Bulldogs Return To Road At LSU
STARKVILLE, Miss. - After a gut-wrenching, overtime loss to No. 2 Kentucky on Tuesday night that ended an 11-game home winning streak, Mississippi State looks to rebound on Saturday against an LSU team aiming for its first conference win of the season.
Tip at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center is slated for 3 p.m., and the game will be televised by the SEC Network.
The Bulldogs (18-8, 6-5) enter the contest having won two-straight against the Tigers following their 67-51 win back in January at Humphrey Coliseum. Overall, MSU has won 12 of the last 20 in this series, including last year's SEC Tournament semifinal showdown in Tampa, Fla.
Last year, though, LSU swept the regular-season affairs en route to winning the overall SEC crown.
The Tigers currently sport a 9-16 ledger and are 0-11 in SEC play. They are led in scoring by Tasmin Mitchell's 17.3 clip. Back in January, he poured in a game-high 26 against the Bulldogs.
Ravern Johnson, who'll be back in action after sitting out the Kentucky game due to a suspension, led MSU that afternoon with 15 points, while Barry Stewart added 12. All-SEC senior forward Jarvis Varnado also posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
While Johnson continues to lead the Bulldogs in scoring at 13.7, Stewart is just one made 3-pointer away from tying the school record of 258 set by Darryl Wilson.
Speaking of records, Varnado now has 521 blocked shots for his career, leaving him 15 shy of the NCAA record.
After Saturday, MSU returns home on Wednesday, Feb. 24 for an 8 p.m. tip against Western Division rival Alabama on CSS.