Mississippi State
16-11,7-7SEC
Missouri
10-17,4-10SEC
Moore Comes Through As Dawgs Top Mizzou
February 20, 2022 | Men's Basketball, Joel Coleman
Shakeel Moore saves the day for State and helps build MSU’s momentum.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Shakeel Moore just kept believing.
Over the past few games, as the shots didn't fall and his production slipped a bit, the Mississippi State sophomore guard kept his head high. His refusal to give in had him ready for one of the season's biggest moments on Sunday night at Missouri.
Moore's rebound, sprint down the court and layup with 10 seconds remaining served as the decisive play in the Bulldogs' 58-56 win over the Tigers. It's State's second-straight victory after also topping Missouri 68-49 on Friday in Starkville.
It's been a frustrating two or three weeks for Moore. Yet on Sunday, none of that mattered anymore.
"It's been up and down for me but at the end of the day, it's just basketball," Moore said postgame. "I had to tell myself that every day leading up to this game. Just [keeping] the confidence to be able to go out there and be aggressive and play hard – that's what I did. If you play hard, everything falls into place."
It sure fell right where it needed to Sunday. It wasn't without at least a touch of drama though.
With the score tied at 56-all and less than 15 seconds to go on the clock, Missouri's Jarron Coleman missed what would have been a go-ahead 3-pointer. The ball bounced off the rim and Moore, in basically a dead sprint, caught it and saw a fast-break opportunity.
At the other end, only Mizzou's Javon Pickett stood in Moore's way. Moore's shiftiness got Pickett twisted up. Under the basket, Moore's shot went in the air. It hit the back of the rim, took two more small hops on the hoop then, the iron was kind. The ball rolled in.
"He came through," MSU head coach Ben Howland said of Moore. "And the bounce came through…That thing bounced a little bit."
When you put in the work Moore does, you've earned the right to have a few bounces go your way. This is a player who scored 10 or more points in 10 of State's first 18 games this season. However, coming into Sunday, he hadn't scored more than five in nearly a full month.
Even as he's transitioned from starter to reserve in recent games, Moore wasn't shaken. He just kept grinding away knowing, sooner or later, good things would happen.
Howland helped lift Moore up and kept him believing. Moore found ways to contribute, even if the point totals weren't what he wanted.
"Being able to impact the team in other ways is just fine for me as well," Moore said. "It's not all about scoring. Getting your teammates involved is a huge part of the game."
Perhaps Moore's unselfish nature was part of Sunday's big moment. Maybe the game of basketball wanted to reward Moore for his demeanor.
"He's playing for his team and his teammates," Howland said of Moore. "The most fun on any team is when everybody is playing for each other first. That truly epitomizes him."
Moore's clutch play benefitted everyone. It was huge for himself of course. He finished with nine points and seven rebounds. It was Moore's highest scoring output since January 25 and his most rebounds in a game all season long.
"It's big," Moore said. "It's a big confidence booster for me headed into the next game and from here on out."
Moore's game-winner made sure Iverson Molinar's team-high 16 points were scored in a victorious effort. Garrison Brooks' 11 points and seven boards didn't go to waste. Nor did six-point showings from Tolu Smith, D.J. Jeffries and Andersson Garcia, with Garcia's coming in another fantastic effort off the bench. He also brought down six rebounds.
Most of all, Moore's late-game heroics were beneficial for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. As MSU tries to keep itself in the NCAA Tournament picture, Sunday's win keeps hope very much alive.
It's fitting. State can keep its belief for the future afloat because Moore kept believing in himself in the present. Now both Moore and his teammates can keep moving forward with the knowledge – if you keep working – nothing is off the table.
"We still should have faith in each other and still should have trust in each other and have that hope and continue to fight and close out the season with a bang," Moore said. "That's what we plan on doing – go on a winning streak and keep trusting in each other…go out there and be by one another and fight for one another."
