Scorching Dawgs Down Aggies In NYC

By: Hunter Richardson

On perhaps America’s biggest stage in sports and entertainment, Dee Bost made sure his Dawgs shined the brightest.

Leading all scorers with 20 points, Bost got Mississippi State (3-1) off to a blistering start and kept it going for the remainder of the 40 minutes, upsetting the No. 18 Texas A&M Aggies (2-1), 69-60.

Playing on the road for the first time in the current campaign, State shot out of the gate from the tip, building a 22-point lead. The Dawgs hit five of their first six shots, busting out to an early 15-5 lead. The Dogs caught fire from beyond the arc (5-8 in first half), including big-man Arnett Moultrie, and looked to run away with the contest.

State managed to stretch their lead to 31-9 as they reached the 10 minute mark in the first half, especially thanks to a 16-4 run sparked by the two shining freshmen for the Dogs, Rodney Hood and Deville Smith.

The Aggies would not go quietly though as they fought back to narrow the deficit to nine at the half. David Loubeau used a couple of layups and a pull-up jumper to spark a small run by A&M to cut into State’s double-digit lead.

State entered the second-half similar to the beginning of the game, jumping out quickly with a 7-2 run. Consecutive lay-ups from Brian Bryant and a three-point play by Moultrie lit another fire under the Dog’s and extended their lead to 16, 48-32, with 17:36 to go in the match. Texas A&M would continue in its attempts to break the Dogs and diminish their lead, but their tries failed.

State turned up their defensive intensity and Bost turned on the after-burners, including a three from NBA range, and kept the Aggies from ever getting closer than eight. The MSU Gold Team even got to make their appearance on the big stage as well, as MSU would hold off for the victory.

The Dogs statistically played a solid game, shooting 22 of 54 from the field (40.7 percent) and 6 of 13 from three (46.2 percent). A&M shot just as well, also hitting 22 of 54 from the field (40.7 percent), along with 6 of 15 from three (40.0 percent). The difference came at the charity stripe, where the Bulldogs were 19 of 31 (61.3 percent), where the Aggies were 10 of 14 (71.4 percent).

Both teams were even or near even in many categories, including assists (nine each), turnovers (MSU 15, A&M 16) and points off turnovers (MSU 17, A&M 18).

However, State was able to dominate in two important categories in this game, winning the rebounding battle 39-35, and points in the paint 36-28.
Along with Bost’s game-leading 20 points and four steals, senior Bryant put in 12 points and seven rebounds. Hood contributed 10 points, where Moultrie chipped in an eight point, eight rebound performance.

For Texas A&M, Elston Turner led the way, scoring 13 points. Loubeau put in 11 points and six rebounds, while Jamal Branch scored 10 in the defeat.

With the victory, Mississippi State moves on to the championship game of the 2K Sports Classic today, as they face No. 16 Arizona at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

The Wildcats are coming off an impressive win over St. John’s and will post yet another tough matchup for the Maroon and White. It will be key for State to get off to another blistering start and have the entire lineup firing on all cylinders against an impressive team from the Pac-12. Look for State to turn once again to their senior leader Dee Bost to light the fire under the Dogs and prove to the nation they belong in the spotlight.

Mississippi State and Arizona to play for 2K Sports Title

Madison Square Garden was the site of two exciting games in the 17th annual 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer.

In the first semifinal game, Dee Bost scored 20 points, including a big 3-pointer with 3:16 to play, and Mississippi State beat No. 18 Texas A&M 69-60.

Mississippi State, which started the game by making 10 of its first 13 shots from the field, saw a big portion of a 22-point first-half lead disappear.

Naji Hibbert’s drive with 3:37 to play brought Texas A&M (2-1) within 60-52. Bost hit a 3-pointer 19 seconds later that started the Bulldogs’ 9-4 run that got them back in control.

Brian Bryant had 12 points for the Bulldogs and freshman Rodney Hood added 10, his third double-figure effort in as many games.

Elston Turner had 13 points for Texas A&M and David Loubeau added 11.

Mississippi State used a 15-0 run to take a 31-9 lead with 10:11 left in the first half. The Bulldogs couldn’t keep up the torrid shooting and the Aggies were able to close within single digits twice in the first half, the last time on a drive by Turner with 29 seconds left that made it 41-32.

