-year head coach Kevin Stallings, Vandy is co-led in scoring by senior center Greg LaPointe and junior transfer (Seton Hall) guard Chuck Moore at 11.7 points per contest. Freshman forward Matt Freije averages 11.0 points and 4.5 rebounds an outing, while leading the Commodores in blocked shots (28), three-point field goal percentage (43.2%) and free-throw percentage (81.2%).
Mississippi State will close out the week's action by heading to Baton Rouge to take on the LSU Tigers this Saturday evening. Tip-off at LSU's Maravich Assembly Center is slated for 7 p.m. This weekend, the Bulldogs will bid to finally put an end to their 12-game SEC road losing streak that dates back to last January. MSU's most recent league road win was last year's 61-59 victory over the Mississippi Rebels in Oxford (Jan. 12).
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/19/01 (8:05 p.m.)
Women's Basketball - For the second time this season, Mississippi State's LaToya Thomas was selected as Southeastern Conference Player of the Week, the conference announced Monday.
Thomas, one of 30 finalists for the prestigious Naismith Player of the Year award, averaged 24 points and 8.3 rebounds during a three-game stretch last week, including 20 points and eight rebounds in an upset win at No. 9 Florida on Sunday. Her 10 rebounds and 28 points at South Carolina marked her eighth double-double this season. Against New Orleans, she chipped in 24 points in 24 minutes.
The 6-2 sophomore forward has scored at least 20 points in six straight games and has scored in double-digits in every game she has played in at Mississippi State (57). Of MSUıs 25 games, she has scored 20+ in 18 contests.
Thomas continues to pace the SEC in scoring with 22.9 points per game. She leads MSU and is third in the league in rebounding with 8.1 boards per contest. She leads the Lady Bulldogs in blocks (29) and is second on the team in steals (33).
She has moved up to seventh on MSU's all-time scoring list with 1,244 points. She is also seventh all-time in field goals made (473).
This is the first time in team history that a Mississippi State player has been honored twice in one season. Thomas is only the second player in team history to win the award twice as Kunshinge Sorrell won it in 1987 and 1988. Thomas was previously honored after the first week of this season after setting the school record for points in a game with 48 at Memphis.
The Greenville, Miss., native has been writing a weekly internet diary this season which can be found on espn.com's women's basketball page.
Thomas and the Lady Bulldogs conclude the regular season this week hosting Alabama A&M on Thursday and Kentucky on Sunday.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/18/01 (10:00 p.m.)
Women's Basketball - Mississippi State upset No. 9 Florida in Gainesville Sunday, 79-75. The Lady Bulldogs improved to 13-12 overall and 3-10 in the Southeastern Conference, while Florida fell to 21-4 overall, 9-3 in the league. MSU had not won in Gainesville since 1991-92.
State finished the game shooting 51 percent from the field and 50 percent from behind the arc. Florida shot 43 percent from the floor and 17 percent from long range. The Lady Gators did manage to outrebound MSU 47-33 and force more turnovers 14-12.
"We have been emphasizing the assist-turnover ration all season, we finally ended up on the positive side with 16 assists to 14 turnovers," head coach Sharon Fanning said after the game. "We showed maturity, we answered their runs with runs of our own, and we played well together."
Mississippi State came out aggressively in the second half and was called for eight fouls in less than eight minutes. Sophomore Keisha Stringfellow obtained her fourth personal and freshman Dana Benemon was called for her second at 13:39, just three seconds after senior point guard Cynthia Hall was called for her fourth foul.
After State took a 10 point advantage at 60-50 on a Jennifer Fambrough three-pointer with 11:20 left in the contest, Florida went on a 16-6 run to tie the contest at 66. Seconds later, Vanessa Hayden put in a layup to give Florida only its second lead of the contest, 68-66.
Florida stretched its lead to four at 70-66, but Fambrough hit her second three-pointer to cut UF's lead to one and sophomore LaToya Thomas followed that with a bucket down low to put MSU back on top 71-70 with three minutes to play.
Florida's Tombi Bell hit a three-pointer with 2:09 on the clock to put Florida back up, but Fambrough answered with her third three-pointer. A Lady Gator miss and foul put Overstreet on the line where she made the front half of the one-and-one.
Hayden had two chances to score before Fambrough tied her up and Florida gained possession on the jump ball. UF made the basket on the inbound to tie the game at 75, but freshman Jessica Carter went in for a lay-up to give MSU the two-point lead. Another Florida foul put Hall on the line where she missed the front end of the bonus.
The Lady Gators' Bell took the ball the length of the court and went up for a jumper but was blocked by Stringfellow. Fambrough grabbed the rebound and was fouled. She made both of her free throws to make the final 79-75.
The Lady Bulldogs jumped out to a 9-2 lead just under three minutes into the action. Florida took its first lead of the game, 13-10, from a 9-0 run, but MSU tied it up with a three-pointer by Overstreet with 10:56 to go in the first half. The two teams swapped baskets until the Lady Bulldogs went on a 14-0 run to go up 33-19. Florida's Brandi McCain scored five straight points, missing two free throws in the process, which was followed up by two baskets from Lady Gator Tamara Stocks. MSU's Thomas hit two free throws and a basket at the buzzer to give the Lady Bulldogs a 37-28 lead at halftime.
