After losing four out of five games, MSU (17-7, 5-4) rebounded with a statement
win over Ole Miss on Thursday night by a score of 71-63.
The win completes the season sweep of the Rebels, which is the fourth time in
the last seven years MSU has taken both games in the series.
The Bulldogs set the tone early in the game, starting out with back-to-back
three-pointers from Dee Bost and Ravern Johnson in the first minute of the game.
The early shots also got the crowd, with a season-high 9,401 in attendance,
involved in the game.
Head coach Rick Stansbury was surprised by the hot shooting to start the game,
especially given the Bulldogs shooting woes in recent weeks.
“None of us ever know when it’s coming or see it coming,” Stansbury said. “I
knew this: Our kids were ready to play. I felt that.”
A Johnson three-pointer with 6:53 left in the first half put MSU up 23-22, and
the Bulldogs would not relinquish the lead for the rest of the game.
With Ole Miss double teaming Jarvis Varnado the majority of the game, the
perimeter was left open for the Bulldogs, and Johnson took advantage of it with
a game-high 18 points, including four three-pointers. Johnson said the Rebels
gave them many open looks, and they were ready to make them pay.
“They gave us too many open looks tonight, and we knocked down a lot of them,”
Johnson said.
As a team, the Bulldogs broke out of their recent shooting slump, making nearly
half of their field goal attempts, and shooting 33.3% from behind the
three-point line.
Along with Johnson, three other Bulldogs also finished in double figures. Dee
Bost, Varnado, and Stewart all scored 11 or more points, and with 11 rebounds,
Varnado recorded his 14th double-double of the season.
Varnado also blocked four Ole Miss shots, leaving him 22 blocks shy of the
all-time NCAA record.
After the game, Stewart thought the team stepped up, but thought that it was
also just one win, and there are still games fast approaching.
“We knew our backs were against the wall, and we stepped up,” Stewart said.
“That’s just one game and we got two more within the next two days.”
The two games Stewart referred to were Saturday’s contest with Auburn, and
Tuesday’s nationally televised game against national powerhouse Kentucky. After the win over Ole Miss, Stansbury was more concerned about the “trap” game against Auburn than he was with the win over the Rebels.
The win puts MSU one game behind Arkansas for the SEC West lead with seven games remaining.
Saturday’s game against Auburn tips off at 6:00 PM, and will be broadcast on Fox Sports Network.