Behind 16 points from Jamont Gordon and double-digit performances from five other players, Mississippi State defeated Florida State 86-71 Tuesday night in front of 9,013 hostile fans at Humphrey Coliseum to advance to the National Invitational Tournament in New York City.”We were outmatched in a lot of areas strength-wise and size-wise,” MSU head coach Rick Stansbury said, “but in heart, we were not.”
The Bulldogs end their home season on a seven-game winning streak with an average margin of victory of more than 17 points against opponents that included two NCAA tournament teams and four NIT teams.
MSU forced a season-high 25 turnovers in the game, scoring 29 points off the Seminole miscues.
“We were our own worst enemy,” Florida State head coach Leonard Howard said. “Give Mississippi State credit for their aggressive defense, but at least half of those turnovers were unforced.”
The Bulldogs also had season highs in free-throw percentage (85.2) and steals (15). The six double-digit scorers tie a season-high set in the Dawgs’ regular season finale against Alabama.
“It’s a testament to our guys’ effort and ability to defend,” Stansbury said. “We turned a very good FSU team over 25 times. We out-rebounded a much bigger team by nine. That’s what you want a team to do.”
FSU senior forward Al Thornton, a First Team All-ACC selection, was saddled with early foul trouble and had only 2 points at the end of the first half.
Stansbury said the game plan was to wear Thornton out at the other end of the court and hope it limited his energy on offense.
“We wanted to make him guard,” Stansbury said. “He’s got the advantage at one end, but at the other he’s got to guard Dietric or Jamont.”
Thornton finished with 16 points and six rebounds, but the driving force for the Seminole offense was without a doubt junior guard Isaiah Swann.
Swann had 31 points on 10-of-17 shooting, including 9-of-13 from 3-point range.
“We had to do a big job on Thornton, but what about Swann?” junior forward Charles Rhodes said. “I haven’t ever seen a shooter shoot like he did tonight. Swann looked like Thornton tonight.”
Rhodes had 14 points in the game, followed by senior guard Dietric Slater with 13 and freshman guard Ben Hansbrough with 12.
Freshmen Jarvis Varnado and Barry Stewart each chipped in 10.
Varnado registered one off the bench to give him 66 for the year, breaking the school’s freshman season record previously held by Erick Dampier.
“He didn’t just come in and keep us where we were at,” Stansbury said. “He added to us. I think you’ve seen him become more aggressive over these last few games.”
At the close of the game, Slater, playing in his last game at the Hump, received a standing ovation from the crowd and an extended hug from his coach as he was subbed out of the game for the final time.
“I told him there’ll never be another guy to play at the Hump like him,” Stansbury said. “I told him after the game that I hope all those little kids up in the stands don’t look at him to learn how to shoot. I don’t know how he does it, but it comes from his effort.