MSU was an uncharacteristic 8-of-14 (.571) from the free throw line in the first half, but UF hit only one of three chances from the charity stripe. State shot 48 percent from the field, including 50 percent from long-range, while holding Florida to 38 percent from the field and 17 percent from behind the arc.
Fambrough, who sat out the last seven minutes of the first half, led the Lady Bulldogs with 23 points. She had four rebounds and two assists in the 31-minute effort. Her three baskets from long-range tied her career-high.
Thomas, who upped her double-digit scoring streak to 56 and has scored 20+ points in the last six games, wound up with 20 points and a team-leading eight rebounds. She moved to seventh on MSU's all-time field goals chart, now with 473 makes.
Overstreet, who hit three from behind the arc for the fourth consecutive game, finished with 12 points and led the team with six assists. Hall, who played in her 114th game as a Lady Bulldog and moved into fifth on that list, scored 10 points and moved into 19th on the school's all-time scoring chart with 850 points.
Mississippi State returns home to finish out the regular season hosting Alabama A&M on Feb. 22 and Kentucky on Feb. 25.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
Senior Tang Hamilton and junior Marckell Patterson both added 20 points, while junior Robert Jackson also finished with 14 points for Mississippi State.
Auburn was led by sophomore Adam Harrington as the North Carolina State transfer scored 15 points, while Scott Pohlman added 11 points. Both Marquis Daniels and Jamison Brewer recorded 10 points, while Daniels grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.
Auburn jumped out to an early 10-7 lead following a Daniels' jumper just five minutes into the SEC Western Division contest. Both teams swapped back and forth with the lead before the visiting Tigers held their largest lead at 21-18 after Abdou Diame drilled a 10-footer from the baseline. However, the lead was short-lived as MSU responded with a 14-2 run, highlighted by seven points from Patterson, giving the Bulldogs a 32-23 advantage with only three minutes left before the break. MSU continued to hold its lead and led 36-26 at halftime.
The second half featured MSU's Antonio Jackson as the senior guard scored State's first nine points of the second half, giving his team their biggest lead at 45-28 at the 16:45 mark of the second half. However, Auburn's backcourt delivered four treys in a crucial run to cut MSU's lead to 51-49 at the midway point of the second half.
Auburn climbed back to within a single point at 59-58 after a Pohlman trey, but it would be as close as Cliff Ellis' squad would get the rest of the way. Behind a pair of Hamilton dunks involved in a 12-2 run, State built its lead back to 71-60 and never looked back.
MSU shot 51 percent from the floor for the game, including a 63 percent showing in the second half. Auburn shot 46 percent from the field. MSU did commit 20 turnovers but Auburn mishandled the ball as well with 19 miscues.
Mississippi State closes out a brief two-game homestand next Wednesday as the Bulldogs host the Vanderbilt Commodores in a 7 p.m. tip-off at Humphrey Coliseum. Auburn returns to the Plains to battle arch-rival Alabama in a 7 p.m. tip-off on Wednesday.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/16/01
Men's Basketball - Mississippi State head basketball coach Rick Stansbury announced Thursday that junior forward Tyrus Boswell has been suspended from the Bulldogs for the remainder of the 2000-2001 season due to the violation of team rules.
The 6-7, 240-pound native of Mountain Brook, Ala., was averaging 6.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per contest, while having seen action in all 22 of MSU's games to date this season.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
Sophomore all-American LaToya Thomas once again led the Lady Bulldogs with 28 points, moving her double-digit scoring streak to 56 games. She moved up one notch on MSU's all-time scoring list to seventh and now has 1,124 points. Thomas is the first player to record five consecutive 20+ point games since Sharon Thompson did it in 1995. Thomas also led the team in rebounding with 10, recording her eighth double-double this season.
Senior Meadow Overstreet, who has hit three or more baskets from long range in the last three games, was second on the team in scoring with nine points. She led the team with five assists and two steals as well.
"We've still got a lot to learn," head coach Sharon Fanning said after the contest. "Our turnovers hurt us. From the 3, 4, and 5 positions we had 13 turnovers compared to just one assist. That has a lot to do with our mental focus."
In the first half, South Carolina forced 16 turnovers while only committing five. Mississippi State shot 35 percent from the field while allowing USC to shoot 54 percent.
South Carolina used a 7-0 run during a two minute stretch to take its first 10-point lead of the game with 7:45 remaining in the first half. USC concluded the half with a 17-2 run gaining a 21-point lead, 45-24, heading into the locker room.
The Lady Gamecocks were led by Tatyana Troina, who came off the bench to score 20 points in 28 minutes. Melanie Murray and Petra Ujhelyi each scored 11 points while Teresa Geter added 10. USC had four players with six rebounds a piece.
Mississippi State remains on the road traveling to Gainesville Sunday to tip-off with Florida at 2 p.m. CST. The contest can be heard on WFCA 107.9 FM with Bart Gregory calling the action. The game will be telecast by the Sunshine Network.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/15/01
Rahim Lokchart scored 15 points as No. 16 Mississippi overcame atrocious outside shooting and weak rebounding to beat Mississippi State 51-48 on Wednesday night.
The Rebels snapped a four-game losing streak to their archrivals and extended their overall winning streak to five games. Their last loss was to Mississippi State on Jan. 27.
Mississippi (20-4, 8-3 Southeastern Conference) was just 2-for-16 from 3-point range and was outrebounded 40-28 by the top rebounding team in the SEC.