Mississippi State finished the half 12 for 24, including 5 of 8 from 3-point range, and the Aggies, after starting 3 of 14 from the field, shot 42.9 percent for the half (12 of 28).

The Bulldogs opened the second half on a 7-0 run to go up 48-32.
Texas A&M was able to get within eight points but Bost started the deciding run with his second 3-pointer of the game.

Texas A&M was without junior forward Khris Middleton. The preseason All-Big 12 selection had surgery on his right knee Nov. 11 and is expected to miss three to four weeks.

This was the second game on the bench for Aggies coach Billy Kennedy, who was diagnosed with early stage Parkinson’s disease.

In the nightcap, Solomon Hill had 15 points to lead No. 16 Arizona to a roller coaster 81-72 victory over St. John’s.

The Wildcats (4-0) led 44-41 at halftime and were up 54-47 about 5 minutes into the second half. St. John’s (3-1), one of the least experienced teams in the country, suddenly started running and taking advantage of defensive pressure to go on a 12-2 surge to take a 66-58 lead – and the Red Storm had the crowd at Madison Square Garden behind them.

Arizona, which had started hot from 3-point range before cooling off, suddenly found its stroke behind the arc again in a 16-2 run that gave the Wildcats a 74-68 lead with 3:13 to play.

The Wildcats will play Mississippi State in the championship game on Friday night at Madison Square Garden. The Bulldogs (3-1) beat No. 19 Texas A&M 69-60 in the semifinals.

Kyle Fogg had 13 points for Arizona and Jesse Perry added 11 points and 10 rebounds.

St. John’s and Texas A&M will play in the consolation game at 4:30pm (ET) on Friday, followed by the title game between Arizona and Mississippi State. Both games will air on ESPN2.

-Associated Press

MSU vs. Texas A&M Preview

By: Hunter Richardson

Spike Lee loves it. Reggie Miller despises it. And Thursday, the Mississippi State Bulldogs (2-1) will play the No. 19 Texas A&M Aggies (2-0) in it.

Madison Square Garden, which has stood for decades as the most noteworthy and famous arena of all sports and music, will play host to the Championship Rounds of the 2K Sports Classic starting with the matchup of future SEC co-members.

The Dogs will go into Thursday’s matchup after gaining a victory against the South Alabama Jaguars last Saturday, 80-65. The victory, highlighted by Arnett Moultrie’s double-double of 28 points (career high) and 13 rebounds and big man Renardo Sidney’s absence (groin injury), was a bounce-back for State after suffering an upset loss at Humphrey Coliseum against the Akron Zips in the 2K Sports Classic. State will look to work on its faults and highlight its successes going into the battle under the bright lights in the “City That Never Sleeps.”

“We need to hustle more and get stronger,” Moultrie pointed out following the defeat to Akron. “We need to get more physical in the post. We also need to take better care of the ball and not make so many turnovers.”

Moultrie and the rest of the Maroon and White made sure that those problems were addressed and fixed before State’s final game before the New York trip against USA. Playing an up-tempo style similar to that of the Bulldogs summer European trip, Arnett was pleased with the performance against the athletic Sun Belt representatives.

“This is the way we are going to beat teams, that is our identity,” Moultrie said. “We played up-tempo during the summer and we wanted to bring that back.”

And if finding their rhythm isn’t exciting enough, the Bulldogs got freshmen Deville Smith back for the home contest and will have him for the games in NYC. Smith, who missed the opening games to the season for State, suffered from an illness that caused dizzy spells and slight memory loss.

“We’re glad to have Deville back,” said coach Rick Stansbury. “He changes the game. His pressure on the ball is what helped us today.”

It’s a good thing the Dogs seem to have things rolling in their favor as of late, because the Aggies will not prove to be such an easy foe. The future SEC members will prove to be State’s first true test of the season and could determine whether this Bulldog team is who a lot of Maroon and White faithful expect them to be.

The No. 19 Aggies will go into Thursday’s matchup one of the top shooting teams in the nation in this young season, ranked sixth in the nation in field goal percentage (61.0 percent). In their first two games, the Aggies have easily handled their opponents, defeating Liberty 81-59 and South University 83-58.

