Tre’ Kelly scored a game-high 23 points to lead South Carolina to a 66-63 win over the Bulldogs Saturday at the Hump.With a win, State would have held sole possession of first place in the Southeastern Conference Western Division.
“We were just never able to get over the hump tonight,” head coach Rick Stansbury said. “We didn’t play with the effort and toughness that we needed tonight.”
Mississippi State (11-8, 2-4) got off to a hot start, going on an early 14-3 run sparked by a 3-pointer by sophomore guard Jamont Gordon.
State was able to push the lead out to 12 on a 3-point shot by freshman guard Ben Hansbrough, making the score 29-17. However, South Carolina came right back going on its own 10-2 run to close the gap to 31-27.
The Gamecocks (12-7, 2-4) were lead by Kelly, a senior guard, in the first half. Kelly scored 12 points and center Brandon Wallace pulled down eight rebounds, but the surprise play of junior Dwayne Day really sparked the Gamecocks in the first half.
Day scored 10 points coming off the bench.
State took a slim 36-35 lead into halftime. Both teams shot the ball exceptionally well in the first half, with State shooting 50 percent and South Carolina shooting 45 percent.
The Bulldogs committed only three turnovers and were 6-for-6 on free throws in the first half.
Gordon and Hansbrough lead the Bulldogs in scoring with 12 and 11 points in the first half.
In the second half, the Bulldogs never seemed to be able to take control of the game.
State was able to jump out to a 51-44 lead midway through the second half, but once again could not fend off the Gamecocks, who went on an 11-2 run to take the lead 55-53.
State came close but was never able to regain the lead during the second half.
“They got back in it and got on a run,” Stansbury said. “From that point on, they got it close and kept it close. They played with a little confidence at that point.
“In the second half, we couldn’t get separation in the game. It seemed like every time we got a little separation, they made a big play or big shot.”
The Bulldogs tied the game 61-61 on a pair of free throws by Dietric Slater, but Kelly came streaking down the court for an easy layup to give South Carolina a 63-61 lead with just over a minute left.
On its next possession, State was unable to score and was forced to foul Gamecock forward Dominique Archie with 19.3 seconds left in the game. Archie stepped to the line and hit one of two free throws, making it 64-61.
After a timeout, State opted to go for a 2-point shot rather than shooting a 3. Junior forward Charles Rhodes hit a runner in the lane to make it 63-64.
The Bulldogs fouled immediately, putting Archie back on the line for two shots. He made both.
State got one more shot to try to send the game into overtime, but State’s 3-point attempt fell short, and South Carolina escaped with the victory.
In the second half, Hansbrough only attempted one shot, and freshman guard Barry Stewart was 0-8 from the field and only had 2 points.
The Bulldogs were led in scoring by Gordon with 16 points while Stewart and Slater lead the team in rebounds with five each.
After its strong start in the first half, State shot only 36 percent in the second half and was 1-12 on 3-point range.
State was out rebounded 37 to 29, with Wallace pulling down 16, a new career high.