Mississippi State (12-10, 3-8) has lost 12 straight SEC road games.
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02/14/01 (3:45 p.m.)
Women's Basketball - Coach Sharon Fanning's Lady Bulldogs will travel to South Carolina to take on the Lady Gamecocks on Thursday, Feb. 15, at 6 p.m. CST in the Frank McGuire Arena.
The Lady Bulldogs are coming off consecutive home wins against No. 18 Vanderbilt and New Orleans. MSU is 12-11 overall, while posting a 2-9 mark in Southeastern Conference play.
MSU and USC have met 11 times in 17 years with the Lady Bulldogs leading 8-3. State has won the last five contests, including an 86-73 victory last season in Starkville. State has won twice in Columbia, both in the last five years. MSU's last loss at USC was a 62-56 decision during the 1994-95 season. MSU Head coach Sharon Fanning is 10-0 versus the Lady Gamecocks, including a 5-0 mark since coming to State.
Sophomore LaToya Thomas, who was named as one of 15 finalists for the Naismith Player of the Year award, continues to lead the Lady Bulldogs and the conference in points (22.8). She is leads MSU and is third in the SEC in rebounds (8.0).
Junior Jennifer Fambrough, who was selected as all-SEC last season, is averaging 14.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. She also leads the team is steals with 33, which is one more theft than Thomas' mark of 32.
Senior Meadow Overstreet has been the Lady Bulldogs most accurate long-range threat this season, shooting 41.2 percent from behind the arc. Overstreet is averaging 6.8 points per game and with 71 assists is trailing only fellow senior Cynthia Hall for the team lead.
Coach Susan Walvius' Lady Gamecock team features three players who average double-digit scoring. They are Teresa Geter (11.8), Shaunzinski Gortman (11.3), and Tatyana Troina (10.4). The Lady Gamecocks enter the contest with a 10-14 overall mark and a 5-6 record in the SEC which includes a recent home victory over Kentucky.
After playing South Carolina, the Lady Bulldogs travel to Florida on Feb. 18, before finishing the regular season with home games against Alabama A&M and Kentucky.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/13/01 (4:00 p.m.)
Men's Basketball - Concluding a demanding stretch in which four of their last five games will have been played on the road, the Mississippi State Bulldogs travel to Oxford to meet the 16th-ranked Mississippi Rebels Wednesday evening on the University of Mississippi campus. Tip-off time for the 222nd State-Ole Miss series renewal is set for 7 p.m. at C.M. "Tad" Smith Coliseum.
Wednesday's Valentine's Day contest between these two in-state rivals will mark the Bulldogs' third straight game against a conference divisional leader, having knocked off then-SEC West front-running Alabama and losing to SEC East-leading Kentucky a week ago. Bidding to snap an 11-game SEC road losing skid, MSU's most recent road win in league play was a 61-59 triumph over the Rebels a year ago (Jan. 12) in Oxford.
Having swept Mississippi last season in addition to claiming a 79-69 home win over the Rebels less than three weeks ago (Jan. 27) in Starkville, the Bulldogs are looking to complete their second consecutive season series sweep over Ole Miss since sweeping their rivals during the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons. MSU also last recorded back-to-back wins in Oxford during those same 1993-94 and 1994-95 campaigns.
Entering the week with a 12-9 overall record and 3-7 league mark, coach Rick Stansbury's Bulldogs are presently tied with Mississippi among the SEC's Western Division clubs for the most wins (three) this season over Top 25 teams. Currently 3-3 versus nationally ranked opposition this season with previous victories over Arizona, Ole Miss and Alabama, Mississippi State's three wins over ranked opponents on the year match the team's composite victory total over Top 25 foes for the past three seasons combined.
Individually, the Bulldogs continue to be led in scoring by senior forward Tang Hamilton, who ranks 18th among the SEC's scoring leaders (13.0 ppg) and 16th in rebounding (6.5 rpg). This past Saturday at Kentucky, the Jackson native became just the seventh player in school history to score 1,200 or more career points and collect 600 or more career rebounds. Also averaging in double figures for MSU are senior guard Antonio Jackson (12.7 ppg), junior center Robert Jackson (11.7 ppg) and junior swingman Marckell Patterson (10.9 ppg).
Ranked 16th nationally in this week's Associated Press Top 25 poll and 19th in the USA Today/ESPN coaches' poll, the Mississippi Rebels sport a school-best 19-4 overall record after 23 games and an SEC West-leading 7-3 league mark. Guided by third-year head coach and 1988 Ole Miss alumnus Rod Barnes, the Rebels are paced by senior forward Rahim Lockhart, who tops the club in both scoring (12.6 ppg) and rebounding (8.5 rpg). Freshmen Justin Reed and Aaron Harper average 11.0 and 10.2 points per game, respectively.
The Bulldogs will return to Starkville to begin a two-game homestand this weekend by playing host to the Auburn Tigers on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m. at MSU's Humphrey Coliseum. State will then welcome the Vanderbilt Commodores next Wednesday for a 7 p.m. contest on the MSU campus.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/13/01
Women's Basketball - The Lady Bulldog basketball team defeated New Orleans 86-57 Monday as they took a break from Southeastern Conference action. Mississippi State improved to 12-11 on the season while New Orleans fell to 12-11.