State, when at full-strength, can compete with any team in the NCAA. With Sidney and Smith both making the trip to NYC, the Dogs should go toe-to-toe with the Aggies and would not surprise anyone if they were to walk out with a win. Meanwhile, Friday night will bring either St. John’s or Arizona, two more powerhouse teams that would prove the Dog’s worth. Yet State, led by its captain Dee Bost, is not worried.

“I want to lead us to big places. It’s my responsibility to do that.”

Notre Dame and Georgia Come Up Winners

Notre Dame and Georgia went unbeaten in Regional Round Play of the Progressive CBE Classic.

In South Bend, Notre Dame freshman Pat Connaughton outscored Sam Houston State in the first half as the shorthanded Fighting Irish cruised to a 74-41 victory.

Connaughton scored 17 of his 24 points before halftime, while Notre Dame (3-0) held Sam Houston State to 16 points.

Marcus James had 16 points and eight rebounds for the Bearkats (1-1).

The Irish made due with only seven scholarship players for much of the game.

Senior forward Tim Abromaitis sat out, serving the third of his four-game suspension. Guard Eric Atkins, who led the team in scoring (averaging 20 points) in its first two games, was sidelined with an illness. In their place, Jerian Grant had 17 points and seven assists.

In Athens, Donte Williams had 17 points and seven rebounds and Gerald Williams added 15 points as Georgia (3-0) earned a 72-61 win over South Dakota State.

Nate Wolters posted 15 points seven rebounds and Taevaunn Prince recorded 13 points and nine rebounds for the Jackrabbits (1-2).

Notre Dame will face No. 25 Missouri, which closes Regional Round play on Thursday against Niagara, in the first of Monday’s semifinal games of the Progressive CBE Classic. Tip is set for 7:30pm (ET) at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. That game will be followed by Georgia taking on No. 22 California. Both games will be aired on ESPN2. The consolation and championship games will be played on Tuesday, starting at 7:45pm (ET).

Texas and Vanderbilt Head to Meadowlands

Texas and Vanderbilt are heading to the IZOD Center for the TicketCity Legends Classic.

In Austin, J’Covan Brown scored a career-high 35 points to propel Texas to a 100-90 victory over Rhode Island in the first round of the TicketCity Legends Classic.

The junior guard added six assists with no turnovers.

J'Covan Brown will try to be as effective against Vandy as he was against the URI Rams.

Jamal Wilson led the Rams (0-2) with 24 points after putting up 38 in a season-opening loss to George Mason.

Clint Chapman, the only Longhorn taller than 6-7, had a game-high eight rebounds, though the teams were an even 42-42 on the boards.

It was another physical test for undersized and young Texas (2-0), which counts six freshmen among its nine scholarship players.

Texas went up by 17 early. But Rhode Island finished the first half on a 20-7 run to enter halftime down 46-43.

The Rams took a 59-58 lead on a free throw by Blake Vedder, but Texas freshman Sheldon McClellan finished a three-point play to put his team back ahead.

In Nashville, Jeffrey Taylor led five Commodores in double figures as No. 20 Vanderbilt (2-1) earned an 80-68 win over Bucknell in Regional Round action of the TicketCity Legends Classic.

Jeffrey Taylor and The Commodores of Vanderbilt head to the IZOD Center to try and dismantle the Longhorns.

Taylor scored a team-best 14 points to go along with six rebounds. Brad Tinsley, Lance Goulbourne, and Kedren Johnson each scored 12 points with Goulbourne hauling down a game-high nine rebounds. Rod Odom tallied 10 points.

The Bison (0-2) were led by Joe Willman and his game-high 17 points. Joshea Singleton scored 12 points and Brian Fitzpatrick and Mike Muscala scored 10 points apiece.

Vanderbilt will meet NC State, which closes out Regional Round play at home against Princeton on Wednesday, in the first game of the Championship Rounds at IZOD Center on Saturday. Tip-off is 6:30pm (ET). That game will be followed by Texas and Oregon State, which hosts Hofstra on Wednesday at 10:00pm (ET). The consolation and championship games of the TicketCity Legends Classic will be played on Monday, Nov. 21, beginning at 6:30pm (ET). All four Championship Round games will be aired on ESPN3.

