Bulldogs, Hogs Meet With Tournament Bye On The Line
STARKVILLE, Miss. – When Mississippi State travels to Arkansas on Wednesday, more than just a victory will be at stake.
With a win, the Bulldogs secure the No. 2 seed in the Western Division standings and garner the coveted first-round bye for next week’s SEC Tournament in Atlanta.
Tip at Bud Walton Arena is slated for 8 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised by CSS. Dave Baker will handle the play-by-play duties, while Daymeon Fishback will serve as the analyst.
“We all know how important that bye is,” said 13th-year MSU coach Rick Stansbury, whose team is 15-13 overall and 7-7 in league play. “Obviously two years ago, we won the tournament by winning four games in four days. But if you’re asking me what I rather have, we all know how much easier it will be with the bye.”
Wednesday marks the second meeting this year between the two schools. Back in February at Humphrey Coliseum, the Bulldogs prevailed 67-56 behind Dee Bosts’ 18 points and Renardo Sidney’s 10 rebounds. Sidney also had 12 points in that contest en route to collecting his second-straight double-double.
With a win Wednesday, MSU will sweep Arkansas for the second time in three seasons.
In addition, a victory gives the Bulldogs a 4-4 record on the road in SEC play. On Saturday, MSU earned its third road win after upending Tennessee 70-69 on a game-winning dunk by Wendell Lewis with 3.4 seconds to play.
The Razorbacks (18-10, 7-7) enter the game having won two-straight and four of their last five. They’ve also been tough to beat at home, where they are 15-13. In its last outing at Bud Walton Arena, Arkansas knocked off then No. 22 Kentucky, 77-76. In fact, the Hogs’ last two games have been decided by a total of three points following their 57-55 win at Auburn this past weekend.
“It’s never easy going on the road,” Stansbury said. “We all know how loud it gets at Arkansas. But we’ve had some success on the road this year, and we’ll have to be at our very best to beat them.”
Following Wednesday’s game, Mississippi State returns to Humphrey Coliseum on Saturday to close out the regular season against South Carolina on Senior Day. Tip is set for 1 p.m. and the game will be televised by ESPN2.
With a win, the Bulldogs secure the No. 2 seed in the Western Division standings and garner the coveted first-round bye for next week’s SEC Tournament in Atlanta.
Tip at Bud Walton Arena is slated for 8 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised by CSS. Dave Baker will handle the play-by-play duties, while Daymeon Fishback will serve as the analyst.
“We all know how important that bye is,” said 13th-year MSU coach Rick Stansbury, whose team is 15-13 overall and 7-7 in league play. “Obviously two years ago, we won the tournament by winning four games in four days. But if you’re asking me what I rather have, we all know how much easier it will be with the bye.”
Wednesday marks the second meeting this year between the two schools. Back in February at Humphrey Coliseum, the Bulldogs prevailed 67-56 behind Dee Bosts’ 18 points and Renardo Sidney’s 10 rebounds. Sidney also had 12 points in that contest en route to collecting his second-straight double-double.
With a win Wednesday, MSU will sweep Arkansas for the second time in three seasons.
In addition, a victory gives the Bulldogs a 4-4 record on the road in SEC play. On Saturday, MSU earned its third road win after upending Tennessee 70-69 on a game-winning dunk by Wendell Lewis with 3.4 seconds to play.
The Razorbacks (18-10, 7-7) enter the game having won two-straight and four of their last five. They’ve also been tough to beat at home, where they are 15-13. In its last outing at Bud Walton Arena, Arkansas knocked off then No. 22 Kentucky, 77-76. In fact, the Hogs’ last two games have been decided by a total of three points following their 57-55 win at Auburn this past weekend.
“It’s never easy going on the road,” Stansbury said. “We all know how loud it gets at Arkansas. But we’ve had some success on the road this year, and we’ll have to be at our very best to beat them.”
Following Wednesday’s game, Mississippi State returns to Humphrey Coliseum on Saturday to close out the regular season against South Carolina on Senior Day. Tip is set for 1 p.m. and the game will be televised by ESPN2.