State forced 23 turnovers and outrebounded the Privateers 45-33 en route to MSU's biggest win since an 87-48 victory overt Marist at the end of December. MSU coughed the ball up 18 times, but dished out 15 assists, which tied for the most this season. Senior point guard Cynthia Hall led the Lady Bulldogs with 5 dimes.
Sophomore LaToya Thomas and junior Jennifer Fambrough again led the way for MSU. Thomas finished with a game-high 24 points to go with eight rebounds. Thomas extended her double-digit scoring streak to 55 games with 10 first-half points. Fambrough finished with 23 points and six rebounds. Although it was Thomas' 15th 20-point game this season and Fambrough's fourth, it was just the second time the two have reached the plateau in the same game.
Senior Meadow Overstreet also finished in double-digits for the Lady Bulldogs with 15 points aided by 4-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc. It was the sixth time this season she poured in more than 10 points. Freshman Dana Benemon pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds, and was the only player for either team with more than eight.
"We turned up our intensity tonight and went on a few spurts that put us in position to win," head coach Sharon Fanning said after the game. "I thought we played with a little more consistency on defense tonight than we have in the past."
MSU closed the first half on a 9-2 run to take a commanding 41-19 lead into the lockerroom. After UNO kept the game close for the first nine minutes, trailing only 13-10 after Lisa Marraffino connected for two of her 10 first-half points, Mississippi State went on a 15-2 run behind two Meadow Overstreet three-pointers.
State returns to the road this week with a Thursday night tilt at South Carolina. Game time is set for 7 p.m. The game can be heard on WFCA 107.9 with Bart Gregory calling the action.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/10/01 (9:00 p.m.)
Men's Basketball - Tayshaun Prince scored 18 points and Jason Parker and Gerald Fitch added 12 each as Kentucky beat Mississippi State 76-57 on February 10.
The victory was the fifth straight and 12th in the last 14 games for the Wildcats (15-7, 8-2 Southeastern Conference), who retained their two-game lead in the league's Eastern Division.
Mario Austin had 14 points and Derrick Zimmerman added 10 to lead Mississippi State (12-9, 3-7), which has lost seven of its last 10 games.
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Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/09/01 (9:30 p.m.)
Men's Basketball - Set to face their second divisional leader of the week, the Mississippi State Bulldogs head to Lexington, Ky., to meet the SEC East-leading Kentucky Wildcats Saturday afternoon. Tip-off time for the inter-divisional contest is set for 1 p.m. ET at Rupp Arena, and the game will be televised regionally by Jefferson Pilot Sports.
Coach Rick Stansbury's Bulldogs, 12-8 overall and 3-6 in league play, opened the week by evening their season record against nationally ranked opponents at 3-3 by claiming an 84-70 home victory over the 17th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide this past Wednesday in Starkville. State has also defeated Top 25 foes Arizona and Mississippi this season.
In Lexington, Mississippi State will be looking to snap both a 10-game SEC road losing skid and an eight-game losing streak to SEC Eastern Division opponents. Both streaks date back to January of last year. MSU will also be bidding to end a four-game series losing skid to Kentucky, having last defeated the Wildcats in the championship game of the 1996 SEC Tournament.
With four players continuing to maintain double-figure scoring averages on the season, the Bulldogs are paced by senior forward Tang Hamilton, who is averaging 15.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game over his last eight outings. Hamilton currently ranks among the SEC statistical leaders in scoring (13.4 ppg; 17th), rebounding (6.6 rpg; 13th) and field-goal percentage (52.9%; 4th). Entering the weekend ranked among MSU's all-time top 20 leaders in scoring and rebounding with 1,198 career points and 596 career rebounds, Hamilton needs two points and four rebounds to become just the seventh player in school history to total 1,200 or more career points and 600 or more career rebounds.
Senior guard Antonio Jackson (13.2 ppg) and junior center Robert Jackson (12.1 ppg) follow closely behind Hamilton for the team's scoring lead, while also ranking among the league leaders in assists (3.9 apg; 7th) and rebounding (8.1 rpg; 5th), respectively. Fresh off his first collegiate double-double with a game-high 25 points and career-best 15 rebounds in Wednesday's 14-point home win over No. 17 Alabama, junior swingman Marckell Patterson has upped his season's scoring average to 11.1 points per contest.
Currently owners of an SEC-best, four-game winning streak, the Kentucky Wildcats sport a 14-7 overall record and SEC Eastern Division-leading 7-2 league mark after posting a 71-70 home victory over eighth-ranked Florida this past Tuesday in Lexington. Despite winning 11 of their last 13 games, owning the best record in the SEC, and playing more ranked opponents than any other league school, UK is unranked in both major polls for the 11th straight week.
Guided by fourth-year head coach Orlando "Tubby" Smith, Kentucky is paced by sophomore guard Keith Bogans and junior forward Tayshaun Prince, who are averaging 16.2 and 15.2 points per game, respectively. The current SEC Player of the Week for his efforts a week ago, Prince also leads the Wildcats in rebounding (6.0 rpg).
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/08/01 (10 p.m.)
Women's Basketball - The Mississippi State Lady Bulldog basketball team used a 14-0 run midway through the second half to defeat No. 18 Vanderbilt 71-62 here on Thursday night. MSU moved to 11-11 on the season, 2-9 in the Southeastern Conference. The Commodores fell to 15-7, 4-5 in the SEC.
