Ready Shines On Senior Night As MSU Beats LSU

Saturday, March 4

Starkville

5:00 PM

Mississippi State

15-15, 6-12

LSU

10-20, 2-16

LSU

Mississippi State

IJ Ready had a career-high 13 assists against LSU in the Bulldogs' 88-76 win on Senior Night.

Ready Shines On Senior Night As MSU Beats LSU

March 04, 2017 | Men's Basketball

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STARKVILLE, Miss. – For Mississippi State, Saturday was fun again.

The Bulldogs honored their lone senior guard I.J. Ready in the pregame. Then, MSU put together its most complete game of the second half of the season to take an 88-76 win against LSU at Humphrey Coliseum.

MSU shot 54.5 percent from the floor and led the final 38 minutes of play to sweep the season series from LSU. Ironically, the teams meet again Wednesday in the opening round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament. That contest is at 6 p.m. CT Wednesday from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

MSU improved to 15-15 overall and finished league play at 6-12. LSU fell to 10-20 and 2-16.

"It was good to finally get a win," MSU coach Ben Howland said. "What a great way to go out for I.J. His family was here. He had 13 assists and was really our leader on the floor. I am glad he got to experience this today. Stapleton gave us some great minutes off the bench."

In his final home game in the Maroon and White, Ready scored seven points, grabbed four rebounds and dished out a career-high 13 assists, the most by an SEC player this year and the sixth most in school history. The Rixey, Arkansas, native left the floor to a standing ovation in the final seconds.

Quinndary Weatherspoon led the Bulldogs with 18 points. Aric Holman and Xavivan Stapleton each added 14 points. Holman, Weatherspoon and Mario Kegler each had 6 rebounds.

A 3-pointer by Stapleton capped an 8-0 run as the Bulldogs quickly built a 12-5 advantage. The lead would later grow to double digits at 21-11 on a 3-pointer by Eli Wright.

Stapleton later hit another 3-pointer for a 33-19 lead with 6:41 left in the half. Ready kept the offense going and the Bulldogs kept a comfortable lead.

Tyson Carter drained a 3-pointer as the first half expired to give the Bulldogs a 48-30 lead at the break.

In the opening half, the Bulldogs shot 57.6 percent from the field and connected on five 3-pointers.

The Bulldogs never led by less than double digits in the second half.

A dunk by Kegler got the crowd to its feet and ran the lead to 68-50 with 9:47 left.

For the contest, MSU hit 36-of-66 shots from the field (54.5 percent), 7-of-22 shots from 3-point range (31.8 percent) and 9-of-13 shots from the foul line (69.2 percent). LSU hit 26-of-59 shots from the field (44.1 percent), 5-of-19 shots from 3-point range (26.3 percent) and 19-of-23 shots from the foul line (82.6 percent).

MSU held a 39-32 rebounding advantage. The Bulldogs had 21 assists and 11 turnovers, while the Tigers had 11 assists and 11 turnovers.

LSU received 15 points from Antonio Blakeney, 15 points from Skylar Mays, 14 points from Brandon Sampson, 12 points from Duop Reath and 10 points from Aaron Epps.