The Mississippi State young guns provided a preview of things to come Saturday, handling Alabama 71-58 and giving the seniors an appropriate send-off in their final game at The Hump.
“I don’t know if I have ever been more proud of a group of guys from a standpoint of what they have been through, all the adjustments they have had to make, the ability to stay together and stay positive,” MSU head coach Rick Stansbury said.
With 10.5 seconds remaining in the game, Stansbury called a timeout to give seniors Jamall Edmondson, Wesley Morgan and Michael Boler a curtain call, igniting yet another ovation from an already 7,237 electric crowd.
“I said Thursday night (on the radio show) that for us to win this basketball game, the crowd would be the reason why we won it,” Stansbury said. “They were the difference in this game tonight.”
With the win, Mississippi State (15-14, 5-11) clinched the fourth seed in the West and will meet South Carolina in the SEC Tournament at noon Thursday.
With 15:56 remaining in the second half, Richard Delk hit a three-pointer to snap a tie game and swing the momentum in the Bulldogs’ favor. Minutes later, with the shot clock expiring, Delk dialed long distance once again with an off-balance fadeaway, and by the time Piotr Stelmach connected with another three-ball, Mississippi State had taken a 54-44 lead.
When the final buzzer sounded, Jamont Gordon and Charles Rhodes hugged and partied their way off the court back to the locker room.
“Everyone was jumping around, hugging and dancing,” said Gordon, who finished with a team-high 17 points and eight assists, grabbing SEC Freshman of the Week honors for the fourth time.
Gordon, a freshman, and the sophomore Rhodes, who collected 16 points and seven rebounds, have been remarkably productive and consistent this season, considering their youth and level of experience. Not to mention the turmoil the team has endured this year with injuries to three key players, two player dismissals and the longest losing streak in Stansbury’s MSU career.
“We’ve had teams that have won a lot more games than this bunch,” Stansbury said, “but we have never had a team that has had to do the things this team had to overcome.”
It hasn’t been easy. But perhaps the stabilizing force is Gordon and Rhodes’ stat lines, coupled with the intensity of the final home game.
Morgan finished with nine points, and Boler had five. Both players started the game and figured heavily into an eight-point Bulldog halftime lead.
Just 2:06 into the game, Boler rushed out to the wing, caught a pass from Gordon and drilled a three-pointer to give the Bulldogs an early 8-0 lead. Morgan would get into the act with three first-half offensive rebounds.
“Nothing but chills and adrenaline pumping,” said Boler, whose start was the first of his collegiate career. “It was a great feeling. I was almost in tears. My whole body was just shaking.”
Alabama would chip away and take a one-point lead with 3:09 left in the half, but the Bulldogs answered back with a 12-3 run.
The Tide would rally to tie the score at 39 before Delk hit his first three-pointer.
“It was a team effort,” Rhodes said. “This team has been through so much from transfers and people (getting removed) and people getting hurt. It felt real good for our team to come out and get a win. We’ve overcome a lot. I’m real proud of this team.”