Sophomore LaToya Thomas led the Lady Bulldogs with 22 points. It was the fifth time in seven games Thomas reached 20. She has now scored in double figures in each of her 54 career games. Senior Meadow Overstreet poured in 17 on 5-of-7 three-point shooting, while leading the team in assists with seven.
Freshman Dana Benemon added a career-high 13 points, shooting 5-6 from the floor. Freshman Jessica Carter played a season-high 31 minutes and chipped in 10 points.
"This is a step in the right direction," head coach Sharon Fanning said after the game. "We had four players in double digits and got good play from our bench. The main thing was our effort and intensity remained strong throughout the game."
MSU came out strong in the second half, as sophomore LaToya Thomas scored the teamıs first eight points. Freshman Dana Benemon poured in a basket with 15:43 left in the period to pull the Lady Bulldogs within four for the first time since the early going.
After senior Meadow Overstreet connected on a pair of threes to close the margin to one with 13:25 remaining, Vandy went back to center Chantelle Anderson for another basket inside. Anderson finished the contest with 41 points.
State took its first lead of the contest on a Keisha Stringfellow three-pointer with 11:28 left in the game. The teams traded baskets until Overstreet hit another three with just over nine minutes remaining and Benemon hit six straight jumpers to extend the lead. Carter got in on the action by adding a three-point play to push the lead to ten, 59-49.
When the smoke cleared, MSU had scored 14 straight and held a commanding 12-point advantage with just over five minutes remaining. Vandy closed the gap to seven with 1:08 to play before Carter hit four consecutive free throws to ice the game.
Vanderbilt used 18 first-half points from Anderson to take a 28-22 lead at the end of the first period. Thomas led MSU with eight points before the break. The Commodores outrebounded the Lady Bulldogs 16-9 in the opening period.
Prior to the tip-off Thursday night, Fanning presented Fambrough and Thomas with commemorative basketballs for reaching the 1,000-point plateau this season. Fambrough now stands at sixth with 1,209 points in 82 games, while Thomas is ninth with 1,172 points in 54 games.
Mississippi State concludes its four-game homestand hosting New Orleans on Monday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m. in Humphrey Coliseum.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/08/01
Men's Basketball - Mississippi State played more than eight minutes of shutout basketball and Marckell Patterson didn't even notice.
"Did we do that?" Patterson said when informed of the Bulldogs' defensive prowess at the end of the first half that propelled them to an 84-70 victory over No. 18 Alabama on Wednesday night.
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Post-game press conference.
MSU Head Coach Rick Stansbury:
I can't tell you how proud I am of our guys. They have had every opportunity in the world to lay down and not fight. To their credit, they haven't. It is very evident that when our team stay together and works how good we can be. A lot of people did a lot of things for us. Marckell Patterson was everywhere tonight. T. J. Billups came off that bench and gave us great energy. He really did a great job defended Grizzard. Grizzard, at the start of the game, was a one man show. I believe he had 11 or 13 points in the first five minutes. Derrick Zimmerman also came off the bench and gave us some energy.
Alabama has an excellent basketball team. Coach Gottfried does a tremendous job with them. They have a chance to go a long way. For our team to step up and win this basketball game says a lot for our team. I am very proud of the effort that they put forth.
Q and A:
Talk about the first five minutes of the second half?
Rick Stansbury: Well, as you all know, that has been a problem area for us. We have gone into that locker room, at home and on the road, on many occasions with a lead. Then we somehow in the first five minutes of the second half to find a way to allow teams to get back into the game. This game we didn't. We were able to carry over what we started and that was very important. We didn't lose that momentum; we kept playing with confidence. We had some guys step up and make some plays for us.
Talk about the first half where you went on a 19-0 run?
Rick Stansbury: I give a lot of credit to those guys who came off the bench, Derrick Zimmerman, T.J. Billups, Tyrus Boswell. Those guys really came in and gave us some energy and some toughness. I thought some of the other guys fed off of that. That is something that our team has been lacking, toughness. T. J. definitely gave us that tonight.
Talk about the confidence of the team after this game?
Rick Stansbury: Our team had the opportunity to lay down after going on the road and losing two basketball games that we had the opportunity to win. That gets frustrating. It is not like we went on the road and was getting blown out. You have to keep believing. There is a lot of basketball yet to be played.
There are seven games left. We need to take care of business here at home and go get us a couple on the road.
Talk about the crowd?
Rick Stansbury: We had a great crowd for a Wednesday night. When we got on those runs, the crowd gave us so much energy. When those students got into it, it helped out basketball team tremendously.
Talk about playing Kentucky this Saturday in Lexington?
Rick Stansbury: Everybody knows that Kentucky is one of the best teams in the country. They are probably playing as well as anyone in the league right now. There is no question that Rupp Arena is one of the most intimidating places to play in the country. It will be a very difficult game for us. But there are no easy games, home or away. It will be a great challenge but also a great opportunity for our basketball team to step up.
Alabama Head Coach Mark Gottfried:
I thought tonight we started off well. They made a great run starting in the middle of the first half. We just didn't answer it. We are still playing like an immature team at times. We need to answer runs that we aren't. To their credit they played awfully well. After the first few minutes they stepped up and attacked the basket well. They got a lot of buckets in the paint. Mississippi State kept answering the call.
