3-1 Bulldogs Back At Home To Face Lehigh

Friday, November 25

Starkville

7:00 PM

Mississippi State

Lehigh

Buy tickets

Lamar Peters totaled a career-best 13 points Sunday against UTEP in the Bulldogs' 61-54 win.

3-1 Bulldogs Back At Home To Face Lehigh

November 24, 2016 | Men's Basketball

MSU Game Notes Lehigh Notes Lehigh Notes Ben Howland Video Watch ESPN SEC Notes

STARKVILLE, Miss. – After playing the last three games at the Charleston Classic, Mississippi State is back at Humphrey Coliseum for the first time in two weeks against Lehigh on Friday.

It's the first meeting between the two, and tip is set for 7 p.m. on the SEC Network+. Bart Gregory and Matt Wyatt will handle the broadcast, while the game can also be heard on the MSU radio network with veterans Jim Ellis and Richard Williams.

MSU improved to 3-1 on the year following Sunday's 61-54 win against UTEP, powered by Aric Holman's career-high 25 points. Lamar Peters came off the bench to add 13 points after draining 4 of his 5 3-point attempts.

THE SERIES
Friday marks the first meeting between the two schools. However, the Bulldogs are 2-0 all-time against teams from Patriot League.

COACHES
Ben Howland is in his second year at MSU and 21^st overall. As a head coach in four different stops, he is 418-224 with a 17-18 mark with the Bulldogs

Brett Reed is in his 10 year with Mountain Hawks and owns a 163-122 ledger.

QUOTABLE
"Now the other guys have to step up and take opportunities and take advantage of things that come their way. With one less player on the floor, there is going to be plenty of opportunity. Hopefully exactly a month from now we will start having (Xavian Stapleton) play some minutes in games. We will get him to be part of a rotation. We are going to be patient with that. We aren't going to rush him just because we are one man short." — Ben Howland on Quinndary Weatherspoon injury.

NEXT 2
Nov. 28 vs. Northwestern State and Dec. 1 against Oregon State, both at Humphrey Coliseum.

BULLDOG BITES

Sophomore All-SEC guard Quinndary Weatherspoon's season has ended due to a possible tear of the scapholunate ligament in his right wrist. Through four games, he led MSU and was fourth in the SEC with his 18.8 scoring clip.
In the Charleston Classic, the Bulldogs won two in-season tournament games for the first time since winning the 2011 2K Sports Classic. Quinndary Weatherspoon was also named to the All-Tournament team.
Lehigh is one of five teams on MSU's schedule the Bulldogs are facing for the first time. Boise State, Norfolk State, Central Florida and UTEP are the other four. MSU posted a 3-1 mark against those teams.
MSU is 2-0 against the 10 teams that currently comprise the Patriot League. In 2005-06, the Bulldogs defeated Holy Cross 76-75 in the San Juan Shootout, while in 1994-95 they defeated Colgate 80-76 in the Missoulian/Coca Cola Classic.
Against UTEP on Sunday, Mississippi State committed just 8 turnovers, its fewest since also having 8 last February at home against Vanderbilt.
Also against UTEP, both Aric Holman and Lamar Peters had careers with 18 and 13 points, respectively.
I.J. Ready is now 283 points shy of becoming the 37th player in MSU history to score 1,000 for a career. He also needs just 32 assists to move into the MSU all-time Top 10. In addition, he is 26 steals shy of moving in the MSU Top 10 record book.
According to KenPom.com, Mississippi State is the second-least experienced team (.74) out of all 351 Division I programs. The least experienced squad is North Dakota State.
Through the first four games, the Bulldogs have used the same starting lineup.
MSU has been tied at the half twice this year after being tied none a year ago.
Of current SEC players, I.J. Ready is 10th with 717 points, third with 13 steals and fourth with 294 assists.

MARKETING/PROMOTIONS

BLACK FRIDAY DEALS: 1. $5 tickets (online offer only HailState.com/tickets; starts Wed, Nov 22 & ends Friday at Noon; $10 at the door). 1. Black Friday giveaways throughout the game.
Bully's Kidz Kourt, 5:30 p.m.-6:45 p.m.
DOUBLE Hail State rewards points.

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