Gameday: Five Things to Know About MSU-Saint Mary's

by Matt Dunaway, Associate Director/Communications

LAS VEGAS – After nearly pulling off the program's biggest halftime comeback since the 2008-09 season, the No. 15 Mississippi State men's basketball team will look to return to the win column against Saint Mary's during Wednesday's third place matchup at the MGM Resorts Main Event from T-Mobile Arena.

The Matchup: No 15 Mississippi State (3-1, 0-0 SEC) vs. Saint Mary's (3-1, 0-0 West Coast)
Where: Las Vegas, Nevada – T-Mobile Arena
When: Monday, Nov. 19, 7:30 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/MBKLiveStats)

TV: None
Talent: Mike Couzens, Jordan Cornette
Online: BD Global Subscription ($) (https://hailst.at/MSUvsSMC1121)

Radio: Mississippi State Sports Network – Powered by Learfield
Talent: Jim Ellis, Richard Williams
Affiliates: WKBB-FM 100.9 Starkville/West Point (Full List: https://hailst.at/MBKAffiliates)
Free Online Audio: Hail State Plus (https://hailst.at/MBKListen); Tune-In Radio App (https://hailst.at/MBKTuneIn)
Sirius/XM: None

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE
1. Ben Howland's teams have secured an 82-20 (.804) record during his fourth season at the helm of the program. Northern Arizona (1997-98), Pittsburgh (2002-03) and UCLA (2006-07) each made the NCAA Tournament with Pitt and UCLA making runs to the sweet 16 and final four, respectively.

2. Quinndary Weatherspoon has dialed up 19.0 points per game which is fifth in the SEC rankings. He has already notched three performances of 20-plus points. MSU is 17-2 and has won nine consecutive games over the last two seasons when Weatherspoon scores 20 or more. With his second point in Wednesday's game, he will surpass Cameron Burns (1989-90-91) and Ravern Johnson (2008-09-10-11) for 13th place on the program's all-time scoring list.

3. Aric Holman racked up 22 points and 10 rebounds against Arizona State for his second double-double on the season. He secured 16 points after intermission on 6-of-8 from the floor. The 22 points was Holman's second-highest scoring output of his career, only behind a 23-point performance against North Florida on Dec. 29, 2017.

4. Nick Weatherspoon has chipped in 14.0 points per game in the three games where he has seen significant minutes. He exited the Long Beach State game with an injury in the first 30 seconds. Weatherspoon has rattled off 10-plus points in 16 of his last 21 outings dating back to Jan. 23, 2018. The Bulldogs have won 20 of 28 games when Weatherspoon hits for double digit points.

5. Mississippi State is the only SEC school to have four players inside the top 20 on the league's active scoring list. Outside of Quinndary Weatherspoon who holds the top spot (1,459 PTS), Aric Holman (765 PTS), Lamar Peters (687 PTS) and Tyson Carter (614 PTS) are ranked 11th, 13th and 17th, respectively. The quarter has accounted for 13 of the team's 17 games in double figures.

FROM THE BENCH WITH COACH HOWLAND
"It's about us. We've got to focus on us more than anything right now. The main thing for us to learn from the Arizona State game and bounce back from it. Saint Mary's has a great program and are really well-coached. They've been to the NCAA Tournament umpteen times over the last 10 years. Randy Bennett does a terrific job. It will be a difficult game for us. "

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT
Saint Mary's has been one of the nation's prolific programs and strung together 11 consecutive postseason bids under Randy Bennett. The Gaels have amassed a 296-83 record and averaged 26.6 wins per season during the 11-year span fueled by five NCAA Tournament trips.

Jordan Ford has secured 25.0 points and 3.8 assists per game. He was limited to 15 points on a 4-of-15 shooting clip against Utah State on Monday. Ford has been nearly automatic at the foul line where he has converted 29 of his 30 attempts on the young season.

Malik Fitts has provided 15.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, while Elijah Thomas has tacked on 8.3 points per game. Last time out, Dan Fotu garnered a career-high 11 points versus Utah State.

UP NEXT
Mississippi State returns to the friendly confines of Humphrey Coliseum and meets Alcorn State on Monday. Tip time is slated for 7 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed online only by SEC Network + courtesy of the WatchESPN app.

Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the men's basketball program. Fans also can follow the program on its social media outlets by searching 'HailStateMBK' on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Gameday: Five Things to Know About MSU-Saint Mary's

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Players Mentioned

Tyson Carter

Aric Holman

Lamar Peters

Nick Weatherspoon

Quinndary Weatherspoon

Mississippi State University Athletics