-       Associated Press

Cal Downs Austin Peay

Austin Peay coach Dave Loos isn’t worried that his team is off to a poor start shooting the ball. It’s the way the Governors are running the offense that has Loos more concerned.

Playing without its most experienced player and top rebounder, Austin Peay fell behind by 15 points to No. 22 California in the first six minutes and couldn’t recover, losing to the Golden Bears 72-55 on Tuesday night.

“We were just overwhelmed early and then started playing too fast,” Loos said. “We threw up anything, just happy to get a shot. Give them a lot of credit but we played way too fast early and it resulted in poor quality shots, therefore a poor shooting percentage.”

While he has four of five starters from last season on a team favored to win the OVC, senior center John Fraley didn’t make the trip after sustaining a concussion in the season-opening 80-71 loss Friday at Middle Tennessee.

Harper Kamp led the Bears in rebounding and also notched 12 poins in Cal's win on Tuesday.

Josh Terry scored 16 points to lead the Governors (0-2), who scored just 13 in the first half, shot 37.1 percent and missed their initial 13 3-point tries before Herdie Lawrence connected with 12:56 remaining.

Jorge Gutierrez had 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists, and Harper Kamp added 12 points and nine boards for the Golden Bears (3-0), who just missed a chance to begin the season with three straight 20-point victories for the first time since the 1952-53 team started with four.

Gutierrez and Kamp each scored six of their points in the opening six minutes as Cal (3-0) built a 17-2 lead and wasn’t challenged the rest of the way in the Progressive CBE Classic game.

The Progressive CBE Classic continues on Wednesday with Georgia hosting South Dakota State and Sam Houston State at Notre Dame.

-          Associated Press

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Missouri Shoots Bears; ND Roars Back to Beat Detroit

Columbia Regional

By Eliza Smith

Phil Pressey lead the way to an 81-63 Tiger win over Mercer on Monday, scoring a career-best 22 points with four assists and five steals in the first Regional Round of the Progressive CBE Classic.

Joining the sophomore point guard in double digits were Kim English with 18, Mike Dixon with 14 and Marcus Denmon with 12.

The win extended No. 24 Missouri’s school-record non-conference home winning streak to 60 games, dating back to the 2005-06 opener, and gave new head coach Frank Haith his second victory of the season.

The squad lacks height — especially with 6-9 Laurence Bowers out for the year with a knee injury — and often had four guards on the floor going up against four Mercer forwards, but they still managed to win the rebounding battle by four boards.

“Rebounding isn’t just about how tall you are,” Haith said. “It’s about your desire, your passion, and paying attention to detail. It’s about blocking out and lots of fundamentals, and then going to get the ball.”

The Tigers played an active first half with 23 deflections and ten of their total 14 steals, holding Mercer to a 40-24 halftime score, but took some gambles in the second half. Mercer went on a 14-4 run to get within ten points — but that was as close as the Bears could get.

Jibri Bryan led Mercer with 19 points off the bench in the second game of his career. He redshirted last season after knee surgery.

The team is adjusting to a different style of play under Haith, bringing their game back to the half court but still relying on pressure.

“Pressure busts pipes,” Dixon said. “I just think we’ve translated our full court defense to the half court, and brought it in and got a little more organized.”

“The results are still the same,” English said.

South Bend Regional

Trailing 41-33 with 14:04 to play, Notre Dame went on a 14-0 run to capture a 59-53 win over Detroit in the Progressive CBE Classic.

Joey Brooks and Eric Atkins paced the Irish with 13 points apiece, with Brooks also pulling down nine rebounds and Atkins handing out four assists. Jerian Grant added 11 points and Pat Connaughton had 10 points and nine rebounds.

Detroit received a game-best 20 points from Ray McCallum, who netted 12 of those points in the first half. Chase Simon had 13 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

The Progressive CBE Classic continues on Tuesday with No. 22 California hosting Austin Peay. The game will air on ESPN2 at 10:00pm as part of ESPN’s College Basketball Marathon.