Bulldogs Face Georgia In Opening Round Of The SEC Tournament
Tip at New Orleans Arena is set for 9 p.m., with the SEC Network handling the broadcast. Thursday's winner will then play Vanderbilt at 9 p.m. on Friday.
"It's a new season," MSU coach Rick Stansbury said. "Anybody can win this thing, and we are looking forward to the challenge."
Earlier this year, Georgia snapped MSU's 13-game home winning streak with a stunning 70-68 overtime win, the first of five-straight setbacks for the Bulldogs.
However, Mississippi State snapped the skid a week ago at South Carolina before closing out the regular season with a convincing 79-59 home victory against Arkansas.
"We got our confidence back," senior All-SEC guard Dee Bost said. "And we feel we owe Georgia one. They got us on our home court, and we know how important it is to get a win as far as the NCAA Tournament is concerned."
In the first outing of the year, MSU lead 34-31 at the break before Georgia rallied. Bost paced MSU with 21 points, while Jalen Steele added 15, followed by Arnett Moultrie with 15.
On the year, Moultrie leads the Bulldogs in scoring (16.1) and rebounding (10.7), while Bost leads the SEC with 164 assists and 65 steals.
Gerald Robinson leads UGA with his 14.3 points, while Donte' Williams paces the Dogs on the boards at 5.3.
In SEC Tournament play, Mississippi State is 27-48 all-time with a 3-8 ledger against Georgia. The two last met in 2009, with MSU claiming a 79-60 win en route to winning the tournament in Tampa.
Under Stansbury, Mississippi State has posted 16 tournament wins, the third most behind Kentucky (24) and Florida (19).