Mississippi State
(10-5)
Western Kentucky
(9-5)
Hot-Handed Bulldogs Shatter Records To Handle Hilltoppers With Ease, 95-67
January 05, 2009 | Men's Basketball
? Official Statistics
? Official Statistics (PDF)
? Postgame Notes & Quotes (PDF)
STARKVILLE, Miss. ? Two shooters tallied record-breaking numbers Monday evening as the Mississippi State Bulldogs (10-5) exploded on offense to take down reigning Sweet Sixteen participant Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (9-5) by a score of 95-67 at Humphrey Coliseum.
All-SEC candidate Ravern Johnson fell just one point shy of his career high of 21 points by halftime and finished the night with 26 on a 6-of-7 mark from behind the arc ? the best single-game performance all-time for an MSU player from that range. Johnson helped State match its best single-game team three-point total of 14.
Freshman Dee Bost surpassed his previous high point total with 18 on 7-of-12 shooting and added four rebounds while junior shooting specialist Barry Stewart set a new season mark with 18 points on a 4-of-6 performance from three. Ranked second in the league in rebounding, junior Jarvis Varnado grabbed 10 boards to help State gain a 32-30 rebounding advantage.
After a few close minutes to begin the game, State then held the Hilltoppers scoreless for over six minutes and put up a 17-0 run while forcing WKU to miss eight consecutive shots from the floor. MSU carried a 47-25 lead into the half.
Western Kentucky refused to let up in the second stanza however, and pulled to within 16 several times throughout the half. The Bulldogs clinched their teeth and maintained the significant advantage, scoring the final twelve points of the game.
MSU's 95 points were the second-most this season, while the team's 66.6 percent mark from the floor was the best single-game offensive efficiency of any Rick Stansbury squad. The team's 63.3 percent mark from behind the arc was also a season best and fourth-best under Stansbury's 10-year tenure at the helm of Mississippi State.
“We shot the ball the best we have all year, no question,” Stansbury said. “When you're making shots, everything seems to run smoother for you. We were also about as good as you can be defensively, especially against an explosive team like Western Kentucky.”
Mississippi State begins SEC competition Saturday in Fayetteville against the Arkansas Razorbacks (11-1). The 6 p.m. tipoff will be televised by FSN.
