Dogs, Gators Set For 1 P.M. Battle At The Hump

Saturday, February 18

Starkville

1:00 PM

Mississippi State

#15 Florida

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Mississippi State entertains No. 13 Florida at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Hump.

Dogs, Gators Set For 1 P.M. Battle At The Hump

February 17, 2017 | Men's Basketball

MSU Game Notes Florida Game Notes SEC Game Notes Watch ESPN

STARKVILLE, Miss. — With the regular season rapidly coming to a close, Mississippi State looks to snap a three-game losing streak when it hosts No. 13 Florida on Saturday.

Tip at Humphrey Coliseum is set for 1 p.m. CT on ESPN, with Beth Mowins and Dalen Cuff handling the broadcast. The game can also be heard on the MSU radio network with veterans Jim Ellis and Richard Williams on the call.

It's the Gators' first trip to Starkville since claiming a 62-51 decision in 2014.

Mississippi State stands at 14-11 on the season, 5-8 in league play after losing at Georgia on Tuesday, 79-72. Mario Kegler, Lamar Peters and Quinndary Weatherspoon led MSU with 14 points.

Florida enters Saturday's showdown 21-5, 11-2, after its 114-95 win at Auburn.

THE SERIES
Florida lead the all-time series 63-49.

COACHES
Ben Howland is in his second year at MSU and 21^st overall. As a head coach in four different stops, he is 429-234 with a 28-28 mark with the Bulldogs.

Mike White is in his second year at Florida and owns a 42-20 ledger. In six years overall, he's 143-60.

QUOTABLE
"We point out the obvious things, but think about it, our last two games we could've won either one of those games. It's not like we got blown out of either of those games and never had a chance. Each game in the last six minutes we were tied." — MSU coach Ben Howland on his team's mentality.

NEXT 2
Ole Miss on Feb. 21 and at Vanderbilt on Feb. 25.

BULLDOG BITES

In what has been a close series since its inception, Florida has enjoyed the upper hand in recent years, winning six in a row. During that stretch, the Gators' average margin of victory has been18.5 points.
Florida's series streak is its longest since winning 12 straight from 1984-89.
In his last four games, Mario Kegler has totaled 63 points on 22-of-35 shooting, with an 11-17 mark from 3-point range.
At Georgia, MSU lost for the first time in nine games this season when leading at the half.
Aric Holman's steak of 20-consecutive games with a blocked shot ended at Georgia. It was the second-longest streak in the nation behind Texas A&M's Robert Williams (25).
After attempting 34 free throws at Auburn, the Bulldogs have gone to the charity stripe just 21 times the last two games, including their 7-of-9 effort at Georgia.
MSU's point distribution is 33.1 percent from 3-pointers, 47.3 percent from 2-pointers and 19.6 percent at the foul line. The opponent breakdown is 26.3, 53.3 and 20.5, respectively.
MSU seeks its 15th win this season, the most since having 21 in 2012.
KenPom.com has MSU as the least experienced team of all 351 DI programs at .68.
Freshman guard Lamar Peters has a team-high 52 made 3-pointers, the fifth-most by an MSU freshman in school history. He needs just 16 more to tie Barry Stewart's rookie mark of 68 set in 2007.
The Bulldogs are looking to snap a 16-game losing streak to ranked teams.
Mississippi State has three players with 10-plus, 30-minute games this year — Quinndary Weatherspoon (16), I.J. Ready (11) and Mario Kegler (11).
Aric Holman's 52 blocked shots are the third-most in the SEC and the most by an MSU player since Jarvis Varnado had 170 in 2010.
After missing four games with a lower leg and back injury, senior I.J. Ready returned to action against Georgia and logged 22 minutes (4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist).