Mississippi State
23-11
#2 Memphis
35-1
Top-Seeded Tigers Hold Off Bulldog Charge, 77-74, In NCAA Second Round
March 23, 2008 | Men's Basketball
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NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - The sound of leather hitting iron was a painful one for the Mississippi State Bulldogs (23-11) Sunday afternoon as a last-second attempt from long range from junior Jamont Gordon banged off the rim to hand a 77-74 victory to the top-seeded Memphis Tigers (35-1) in the NCAA Tournament's second round.
The first half was streaky for both squads, as the teams traded small runs for the first few minutes. Memphis then seemed to take control of the game by storming out on a 21-6 run to reach halftime with a 36-27 lead.
After the Tigers scored four-straight points to open the second half, Jarvis Varnado scored seven-straight to put State within six. That was soon followed by an 11-2 run from MSU, as State clawed its way back into the game. With Tiger big men enduring foul trouble, State finally tied the game 52-52 with 8:33 remaining on a Jarvis Varnado free throw. As they had done all game, Memphis responded by pulling away, leading 75-65 with just 24 seconds left on the clock.
The Bulldogs would have one last run at the Tigers. MSU scored seven-straight points in the next 14 seconds that would see Memphis miss two free throws, leaving its advantage at just one possession, 75-72.
After another missed Memphis free throw and Gordon layup, the difference dangled at just 76-74 with three seconds on the clock. The Tigers then, again, hit just one of two free throws. Gordon rushed down the court and sent up a buzzer-beating three-point attempt to tie the game, but the ball bounced off the back iron as time expired.
For MSU, co-captains Gordon and senior Charles Rhodes each contributed a double-double, while Gordon led both teams in scoring with 21 points. Gordon hit 4-of-7 shots from behind the arc and claimed 11 rebounds to notch his 14th career double-double, while Rhodes shot 7-of-14 from the floor for 14 points and grabbed 10 boards to finish out his Maroon and White career with a total of 16 double-doubles to his name. Sophomore shooting guard Ben Hansbrough pitched in 19 points in the losing effort on a 7-of-10 effort from the floor.
Currently ranked second in the nation, the Tigers were led inside by senior Joey Dorsey, who swatted six shots, scored 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting, and grabbed 12 boards. Freshman phenom Derrick Rose also shone brightly in the win, handing out seven assists and turning the ball over just once while scoring 17 points on 6-of-14 shooting and claiming nine rebounds.
Rhodes leaves State ranked 11th all-time in scoring with 1,451 points. He also ranks seventh in field goals made, 11th in rebounding, and 6th in blocked shots.
In the loss, the sophomore Varnado swatted five shots to finish the season in a tie atop the Southeastern Conference's all-time single-season block record with 157 blocks this season. He tied current NBA all-star Shaquille O'Neal for that honor.
With the season coming to a close, Mississippi State can look back fondly on a successful campaign. Having claimed the SEC's Western Division for the fourth time in the past six years, MSU head coach Rick Stansbury has now guided his squads to at least 20 wins in six of the past seven years.
