Bulldogs Wrap Up Two-Game Road Swing At Auburn
STARKVILLE, Miss. - A share of the Western Division crown and a bye in the opening round of the SEC Tournament have been clinched. Now, Mississippi State is looking to win the title outright, and it can do that with a win at Auburn on Wednesday.
Tip at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum, the final one in this venue, is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be televised by the SEC Network.
The Bulldogs (21-8, 9-5) secured their first two feats with last Saturday's win at South Carolina. And while the win against the Tigers would mean no sharing of the title, it would also greatly enhance MSU's bigger goal - the NCAA Tournament.
Mississippi State, which defeated the Tigers 85-75 in overtime back in February, has won three straight since dropping a heartbreaker in overtime to then No. 2 Kentucky on Feb. 16.
In those three games, the Bulldogs shot 46.8 percent (74 of 158) from the floor and outscored their foes by an average score of 70-62.7.
Leading the charge in those games was senior All-SEC standout Jarvis Varnado, this week's SEC Player of the Week who averaged 16.7 points and 9.3 boards to go along with his 16 blocked shots.
Overall, junior sharpshooter Ravern Johnson continues to lead Mississippi State with his 13.8 scoring average. He's also tops with 74 3-pointers. He's joined in double-digit scoring by Varnado (13.5), Dee Bost (12.5) and Barry Stewart (11.5).
At South Carolina, Varnado collected his 17th double-double of the year with a game-high 19 points and 10 boards, while Stewart followed with 18 points thanks to draining five 3-pointers.
Auburn enters the contest following a 74-59 win against LSU. The Tigers, under the direction of fifth-year coach Jeff Lebo, are led in scoring by DeWayne Reed and Tay Waller at 16.0 and 15.4 points, respectively.
After Wednesday, Mississippi State returns home on Saturday, March 6 for the regular-season finale against Tennessee on Senior Night, where all fans are encouraged to wear maroon as part of the True Maroon promotion.