What happened with your defense tonight?
Mark Gottfried: I thought that they got a lot of penetration to the basket. We could not keep them out of the paint. They are quick. They really attack the basket well. I thought that our zone helped but they would miss shots and turn around and get an offensive rebound. The main thing for us defensively was we could not contain them off the dribble. They really did a great job attacking the basket.
Talk about their offensive rebounding?
Mark Gottfried: I thought that that was the key to the game. They did a great job on the glass. (Offensive rebounds) are daggers in your heart. We have been a great defensive rebounding team all year. Some times you beat yourself up and don't give the other team enough credit. They went to the glass and got it done. That was the game.
Talk about Marckell Patterson's play?
Mark Gottfried: The matchup was tough for us. He is a good basketball player. He had played very well earlier in the year. More than anything he got to the foul line tonight. That is what hurt.
Recently, the Lady Bulldogs have gotten strong play out of freshman Dana Benemon, who has started the last three games. In the Georgia contest, Benemon grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, marking the third time in her last five outings that Benemon has led the MSU in rebounding. Benemon has also averaged 6.0 points per game over that five-game span.
Sophomore LaToya Thomas netted 23 points against Georgia, which is just over her SEC-leading average of 22.8 points per game. Thomas is also averaging 8.4 rebounds per contest and has 25 blocks this season.
Vanderbilt (15-6, 4-4) is led by Chantelle Anderson, who is fourth in the SEC with 19.5 points per game. Anderson, who leads the SEC in field-goal percentage with 72 percent, is averaging 6.0 rebounds per outing and has totaled 28 blocks this season. Zuzana Klimesova, who is second in the league in field-goal percentage with 61 percent, averages 17.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per contest, while leading the team in steals with 29.
Jillian Danker is scoring 12.9 points per game for the Commodores, while Jenni Benningfield is averaging 11.6 points per outing. Benningfield, who leads the conference in three-point percentage with 46 percent, is tied with Klimesova for the team lead in rebounds at 7.7 per game. Vandy's Ashley McElhiney leads the SEC in assists, dishing out 6.65 per contest.
Mississippi State and Vanderbilt have met 32 times in 24 years with Vandy leading 23-9. The Commodores hold the series edge in Starkville as well, 7-6. The Lady Bulldogs won two of the last three games played in Humphrey Coliseum. MSU defeated Vandy 71-66 during the 1998-99 season and 67-64 during the 1995-96 campaign. VU's last win in Starkville was in 1997-98, a 73-66 victory.
The game is sponsored by Mississippi State's College of Business and Industry. MSU's Thomas and Jennifer Fambrough will be recognized prior to the game for reaching the 1,000-point plateau earlier this year.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/07/01
Men's Basketball - The Mississippi State Bulldogs begin the second half of the SEC basketball schedule by playing host to the 17th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide Wednesday evening on the MSU campus. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at Humphrey Coliseum.
Having dropped road decisions to both Auburn (60-56) and Arkansas (83-72) last week, coach Rick Stansbury's Bulldogs, 11-8 overall and 2-6 in SEC play, are presently in the midst of a stretch in which they will play four road games over a five-game period. Following Wednesday's home contest against Alabama, Mississippi State will next travel to Lexington to meet the Kentucky Wildcats this Saturday before heading to Oxford to meet the 24th-ranked Mississippi Rebels next Wednesday (Feb. 14). Saturday's MSU-UK inter-divisional clash is slated for a 1 p.m. ET tip-off at Rupp Arena, and the game will be televised regionally by Jefferson Pilot Sports.
Individually, senior forward Tang Hamilton has taken over MSU's season scoring lead at 13.6 points per game (15th in the SEC) on the year after averaging 16.6 points over his last seven outings. He also ranks tied for 12th among the league leaders in rebounding (6.7 rpg) and fifth in field-goal percentage (53.9%). With 1,189 career points and 593 career rebounds, Hamilton needs 11 points and seven rebounds to become only the seventh player in MSU history to total 1,200 or more career points and 600 or more career rebounds.
Senior guard Antonio Jackson (13.3 ppg) and junior center Robert Jackson (12.1 ppg) follow Hamilton in State's scoring race, while also ranking among the SEC statistical leaders in assists (3.8 apg; 7th in the SEC) and rebounding (8.2 rpg; 5th), respectively. Junior Marckell Patterson rounds out the team's double-figure scoring leaders at 10.3 points per outing.
Currently leading the SEC's Western Division with a 6-3 league record, Alabama is 17-4 overall on the season after claiming a 76-66 home win over the LSU Tigers this past Saturday in Tuscaloosa. Guided by third-year head coach and 1987 Alabama alumnus Mark Gottfried, the Crimson Tide is led by sophomore guard Rod Grizzard, who tops the SEC in both scoring (18.5 ppg) and free-throw percentage (88.7%). Fellow sophomore forward/center Erwin Dudley averages 14.9 points and an SEC-leading 9.4 rebounds per contest, while also ranking third in the league in field-goal percentage (56.8%).
Wednesday's Mississippi State-Alabama contest will mark the 164th meeting between these two SEC Western Division rivals. With the two teams having split the season series five times in the last six years, Alabama claimed a 72-59 home victory over the Bulldogs earlier this year (Jan. 13) in Tuscaloosa. MSU has won the last two State-Bama meetings in Starkville by an average margin of 25.5 points, prevailing 92-70 last season and 79-50 two years ago.
