Bulldogs Tangle with Tide with Western Division Title on the Line
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Battling for its NCAA Tournament lives as well as maintaining pace with Arkansas atop the Western Division standings, Mississippi State takes on rival Alabama at 8 p.m. on Wednesday at Humphrey Coliseum in a game televised by CSS.
It will be the second meeting of the year between the two, as the Crimson Tide upended the Bulldogs 62-57 in Tuscaloosa back in January.
MSU enters the game sporting a 19-8 overall record, including a 7-5 mark in SEC play, the same as the Razorbacks.
Bama, which has lost five of its last six overall following its 76-70 setback at Georgia over the weekend, is 14-12, 4-8 under first-year coach Anthony Grant.
The Bulldogs, who have won three of their last four with their only setback coming against No. 2 Kentucky, have enjoyed great success against Alabama this decade at Humphrey Coliseum, winning 8 of the last 10, including four in a row.
Those four victories have been by an average margin of 13 points. Last year at the Hump, MSU claimed an 83-74 win.
MSU returns home following a come-from-behind 60-59 victory at LSU that wasn’t decided until Phil Turner drained a 3-pointer with six seconds to play.
Ravern Johnson, who leads MSU in scoring with 13.8 points an outing, led Mississippi State against the Tigers with his 16-point effort thanks to four 3-pointers.
Barry Stewart also had one trey to give him 258 for his career, tying him with Darryl Wilson for the most in school history.
Speaking of records, senior All-SEC standout Jarvis Varnado continues his assault on the NCAA blocked shots mark. He had seven at LSU to give him 528 for his career, leaving him eight shy of the record. And with one more start, he’ll have 111, the most in school history.
After Wednesday, Mississippi State begins a two-game road stretch at South Carolina on Saturday before traveling to Auburn next Wednesday.
It will be the second meeting of the year between the two, as the Crimson Tide upended the Bulldogs 62-57 in Tuscaloosa back in January.
MSU enters the game sporting a 19-8 overall record, including a 7-5 mark in SEC play, the same as the Razorbacks.
Bama, which has lost five of its last six overall following its 76-70 setback at Georgia over the weekend, is 14-12, 4-8 under first-year coach Anthony Grant.
The Bulldogs, who have won three of their last four with their only setback coming against No. 2 Kentucky, have enjoyed great success against Alabama this decade at Humphrey Coliseum, winning 8 of the last 10, including four in a row.
Those four victories have been by an average margin of 13 points. Last year at the Hump, MSU claimed an 83-74 win.
MSU returns home following a come-from-behind 60-59 victory at LSU that wasn’t decided until Phil Turner drained a 3-pointer with six seconds to play.
Ravern Johnson, who leads MSU in scoring with 13.8 points an outing, led Mississippi State against the Tigers with his 16-point effort thanks to four 3-pointers.
Barry Stewart also had one trey to give him 258 for his career, tying him with Darryl Wilson for the most in school history.
Speaking of records, senior All-SEC standout Jarvis Varnado continues his assault on the NCAA blocked shots mark. He had seven at LSU to give him 528 for his career, leaving him eight shy of the record. And with one more start, he’ll have 111, the most in school history.
After Wednesday, Mississippi State begins a two-game road stretch at South Carolina on Saturday before traveling to Auburn next Wednesday.