Senior forward Charles Rhodes unleashed the beast against ninth-seeded Oregon, slamming the Ducks 76-69, scoring a career-high 34 points on 10-of-12 shooting and ensuring a second round matchup for the basketball Bulldogs.Mississippi State (23-10) came into the second half with a 13-point deficit, but Oregon (18-14) quickly lost momentum in the 3-pointer department, going just 2-21 in the second half.
That power shift, coupled with Barry Stewart’s 16 points in the second half alone, helped the Bulldogs stage a comeback. In fact, Stewart’s initial 3-pointer was also the Bulldogs’ first after missing 12 in the first half alone. The Ducks’ 19 personal fouls during the last half of play didn’t exactly help their cause either.
Mississippi State also held Oregon to under 50 percent in shooting during the tourney, a feat they have achieved in every game this season. Only 3 other NCAA teams have accomplished that feat, according to CBS Sports.
Sophomore forward Jarvis Varnado scored 11 points on the game, including 4 blocks. Varnado now sits 5 blocks away from tying Shaquille O’Neal’s NCAA record set during his 1991-92 season.
The Dawgs take on No. 2 Memphis Sunday afternoon with a tentatively-scheduled 3:45 p.m. tip-off.
The Reflector will have continuing coverage of Mississippi State in the 2008 NCAA Tournament.