Mississippi State
10-1
Florida Atlantic
4-6
#17 Bulldogs Stave Off FAU For 75-68 Victory
December 13, 2011 | Men's Basketball
Behind a stellar defensive effort in the game's final five minutes, the 16th-ranked Bulldogs rallied past the Owls 75-68 in the final pre-Christmas contest played in the Humphrey Coliseum.
"Sometimes there are games on your schedule where you simply have to find a way to win," MSU coach Rick Stansbury said. "This was one of those games. I am very proud of the guys in that locker room for finding a way to get it done. Fatigue really got into us in the second half. We were simply searching for ways to try to win the ballgame."
Last season, the Bulldogs were short-handed when Florida Atlantic rolled into town and posted a 61-59 victory. Tuesday night, the Bulldogs were again down some key players. Brian Bryant did not dress, while Arnett Moultrie was only available in an extreme circumstance.
The Bulldogs also received just six first-half minutes from Renardo Sidney due to foul trouble. These setbacks meant only eight players saw playing time for the Maroon and White. Rodney Hood played all 40 minutes, while Wendell Lewis, Jalen Steele and Dee Bost each logged 37 minutes or better.
Still, the Bulldogs built a 10-point lead and rallied from a one-point deficit in the final eight minutes to post their ninth straight victory. MSU improved to 10-1, while Florida Atlantic fell to 4-6.
"We had a 10-point lead at the half and you hope to build on that lead," Stansbury said. "We gave up a real bad 3-pointer there at the end of the half. A lot of the mistakes on the defensive end were due to exhaustion. We start the game down two quality players. Then Sid's foul trouble puts us down three players.
"At that point, you simply want to find a way to the game. I am really proud of how the guys stepped up and responded. Rodney Hood is a freshman who plays 40 minutes tonight. We made some great plays there at the end to beat a team picked to win the Sun Belt Conference."
The Bulldogs sprinted to an early 15-4 advantage less than seven minutes into the contest. Back-to-back baskets by Hood ran the advantage to 21-9 with 10:33 left before halftime.
FAU responded with the game's next six points and closed within four at 23-19 on a Raymond Taylor putback with 5:37 left before halftime.
MSU would eventually reel off seven straight points to take a game-best lead at 39-26 with 22 seconds left before halftime. Omari Grier hit a trey for the Owls to create the halftime deficit.
FAU opened the second half with 10-2 run to climb back within two points. The Bulldogs quickly answered with a 6-1 spree to open a 54-44 lead with 12:31 left.
From there, the Owls scored the game's next 11 points to grab their first lead at 55-54 with 9:22 remaining. The Bulldogs found an answer with the cool steady shooting hand of Dee Bost. Bost scored his team's next seven points.
However, the 3-point shooting of FAU's Raymond Taylor kept the Owls afloat.
Finally, the Bulldogs closed the deal on the defensive end. Sidney had a block, Steele had a steal and Hood had a couple of critical putback baskets to seal the victory.
MSU still only held a one-point lead with 4:02 left. However, back-to-back baskets by Hood and Bost allowed the hosts some breathing room. Bost and Steele hit a pair of free throws apiece in the final half-minute.
For the contest, the Bulldogs hit 27 of 54 shots from the field (50.0 percent), 4 of 16 shots from 3-point range (25.0 percent) and 17 of 22 shots from the foul line (77.3 percent). The Owls hit 28 of 61 shots from the field (42.6 percent), 9 of 20 shots from 3-point range (45.0 percent) and 7 of 18 shots from the foul line (38.9 percent).
Bost paced four Bulldogs in double figures with 22 points. Hood added 19 points, while Steele scored 12 points and Sidney scored 10 points. Hood added a team-high 10 rebounds to post his first double-double in the Maroon and White. Sidney and Lewis each added three blocked shots.
The Bulldogs also received 12 minutes from Shaun Smith. A redshirt sophomore, Smith has been battling back from a hip ailment. This was his first playing time of the season.
FAU received 20 points from Taylor. Pablo Bertone added 14 points and Kore White added 12 points for the Owls.
MSU returns to action Saturday with an 11 a.m. start at Detroit-Mercy. That contest will be televised regionally by Fox Sports Net Detroit.
