The Mississippi State University men’s basketball team slid past Marquette University and the University of Utah to win the Fort Myers Tip Off during Thanksgiving week.
Their first game was against Marquette on Nov. 21, in which the Bulldogs managed to pull out a 58-55 victory over the Golden Eagles. After leading 23-17 at halftime, Marquette went on a 10-point scoring run to take a 46-45 lead with less than five minutes left.
MSU guard Dashawn Davis saved the day with a driving layup to take the lead, followed by a three pointer to secure the game. After that moment, the Bulldogs never trailed again.
After the win over Marquette, Bulldogs head coach Chris Jans discussed the challenges his team faced during the huge road test.
“We knew this was going to be a battle,” Jans said. ”I was excited to play this game. I kept telling our guys leading up to this trip, we’re going to find out where we’re at … We obviously had won the four games previously by decent amounts for the most part, and we needed to play a team that looked like us and had athletes like us. I didn’t know how we’d play, to be honest with you.”
MSU center Tolu Smith finished the game with career highs in rebounds and assists by scoring 16 and six, respectively.
The Bulldogs then faced Utah on Nov. 23, and once again, pulled out a close 52-49 win. MSU struggled offensively on the court against the Utes — shooting 25.4% from the field and 23.7% from the three. Davis, once again, helped carry the Bulldogs to victory by finishing with 18 points and shooting six of 11 from the field, as well as six of nine from the three.
Smith finished the game with a double-double, and in the process, achieving 16 points, 16 rebounds and two blocks. Forward D.J. Jeffries also finished in double figures by scoring 10 points in the win against Utah.
Aside from the offense, the defense played lights out throughout the series. The Bulldogs held their opponents to an average of 52 points per game. It is also the first time MSU has won a regular season tournament since the 2K Sports Classic in 2011.
Coach Jans spoke to the media about the gritty performance from the Bulldogs after his team was crowned Fort Myers Tip Off Challenge champions.
“You may not love it all the time, but that’s how you’ve got to win college basketball games sometimes,” Jans said. “It’s not pretty. You’ve got to take them when you can get them … We missed 50 shots, but the best part about it was that we won.”
With the win, the Bulldogs improved to 6-0 on the season and remain undefeated. MSU men’s basketball returns to Starkville on Nov. 28 to face the University of Omaha. That game is scheduled to tip off at 6:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live on SEC Network Plus.