MSU Looks To End Losing Skid At South Carolina

Tuesday, February 28

Columbia, S.C.

6:00 PM

Mississippi State

South Carolina

The Bulldogs play South Carolina Tuesday looking to snap a six-game losing streak.

MSU Looks To End Losing Skid At South Carolina

February 27, 2017 | Men's Basketball

MSU Game Notes South Carolina Game Notes Watch ESPN SEC Notes

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Despite a six-game losing streak, Mississippi State is still battling for its first winning season since 2012. A win Tuesday at South Carolina on would ensure at least a .500 mark entering next week's SEC Tournament in Nashville.

Tip at Colonial Life Arena is set for 6 p.m. CT on ESPNU, with Mike Couzens and Brooke Weisbrod handling the broadcast. The game can also be heard on the MSU radio network with veterans Jim Ellis and Richard Williams on the call.

Mississippi State stands at 14-14 on the season, 5-11 in league play after losing at Vanderbilt on Saturday, 77-48. Quinndary Weatherspoon led the Bulldogs with 20 points, while Aric Holman added 6 rebounds.

The Gamecocks enter the contest 21-8, 11-5, after its 82-55 blowout win against Tennessee.

THE SERIES
MSU leads the all-time series, 19-13. In Columbia, it's tied at 7-apiece.

COACHES
Ben Howland is in his second year at MSU and 21^st overall. As a head coach in four different stops, he is 429-237 with a 28-31 mark with the Bulldogs.

Frank Martin is in his fifth year at South Carolina and is 91-71. In 10 years overall, he's 208-125.

QUOTABLE
"I thought we defended very well. We had a chance with us being up 31-24. Tyson had a great game and really shot the ball well. Obviously, they will be more aware of him tomorrow night when they are zoning or just in general. I thought he did a really good job." — MSU coach Ben Howland on the first game with South Carolina.

NEXT 2
MSU closes out the regular season on March 4 against LSU at home. Then it's the SEC Tournament the following week.

BULLDOG BITES

South Carolina is one of three SEC schools Mississippi State has a winning record against, with Ole Miss and Missouri being the other two.
South Carolina is the only SEC team MSU is .500 or better on the road against (7-7).
The Gamecocks have won five out of the last seven in this series and three straight in Columbia, including last year's outing, 84-74.
In rematch games, MSU is 1-2 this season with losses against Alabama and Ole Miss and a win against Tennessee.
The Bulldogs' 77-48 loss at Vanderbilt was their largest this season and with Ben Howland at the helm. It also marked the fewest points they have scored all year and in the Howland era. Also a season low were the 14 made field goals.
The 48 points were the fewest in SEC play since having 47 against Florida on 1-10-15.
The Bulldogs shot just 29.8 percent from the floor against Vanderbilt, marking the first time since Feb. 23, 2013, it shot below 30 percent (Vanderbilt, 17.5 percent).
Mississippi State's six-game losing streak matches the longest under Ben Howland. MSU hasn't lost seven straight since losing 13 in a row in 2014.
Quinndary Weatherspoon totaled 15 points at Vanderbilt to give him 800 for his career.
Freshman guard Lamar Peter's streak of five-straight games with a made 3-pointer came to an end at Vandy. He still has a team-high 54 made 3-pointers, which is tied for the fourth-most by an MSU freshman in school history. He needs 14 more to tie Barry Stewart's mark of 68 set in 2007.
Mississippi State has three players with 10-plus, 30-minute games this year — Quinndary Weatherspoon (19), I.J. Ready (13) and Mario Kegler (12).
Aric Holman's 56 blocked shots are the fourth-most in the SEC.
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 .70.
If the SEC Tournament started today, MSU would be the 12th seed and play Missouri at 6 p.m.