BATON ROUGE — An LSU second-half rally from a double digit deficit fell just short as Charles Rhodes and Jamont Gordon each scored 15 points to lead Mississippi State to a sweep of the season series, 56-50, Saturday afternoon at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Mississippi State (15-10, 6-6) saw a 12-point lead dwindle to a single point in the final six minutes. But Rhodes’ basket with 1:37 left broke an 11-0 LSU run and the Bulldogs held on from there for a third straight victory and their fourth in five games.
Tasmin Mitchell had 17 points for LSU (14-12, 3-9), which has lost eight of its last nine games. Glen Davis, bothered by the strained right quad muscle, had 14 points for the Tigers and Terry Martin added 10.
Mississippi State took control after Martin’s layup gave LSU a quick 30-28 lead to open the second half. The Bulldogs then scored 13 straight points, ending with Reginald Delk’s trey that put the Bulldogs up 41-30.
LSU shored up its defense soon after by employing a full-court press. It had to, to stay in the game.
The Tigers didn’t surpass 10 points for the second half until Martin’s 3-pointer with six minutes to go, which pulled LSU to 49-40. With Mississippi State in the penalty, it started an 11-0 run — including six made free throws — that had LSU back in the game at 49-48 with 2:52 left.
MSU went 5:22 late in the half without a point until Rhodes backed into the paint on Davis and hit a twisting shot off the glass to give the Bulldogs a 51-48 lead.
Davis got LSU back within a point, rising powerfully from a crowd close to the hoop to put the ball in off the glass. Gordon was fouled on the other end and missed his second of two free throws with 35 seconds left. But he got the rebound after the ball was tipped out, and the Bulldogs went back to the free throw line and got a pair from Barry Stewart for a 54-50 lead with 26.8 seconds left.
All LSU could answer with from there was a missed 3-pointer from Davis. Mississippi State was able to hit a couple more free throws and run out the clock from there.
An early 14-4 run capped by Stewart’s 3-pointer gave Mississippi State a 21-12 lead through the first 10 minutes. Mitchell, who had 13 points in the first half, and Martin both hit a pair of jumpers, including a 3-pointer each, to help LSU close to 26-24. Davis, held to only 3 points in the opening 20 minutes, tied it at 26 from close range after spinning by a defender in the lane. The half ended with the game tied at 28.
LSU travels to Lexington on Monday to face Kentucky in an 8 p.m. CST game at Rupp Arena (ESPN ) before returning home next Saturday to face league leader Florida in a 3 p.m. game on CBS.
LSU HEAD COACH JOHN BRADY
Opening Statement…
“The most positive thing we did is when we were down twelve or thirteen and we battled ourselves back into position to have a shot to take the lead with two minutes or so left to go. We got the ball where we wanted it, we got it within five feet of the basket, but we didn’t score it. They come down, they go to their guy, and they score it. And that was the most positive thing we did. We had the opportunity to really fold the tent, and we didn’t do it, but we battled our way back and we had the ball where we needed to go out of the time out, to Glen. It was a shot that he has made, but it didn’t go and they come down the court and they go to their guy and their guy scores. After that it’s just fouling, taking some opportunities to get a chance. The other part is they miss a free throw and we don’t get the rebound on the missed free throw. We made good plays to cut the lead down to have a chance to take the lead and then when we had to make a couple plays, we weren’t able to do it. It’s a frustrating thing. But we’ve got to keep our heads in it and keep playing. It doesn’t get easy obviously. This league is unforgiving. Nobody really cares what you’re going through. We’ll come back in here tomorrow and we’ll practice Sunday and Monday and go to Kentucky on Tuesday and try to see if we can do better on the road. It’s not going to be easy.”
LSU PLAYER QUOTES
On if they expect to make mistakes in the second half and still win…
“Obviously not. We’re not doing enough, five field goals in the second half. We definitely want to get it. But not in the SEC”
On going cold in the second half…
“We stopped the run but what really hurt us were the offensive rebounds that we gave up. We had a lot of chances when we were down by thirteen and cut the lead to one, but we couldn’t score. The other teams only allowed one or two times to take the lead, but until then it just seems like they take it from us.”
On running the offense…
“We are the ones that make the ball go in. Everything is just not going like we want it or would like it to. I guess it’s just a coincidence or it’s supposed to fall like that, but we’re definitely trying to make shots.”
MISSISSIPPI STATE HEAD COACH RICK STANSBURY QUOTES
On the play of his team …
“I’m proud of our kids. They’ve done this the hard way. If we had done it the easy way, this (season) would have been over, but we’ve done it the hard way to get ourselves back into position. And that’s good because now it is going to mean more to them (players). It’s made us better to get to this point doing it the way we’ve had to do it. And those guys deserve all the credit. (Mississippi State guard) Dietric Slater didn’t have one of his better games, but he made a play at the end, a typical Dietric Slater play. One point game, (he had) an offensive rebound off a free throw. It was a monster play. He had seven turnovers today, but he also goes and gets 10 rebounds, seven offensive rebounds. That was about effort.”
MISSISSIPPI STATE PLAYER QUOTES
Forward Jamont Gordon
On the last minutes of the game …
“It seemed like it took forever. They (LSU) were coming back on us, but we just kept battling all the way to the end.”
On the play of the team down the stretch of the season …
“We are playing our best basketball right now. Since that first road win at Auburn I think we have a lot of confidence, and we’re playing real well right now.”