Having already claimed wins over ranked foes Arizona and Mississippi earlier this season, an MSU victory over Alabama would give the Bulldogs three wins over nationally ranked opponents during the current 2000-2001 campaign.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/05/01
Women's Basketball - The Mississippi State women's basketball team played a tough game but came up short against No. 5 Georgia. The 78-74 final was the closest loss for MSU (10-11, 1-9) since the Lady Bulldogs traveled to Tennessee and lost by seven on Jan. 15. Georgia improved to 19-4 overall and 7-2 in the Southeastern Conference.
Georgia began the second half with an 11-0 run to gain its first lead of the game, 44-42 with 16 minutes remaining in regulation. Jennifer Fambrough scored MSU's first basket of the second half with just under 16 minutes to go, before gaining her fourth foul with 15:19 on the clock. UGA went up by as many six before State cut the lead.
LaToya Thomas, who was called for her fourth personal foul with eight minutes on the clock, made three-of-four from the free-throw line during the nine-minute mark to give State its first lead of the second half, 60-59. Fambrough, who had made back-to-back baskets for State to keep MSU within two, fouled out with 5:43 remaining. She left the game with 16 points and three rebounds.
Georgia's Tawana McDonald, called for her fifth foul with 4:50 on the clock. McDonald, who came into the game averaging 7.5 rebounds and 11.1 points per outing, left the game with only four points and one rebound. Ten seconds later, Thomas fouled out leaving State with two freshmen in the post and UGA up 70-67. Tiana Briggans completed the three-point play for Georgia, which was followed up by two straight UGA baskets giving Georgia its largest lead of the game at 75-67.
Both teams finished the game shooting 48 percent from the field. Georgia ended the game at 57 percent from long range while MSU, after shooting 13 percent from three-point land in the second half, shot 41 percent from behind the arc for the game. UGA outrebounded State 34-30.
State won the tip and controlled the first half, shooting 62 percent from the field, 67 percent from three-point range and 100 percent from the free-throw line. The Lady Bulldogs, who gained an 11-point lead off a three-pointer by freshman Lyndi Sippel with two minutes remaining, outrebounded Georgia 17-13 in the first half.
For the first time this season, Mississippi State had three players in double digits in the first half. Thomas led the way with 14 points, while Hall and Fambrough chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively.
MSU finished the game with four players in double digits, which marked a first for the team since starting the SEC portion of their schedule. Along with Thomas and Fambrough, Cynthia Hall and Dana Benemon chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively. Benemon, who started for the third straight contest, led the squad in rebounding with right boards. Senior Meadow Overstreet led the team with four assists and two steals.
Georgia was led by Kelly Miller with 31 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals in 40 minutes. Also playing the entire game, Coco Miller tallied 18 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. Christi Thomas chipped in 17 points and six rebounds for UGA as well.
The Lady Bulldogs continue their homestand hosting Vanderbilt on Thursday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. in Humphrey Coliseum. MSU goes outside of its SEC schedule and hosts New Orleans on Monday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/04/01
Men's Basketball - Arkansas' Jannero Pargo hit three important three-pointers in the second half as the Razorbacks beat the Bulldogs 83-72 on February 3.
Pargo, who finished with a career high 28 points, made a three-pointer that put Arkansas (13-7, 4-4 SEC) ahead to stay 51-49 with 16:26 to play. He also made one for 56-52 and another for 59-55. He made 9-of-17 from the field including 6-of-12 from long range.
02/03/01
Men's Basketball - Looking to snap a couple of unfavorable streaks, the Bulldogs of Mississippi State head to Fayetteville to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks Saturday afternoon on the UA campus. Tip-off time for the 30th renewal of the Dogs-Hogs intra-divisional showdown is slated for noon at Bud Walton Arena. The game will be televised regionally by Jefferson Pilot Sports.
In addition to trying to snap a nine-game SEC road losing skid that dates back to last season, coach Rick Stansbury's Bulldogs will also be attempting to claim their first win in Fayetteville since the University of Arkansas joined the Southeastern Conference in 1991. Over the past decade, MSU is winless in seven attempts at Bud Walton Arena since the facility opened in 1993. Prior to that, State dropped a pair of road decisions to Arkansas at Barnhill Arena.
In the midst of a stretch in which they will play four road contests within a five-game span, the Bulldogs are 11-7 overall on the season and 2-5 in SEC competition after dropping a 60-56 road decision to the Auburn Tigers this past Wednesday in Auburn. MSU's league wins have both come at home against Arkansas and Mississippi.
In the year's first meeting with the Razorbacks (Jan. 6 in Starkville), the Bulldogs halted a seven-game series losing skid against Arkansas by posting an 87-73 home triumph over the Hogs. Leading a quintet of double-figure State scorers a month ago, junior forward Tyrus Boswell came off the Bulldog bench to score a career-high 21 points and collect 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Junior college transfer guard Jannero Pargo paced Arkansas with a game-high 23 points against MSU earlier this season.
