STARKVILLE, Miss. — For the first time this season, and in one of the least likely places, the LSU men’s basketball team picked up a Southeastern Conference victory, 82-73, over Mississippi State on Wednesday night in Starkville, Miss.
The Tigers improved to 11-5 overall and 1-4 in the SEC, while Mississippi State fell to 10-6 and 1-4 in the SEC.
LSU was led by Collis Temple III who was joined by Brian Beshara to spearhead an amazing effort by a team which has only five scholarship players on its active roster.
Temple poured in a career and team season high 27 points, while Beshara scored 24 including 17 in the first half to give LSU a 14-point halftime lead.
Ronald Dupree, who entered the game in second place in the league in scoring and first in rebounding, was plagued by fouls throughout the game. However, he made eight-consecutive free throws over the final four minutes to secure the victory and post 14 points.
Jermaine Williams also added 11 points including five free throws down the stretch, while leading the Tigers with eight rebounds.
Although he struggled from the field (2-of-7), Torris Bright added seven rebounds and four assists in 26 minutes of action.
LSU won in Starkville’s Humphrey Coliseum for the first time since Jan. 14, 1993 (84-76 in overtime).
LSU shot 28-of-51 from the field (54.9 percent) while holding Mississippi State to 28-of-63 (44.4 percent) shooting. The Tigers made 9-of-16 (56.3 percent) three-pointers including 9-of-12 by Beshara and Temple. MSU was only 10-of-30 (33.3 percent).
LSU was 17-of-21 from the free throw line, all in the second half. MSU was 7-of-10 from the charity stripe.
The Tigers out-rebounded the SEC’s best rebounding team, 35-27, despite only two from Dupree.
Led by Beshara’s 11 early points, the Tigers took a 13-5 lead to start the game. LSU extended the lead to nine, 22-13, on a free-throw line jumper with less than six minutes to play in the half.
Five-straight points by Temple in the last two miuntes of the half gave LSU a 34-22 lead before Beshara slammed a put-back with 10 seconds remaining to give LSU its largest lead of the half.
After Beshara opened up the second half with a three pointer, LSU led by 17.
Mississippi State then went on an 18-9 run to close the gap to 48-40 less than five minutes into the second half.
The Bulldogs cut the lead to as little as six, 59-53, with 6:10 remaining on two free throws by Robert Jackson, and MSU looked to have gained momentum.
However, LSU responded with six straight points of its own to up the lead to 65-53 on four free throws and a dunk by Williams off a turnover.
LSU then made 13-of-16 free throws over the final four minutes to seal the win.