When the Mississippi State Bulldogs went into their locker room for the halftime intermission of Saturday’s game against the Arkansas Razorbacks, head coach Rick Stansbury had a reminder that he wanted his players to focus on. The tenth-year coach stamped a word on his players’ hands in red ink: toughness.And the Bulldogs (17-8, 8-3 SEC) summoned that toughness after seeing their 47-34 lead disappear after a 19-2 run early in the second half. Arkansas regained the lead on several occasions in the half, but it was the toughness that bailed the Bulldogs out and led to a victory at the final buzzer.
Toughness was another factor in the Bulldogs’ 74-63 loss to in-state rival Ole Miss (18-7, 4-7 SEC) on Wednesday in Oxford. Junior guard Jamont Gordon contributed 20 points, and Jarvis Varnado had six points, rebounds and blocks, but the Bulldogs could not overcome an early deficit.
Freshman Chris Warren paced the Rebels with a game-high 22 points.
Toughness seems to be a word that is used a lot by Mississippi State players and coaches. It also is an element that will be crucial in aiding the Bulldogs to an SEC Western Division crown.
Mississippi State currently owns the sole claim to the division lead by one game, but it will rely on the remaining five games to ensure the season ends in that fashion. Three of the final five games are on the road, so those away games will be important in determining the fate of Mississippi State.
The Bulldogs haven’t had much of a problem winning on the road since conference play began.
They have a winning record in games played away from Humphrey Coliseum, and they will be in search of another win to add to that statistic as they travel to face the South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m.
“We have just been finding ways to win on the road,” sophomore guard Barry Stewart said. “You have to have those road wins, and I feel like we have been pulling them off pretty well lately.”
It will be a necessity for the Bulldogs to utilize their physical and mental toughness when they travel to Columbia to face the Gamecocks. The mental toughness will come into play to ensure that the Bulldogs don’t overlook the scrappy Gamecocks, who currently sit in fifth place in the SEC Eastern Division. Senior Charles Rhodes scoffed at that notion of overlooking the Gamecocks.
“You just can’t overlook anybody in the SEC,” he said. “Anybody can win on any given night.”
The Gamecocks have proven to be a formidable foe for the Bulldogs in recent meetings, having been victorious in their previous three games against Mississippi State.
The winning streak started in 2006 when the Bulldogs traveled to Columbia and were beaten 83-61, which is the largest margin of victory the Gamecocks have had against the Bulldogs.
“We still have to be tough, and we have some tough games left on the road,” Gordon said. “We have to get tougher and win those games.