If Mississippi State is not careful, it might soon earn a reputation as a second-half basketball team. For the second game in a row, the Bulldogs (12-5, 2-0 SEC) took what was a close game at halftime and dominated the second half. State outscored Alabama (11-5, 1-1) 83-74, including 50-38 in the second half, to earn its second SEC win and earn sole possession of first place in the Western Division.
The first half was a 20-minute game of give and take with Alabama coming out slightly ahead, taking a 36-33 lead into the locker room.
The Bulldogs hit three of their first five shot attempts to start the game, before going cold and missing their next eight attempts to close the half.
During the MSU cold spell, Stansbury called on the larger frames of forwards Elgin Bailey and Romero Osby, who combined for 10 points and 5 offensive rebounds in the first half.
“[Osby and Bailey] gave us great minutes,” Stansbury said. “My bench gave 22 points and 13 rebounds and that’s what we need. We need to see our bench come in and add to the game.”
Osby gave credit to the starting five for the improved play of the bench as of late.
“I think the bench is playing with more confidence, but it starts with the starters,” he said. “The starters give us a lot of confidence to come in and just add on to what they’re doing.”
Alabama played without starting point guard Ronald Steele, who didn’t make the trip due to a heel injury. Junior guard Mihkail Torrance stepped up to make up for Steele’s absence. He led all scorers with 20 points in 22 minutes off the bench.
State was led by sophomore guard-playing-forward Phil Turner, who tied a career high with 17 points. Alabama head coach Mark Gottfried said Turner provided a real matchup problem for the Tide.
“It’s the chess match that you have with [Mississippi State], whether your bigger lineup can overcome the four guard lineup,” Gottfried said. “When you step up and make those perimeter shots like he did it really gives them the advantage.”
The second half started off even better than the first for State, who made good on seven of its first eight attempts from downtown and opened up a 10-point lead in the process.
Stansbury said the difference was made by the play of his freshman point guard Dee Bost, who gathered his first career double-double with 13 points and 10 assists.
“I thought our point guard, in the first half, settled for threes. I thought in the second half he became a point guard again,” Stansbury said. “He pushed it in transition in the second half and he got the ball to open people. I thought that was the difference in the game.”
State’s double-digit lead remained steady until around the 3:46 mark of the game. At that point, with an 11-point lead, Stansbury subbed in the starting five and the Bulldogs tried to run out the clock.
The Tide put together a run, cutting the MSU lead to four with 1:30 remaining. From that point, Alabama began to foul and made MSU try to win the game on the free throw line.
For the next six attempts, State hit only two free throws. The Dawgs finished strong, however, sinking the final five. That, along with three steals in the final minute leading to sixpoints, preserved the victory.
The win marks the Bulldogs’ fifth straight against Alabama, who has now lost 14 straight SEC road games dating back to 2007.
The win marks Stansbury’s 89th SEC win, tying him with former MSU coach Richard Williams for the school record.
The schedule doesn’t afford much time for celebration, however. Vanderbilt (12-4, 1-1) comes to town on Saturday, winners of seven of the last eight games.
Many Bulldog fans remember well the last time these two teams met, when Shan Foster scored 42 points to give Vanderbilt the win in overtime.
This year, the Commodores are led by preseason All-SEC center A.J. Ogilvy with 16.5 points per game. Ogilvy has recently missed time due to injury, but returned Wednesday to score 18 points and help lift his team over Georgia, 50-40.