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MSU MEN’S BASKETBALL SEES WIN STREAK END AT 11 WITH HEART-BREAKING LOSS AT BAYLOR
DALLAS, Tex. – Mississippi State came up on the wrong end of a defensive struggle at the American Airlines Center. The
15th-ranked Bulldogs held No. 6 Baylor to 21 percent shooting in the
second half but could not pull the upset, falling 54-52 in the second
contest at The Showcase Wednesday night.
With
the defeat, the Bulldogs saw an 11-game win streak snapped, while
falling to 12-2. Baylor continued the best start in school history,
while improving to 13-0.
“Good games always come down to a play here or there,” MSU head coach
Rick Stansbury said. “That is what this game came down to. We missed
some shots and left too many free throws on the line. We also turned
the ball over some at critical times.
“However, that is part of the game. Those are the kind of things that
you can correct and get better at. It was not because of a lack of
effort. We really fought tonight. We played a great basketball team
down to the final possession of the game.” The
contest featured two Top 15 teams definitely showing their mettle to a
national television audience. The score was tied eight times and the
lead changed hands nine times. Baylor led by as many as six in the
first half, while MSU led by four on numerous occasions in the second
half. Still,
the contest swung in the closing minutes. Playing only 19 minutes due
to heavy foul trouble, Renardo Sidney drew his fifth and final foul and
a technical on the same possession. Down 52-50, Baylor’s Quincy Miller
hit one of two foul shots, while Quincy Acy also hit one of two foul
shots to tie the game with 1:35 remaining. The
Bulldogs did rebound the second free throw miss, but could not answer
with Dee Bost missing on the offensive end. After a rebound by Perry
Jones III, the Bears worked the ball inside with Pierre Jackson hitting
the game-winning layup with 28 seconds left. On
the other offensive end, the Bulldogs tried to answer but Rodney Hood’s
off-balance jumper was partially deflected in the closing seconds. In
the opening half, the Bears scored six straight points to build a 14-9
lead. MSU answered with the game’s next eight points. A Jalen Steele
3-point basket placed the Maroon and White on top, 17-14. Baylor
quickly answered with defensive pressure fueling a 10-2 run for a 24-19
lead. The Bears would stretch that lead to a game’s-best six points, at
27-21 with 4:38 left before the half.
The Bulldogs closed within 34-33 at the intermission.
Behind
a great defensive effort, the Bulldogs had the better of things for
most of the second half. The Bears were held to 20 points and six total
field goals in the game’s final half. Once MSU grabbed a 38-36 lead,
the Bulldogs did not trail again until Jackson’s lay-up in the closing
half-minute.
For
the contest, the Bulldogs hit 22 of 54 shots from the field (40.7
percent), 5 of 17 shots from 3-point range (29.4 percent) and 3 of 7
shots at the foul line (42.9 percent). The Bears hit 19 of 55 shots
from the field (34.5 percent), 5 of 17 shots from 3-point range (29.4
percent) and 11 of 17 shots from the foul line (64.7 percent).
Baylor
held a 40-32 rebounding advantage. The Bulldogs had 12 assists and 14
turnovers, while the Bears had eight assists and 15 turnovers.
Steele
and Sidney led the Bulldogs with 10 points apiece. Arnett Moultrie just
missed another double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds. Bost
had nine points and five assists, while Sidney also had a pair of
blocks.
Baylor received 12 points from Miller and 11 points from Brady Heslip.
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