Bulldogs, Rebels Play With 2nd Place In The West On the Line
STARKVILLE, Miss. – There’s no team Mississippi State has played more than Ole Miss, and on Saturday the two arch-rivals meet for the 243rd time in a key SEC showdown with more than bragging rights on the line.
Tip at Humphrey Coliseum is set for 12:30 p.m., with the SEC Network carrying the game. Dave Baker will have the call, while Joe Dean will serve as the analyst.
With a win, the Bulldogs (13-12, 5-6) will remain in second place in the Western Division standings, a full game ahead of the Rebels (17-9, 5-6). A victory will also give MSU a series sweep, thus taking care of any head-to-head tiebreakers involving seeding for next month’s SEC Tournament in Atlanta.
“We understand what this game means to our fans, but as coaches and players we know it counts as just one win or one loss. Nothing more,” 13th-year coach Rick Stansbury said. “There’s still a lot of basketball left.”
With Stansbury at the helm, the Bulldogs have enjoyed great success against the Rebels. MSU has currently won four straight and 19 out of the last 26. A win would also give Stansbury his sixth series sweep.
In addition, a victory also snaps a two-game losing streak, as Mississippi State is coming off road losses at Auburn and Kentucky.
Against the No. 22-ranked Wildcats on Tuesday, senior guard Ravern Johnson came off the bench and scored a team-high 21 points, while freshman guard Jalen Steele added 17 points after draining five 3-pointers. Johnson is currently 5th in the SEC with his 17.1 scoring clip.
Ole Miss is led by senior Chris Warren, who is second in the league in scoring at 18.4. Back in January in the Bulldogs’ 69-64 win in Oxford, Warren poured in 25 points.
However, MSU answered with the play of Dee Bost and Renardo Sidney, who totaled 25 and 24 points, respectively.
“We know we’re going to get their best effort,” said Stansbury, whose team is back at home on Wednesday at 8 p.m. against LSU. “They’re playing as well as they have all season, and we’ll have little room for error.”
At halftime, Mississippi State will honor former legendary coach Babe McCarthy, who controlled the MSU sidelines from 1956-65 en route to posting a 169-85 ledger. Players from his four championship teams will be on hand to help celebrate, in addition to several family members.
Tip at Humphrey Coliseum is set for 12:30 p.m., with the SEC Network carrying the game. Dave Baker will have the call, while Joe Dean will serve as the analyst.
With a win, the Bulldogs (13-12, 5-6) will remain in second place in the Western Division standings, a full game ahead of the Rebels (17-9, 5-6). A victory will also give MSU a series sweep, thus taking care of any head-to-head tiebreakers involving seeding for next month’s SEC Tournament in Atlanta.
“We understand what this game means to our fans, but as coaches and players we know it counts as just one win or one loss. Nothing more,” 13th-year coach Rick Stansbury said. “There’s still a lot of basketball left.”
With Stansbury at the helm, the Bulldogs have enjoyed great success against the Rebels. MSU has currently won four straight and 19 out of the last 26. A win would also give Stansbury his sixth series sweep.
In addition, a victory also snaps a two-game losing streak, as Mississippi State is coming off road losses at Auburn and Kentucky.
Against the No. 22-ranked Wildcats on Tuesday, senior guard Ravern Johnson came off the bench and scored a team-high 21 points, while freshman guard Jalen Steele added 17 points after draining five 3-pointers. Johnson is currently 5th in the SEC with his 17.1 scoring clip.
Ole Miss is led by senior Chris Warren, who is second in the league in scoring at 18.4. Back in January in the Bulldogs’ 69-64 win in Oxford, Warren poured in 25 points.
However, MSU answered with the play of Dee Bost and Renardo Sidney, who totaled 25 and 24 points, respectively.
“We know we’re going to get their best effort,” said Stansbury, whose team is back at home on Wednesday at 8 p.m. against LSU. “They’re playing as well as they have all season, and we’ll have little room for error.”
At halftime, Mississippi State will honor former legendary coach Babe McCarthy, who controlled the MSU sidelines from 1956-65 en route to posting a 169-85 ledger. Players from his four championship teams will be on hand to help celebrate, in addition to several family members.