Mississippi State
15-4 (3-1SEC)
Alabama
12-7 (2-3SEC)
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi State | 26 | 31 | 57 |
| Alabama | 27 | 35 | 62 |
No. 23 Bulldogs Upset At 'Bama, 62-57
January 23, 2010 | Men's Basketball
• Official Statistics
• Official Statistics (PDF)
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Mississippi State rallied from double digits twice before falling to Alabama 62-57 in a Southeastern Conference men's basketball game played Saturday afternoon at Coleman Coliseum.
The Bulldogs suffered their first league defeat while falling for the first time since entering the Associated Press rankings at 23rd this past Monday. MSU still holds the Western Division lead at 15-4 overall and 3-1. Alabama improved to 12-7 and 2-3.
MSU rallied from an 11-point first-half deficit to take lead less than two minutes into the game's final half. Alabama rebound quickly, sprinting out to a 12-point advantage before the Bulldogs charged back ahead with a 14-0 run. However, MSU only enjoyed the lead twice in game in which it shot 31.7 percent from the field and hit a season-low two 3-point baskets in 18 attempts.
The Crimson Tide, which entered the contest in the bottom third of the league in 3-point shooting, hit a pair in the first two minutes. Before the Alabama faithful could settle in, the hosts had a quick 12-2 advantage.
The Bulldogs still trailed 24-13 before mounting a late charge late in the first half's final minutes. MSU scored six straight points and pieced together a half-ending 13-3 run to cut the deficit to 27-26 at halftime.
In the opening 20 minutes, the Bulldogs made only nine field goals in 31 shot attempts. M-State missed all eight of its first half attempts from 3-point land.
A pair of Barry Stewart free throws gave MSU its first lead of the game at 30-29 with 17:53 left to play. Mikhail Torrance hit a 3-point basket to give UA 35-32 advantage. After MSU's Jarvis Varnado scored a putback on the other end, the Crimson Tide apparently seized momentum with an 11-0 run.
The Bulldogs went more than five minutes without scoring as the Crimson Tide sprinted to a 46-34 advantage with 11:20 remaining.
MSU responded with its best run of the game. In the space of 3:32, the Bulldogs enjoyed a 14-0 run. Varnado had two of his four blocks and the Bulldogs forced three turnovers during the run. When Barry Stewart rammed home a 3-point basket with 7:32 remaining, the Bulldogs suddenly enjoyed their longest lead of the game and last lead at 48-46.
Two free throws by UA's JaMychal Green tied the game and a 3-point basket by Anthony Brock put the Crimson Tide ahead for good. MSU went five straight possessions with either a missed shot or no shot on the offensive end.
UA ran the lead to 56-49 before the Bulldogs clipped off six straight points. A putback by Ravern Johnson made it 56-55 with 1:27 remaining. The Crimson Tide sank six straight free throws to close out the victory.
For the contest, the Bulldogs hit 20 of 63 shots from the field (31.7 percent), 2 of 18 shots from 3-point range (11.1 percent) and 15 of 23 shots at the foul line (65.2 percent). The Crimson Tide hit 22 of 63 shots from the field (34.9 percent), 6 of 19 shots from 3-point range (31.6 percent) and 12 of 18 shots from the foul line (66.7 percent).
Alabama held a 49-45 rebounding advantage. MSU had seven assists and 11 turnovers, while UA had 16 assists and 13 turnovers.
Stewart paced the Bulldogs with 13 points despite a 1-for-7 night from 3-point range. Johnson and Dee Bost each added 10 points. Bost and Jarvis Varnado each had a team-high eight rebounds.
Torrance led the Crimson Tide with 20 points and five assists. Green added 18 points for Alabama. Mitchell had a team-high 12 rebounds for the victors.
SEC plays resumes next week for the Bulldogs. MSU plays Arkansas at 8 p.m. Thursday in Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. That contest will be televised nationally by ESPN2. MSU hosts LSU at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. That contest in the Humphrey Coliseum will be televised regionally by The SEC Network.
