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BASKETBALL BULLDOGS ROLL OVER NORTHWESTERN STATE
JACKSON, Miss. – All aboard the Moul-train.
Mississippi
State junior Arnett Moultrie posted his Southeastern Conference-best
seventh double-double of the season Thursday night. Moultrie scored 24
points and pulled down 14 rebounds as the 18th-ranked Bulldogs rolled
over Northwestern State 82-67 at the Mississippi Coliseum.
With
the victory, the Bulldogs will carry an 11-game win streak into a brief
Christmas holiday. MSU improved to 12-1, while Northwestern State fell
to 7-6. The Bulldogs are now 15-4 all-time in this arena, including a
9-0 mark under coach Rick Stansbury.
The
12-1 start is the program’s best since winning 13 straight to start the
2003-04 season. The present win streak is the ninth-longest in school
history.
Moultrie
had 11 of his 14 rebounds on the offensive end, while dishing out four
assists. Moultrie has now scored 17 points or better in six straight
starts.
“I think (tonight) had a lot to do with me being 6-foot-11 and being
athletic, so it’s hard for me people to box me out,” Moultrie said.
“Even when they do, I’ve got quickness to get around them.”
Before
a crowd of 6,330, the Bulldogs blew open a tight contest early with a
17-2 run. The Demons missed 10 shots during that run and turned the
ball over twice. The run was highlighted by an electrifying dunk from
Renardo Sidney, a 3-point basket from Rodney Hood, as well as a layup
and dunk by Wendell Lewis. By the time that run ended, MSU held a
commanding 26-9 lead.
Lewis gave MSU a solid 25 minutes off the bench, while scoring a career-high 14 points.
A
tip-in by Moultrie followed by four straight points by Dee Bost ran the
Maroon and White advantage to 39-19 with 3:50 left in the half.
Northwestern State finished the half with an 8-2 run to close within
41-27 at halftime.
“I thought we had a great crowd,” MSU head coach Rick Stansbury said.
“This is the reason we come to play in Jackson. It’s a chance for a lot
of people to come see us play.”
In the second half, the Demons started strong and closed within six
points at 45-39. A 3-pointer by Patrick Robinson capped a 7-0 run for
the guests. However, the Demons would get no closer the rest of the way. The
Bulldogs responded with game-clinching 13-1 run. This run was sparked
by very strong play from both Moultrie and Lewis. After a 3-point by
Jalen Steele ran the lead to 50-39, Lewis and Moultrie alternated the
next eight points with a pair of dunks and tip-ins. This spree placed
the Maroon and White on top 58-40 with 12:12 left in regulation. Northwestern
battled back within 10 at 62-52 on a layup by Shamir Davis. The
Bulldogs moved back out of danger with nine straight points, including
a 3-point basket by Hood and a nice spinning move in the lane for a
layup by DeVille Smith. For
the contest, the Bulldogs hit 31 of 68 shots from the field (45.6
percent), 4 of 12 shots from 3-point range (33.3 percent) and 16 of 19
shots from the foul line (84.2 percent). The Demons hit 27 of 63 shots
from the field (42.9 percent), 5 of 18 shots from 3-point range (27.8
percent) and 8 of 15 shots from the foul line (53.3 percent).
MSU
held a 45-35 rebounding advantage. The Bulldogs had 14 assists and 12
turnovers, while the Demons had three assists and 15 turnovers.
For
MSU, Hood trailed Moultrie and Lewis with 11 points, including a 3-of-4
night from 3-point land. Bost added three assists and four steals.
“I thought both Arnett and Wendell played great tonight,” Stansbury
said. “Arnett has a nose for the basketball. He know what it takes to
go up there and get the ball. I think we got out to a big lead and
thought we could coast the rest of the way.”
Northwestern State received 15 points from Davis, 12 points from Gary Stewart and 11 points from Louis Ellis.
After
the Christmas break, the Bulldogs return to action with a Wednesday
night showdown against No. 6 Baylor. That contest is an 8 p.m. start at
American Airlines Center in Dallas, Tex. ESPN2 will have the national
telecast.
MSU returns home for a 2 p.m. tip against Utah State on Dec. 31.
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