Two of the premier freshman point guards in the SEC, Dee Bost of Mississippi State and Courtney Fortson of Arkansas, have gone head to head twice this year. Both times Bost got the better of the matchup.
On Jan. 10, Bost tallied a team-high 17 points to go with his five assists, compared to only five points scored by Fortson. Saturday, Fortson managed 19 points but was once again trumped by Bost’s 25 points and seven assists.
Both times Bost was honored with the SEC’s Freshman of the Week award.
“I feel like I’ve just got to go out and play every game the same way and just stay consistent for the rest of the year and keep playing hard,” Bost said. “But I guess there’s just something about Arkansas that I feel like I play better.”
For anyone who enjoys watching a three-pointer fall through the twine, MSU’s victory over Arkansas must have been like a little slice of heaven.
The two teams sank 28 shots from downtown, including a school-record 16 by the home Bulldogs.
While MSU struggled to make shots, Arkansas controlled the pace of the game, running the floor and getting points in transition, building a 15-point lead heading into halftime.
The second half saw the Bulldogs streak to a 13-2 run to cut the Razorback lead to four.
A quick run by the Razorbacks pushed the lead back to nine before the Bulldogs made the game’s pivotal run.
Sophomore Riley Benock sank a three-pointer with 11:27 left in the game, marking his first points since hitting a free throw Jan. 21 against LSU.
More importantly, Benock sparked a 17-2 run that gave MSU the lead for good. He finished the game with a career high nine points on 3-of-4 from downtown, all in the crucial four-plus minute stretch that changed the game.
The Bulldogs didn’t relish the victory long, quickly switching focus to Wednesday’s matchup with LSU, when the Bulldogs get an opportunity to avenge a loss to the Tigers Jan. 21.
“Ever since we lost to them, I’ve been thinking about [this game],” Bost said. “We’ve got to take it one game at a time, but this game is real important to us and we know what we have to do to take care of them.”
There is more at stake than simply getting even, though. The Bulldogs currently trail LSU by a single game in the SEC West and overall standings. None of that is lost on the young Bulldogs, who fully understand the importance of Wednesday’s game.
“It’s a big game for us. We know a lot’s on the line this game, so we have to come prepared,” junior Barry Stewart said. “We’re no longer just playing games. That’s the difference here [at MSU]; you’re competing for championships every time we step on the floor.”
The biggest barrier for MSU to overcome is the experience of LSU. The Tigers have five seniors, including three fifth-year seniors, compared to the one scholarship senior on the MSU squad. For sophomore Phil Turner, though, the youth of his team doesn’t stop them from playing at their best.
“Even though they’re an older team, our young guys don’t have any fear. They feel like they’ve been playing as long as a senior or a junior so we don’t have any fear,” Turner said. “As long as we play hard and play together, I believe we can go up and play and beat anybody.”
The Bulldogs get their chance to prove that Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Humphrey Coliseum.