Mississippi State's balanced scoring attack, featuring four double-digit scorers on the year, continues to be headed by senior guard Antonio Jackson, who ranks among the SEC's statistical leaders in scoring (13.6 ppg; 15th in the SEC), assists (4.0 apg; 7th) and made three-point field goals (2.22/game; 5th). Fellow senior Tang Hamilton rates as the club's second-leading scorer (13.1 ppg) and No. 2 rebounder (6.7 rpg) on the year after averaging 15.7 points per game over his last six outings.
Guided by 16th-year head coach Nolan Richardson, the Arkansas Razorbacks are paced by sophomore forward Joe Johnson, who is leading the team in scoring (13.9 ppg) and rebounding (6.1 rpg) this season after garnering SEC Newcomer of the Year honors a year ago. Pargo, who shoots 50 percent from the field, 46 percent from the arc and 91 percent from the line on the season, averages 12.5 points and 2.8 assists per contest. With a 12-7 overall record and 3-4 SEC mark on the year, the Razorbacks recently had their three-game winning streak snapped with an 84-73 road setback to the Mississippi Rebels this past Wednesday in Oxford.
The Bulldogs will return home to play host to the Alabama Crimson Tide next Wednesday (Feb. 7). Tip-off at MSU's Humphrey Coliseum is set for 7 p.m.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/02/01
Women's Basketball - Mississippi State's Lady Bulldog basketball team lost to Mississippi 74-57 in Humphrey Coliseum. MSU (10-10, 1-8) had won six consecutive contests against the Lady Rebels (14-6, 2-5) prior to Thursday night.
"Mississippi played hard and stayed very focused," said head coach Sharon Fanning. "They brought players off the bench that are juniors and seniors that started for them the last couple of years. And we brought in some freshmen and just didn't match up well."
Mississippi came out in the second half and jumped out to an 11-point lead, 51-40, in the first nine minutes and never looked back. The Lady Bulldogs cut the lead to five with six minutes remaining, but the Lady Rebels went on a 10-0 run to close the game with a 17-point lead, 74-57.
Although the Lady Bulldogs led 31-29 at halftime, Mississippi outshot MSU 50-43 percent and outrebounded State 16-14. The Lady Rebels were three-of-seven (.429) from behind the arc while the Lady Bulldogs were five-of-13 (.385) from long range. Each team led by as many as five during the first half.
Sophomore forward LaToya Thomas, who had seven points in the first half, led the Lady Bulldogs scoring 23 points and recording her 52nd consecutive double-digit contest. She moved into tenth place on MSU's all-time scoring list and now has 1,127 career points. The 6-2 all-American candidate tied a career-high three blocks in the 37-minute effort and moved into a fifth-place tie on that list with 57.
Junior forward Jennifer Fambrough, who scored 10 points in the first half, finished the game with 15 points and four rebounds. She moved into seventh on MSU's all-time scoring leaders list with 1,187 points.
Senior guard Meadow Overstreet had nine points and a team-leading six assists in 38 minutes. Freshman forward Dana Benemon earned her second straight start and led the team with six rebounds in 22 minutes.
"We just have to grow and find something positive," said Fanning. "As inconsistent as we've played, if we bring our game on the floor like we did at Tennessee we win our next game."
Tywanna Inmon led Mississippi with 19 points and 10 rebounds, the only double-double of the game. TaShondrea Moton and Gretchen Von Kirk each added 10 points while combining for 12 boards.
The Lady Bulldogs host Georgia on Sunday, Feb. 4, at 2 p.m. in Humphrey Coliseum. The game against Georgia is the second of a four-game homestand for Mississippi State.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/01/01
Men's Basketball - Mississippi State came back from a 11-point deficit in the second half only to come up short four points, 60-56, to Auburn at Auburn. The Bulldogs have now lost five of their last seven games and are 11-7 overall and 2-5 in the SEC.
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The two teams have met 59 times in 27 years with the Lady Rebels holding a 52-7 advantage. Of the last eight games, State has lost only two both in Oxford. Sharon Fanning is 7-15 against the Lady Rebels, including a 6-6 mark since coming to State. Mississippi head coach Ron Aldy is 2-6 against the Lady Bulldogs since taking the helm at UM.
LaToya Thomas is averaging an SEC leading 22.7 points per game as w ell as 8.7 rebounds per contest. She is 11th on MSU's all-time scoring leaders list with 1,104 points and needs just 20 points to move into the top 10. She is ranked sixth in both free throws made (249) and blocks (54). The sophomore forward made her way onto her fourth career chart with seven free throw attempts at LSU. She is ninth on that list with 332 attempts.
Senior Cynthia Hall, still adjusting to her point guard role, is averaging 7.8 points and 4.2 assists per game. As Hall's career comes to a close, she is moving up some of MSU's career charts. Hall is second on both the three-point goals made (134) and three-point attempts (398) charts. She is listed 10th in games played (108), ninth in steals (140) and 22nd in points (810).
Lady Bulldog freshman Dana Benemon, a native of Register, Ga., garnered the first start of her young career at MSU on Sunday at LSU and scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds. She is the only newcomer to play in all 19 games so far this season.
Senior Becky Myatt leads Mississippi in scoring at 11.8 points per game. However, in the first contest between these two teams, it was Tywanna Inmon who lead the Lady Rebels in both scoring and rebounding with 10 points and seven boards.
Thursday's contest is sponsored by MSU's College of Education. The match-up is the start of a much welcome four-game homestand that also includes games against No. 5 Georgia, No. 18 Vanderbilt, and New Orleans.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department