Bulldogs Down Georgia In First Round Of SEC Tournament
By JOHN ZENOR
AP Sports Writer
ATLANTA (AP) -- Shane Power scored 15 points and Mississippi State had a 25-9 run in the second half of a 76-65 victory over Georgia Thursday in the first round of the Southeastern Conference tournament.
Mississippi State (22-9) stretched a 41-39 lead early in the second half to 18 points and coasted on toward Friday's quarterfinal matchup with Florida.
With only seven scholarship players, Georgia (8-20) finished with two league wins to match its lowest total since 1974. No SEC team had wound up with as few league wins since Tennessee won twice in 1994.
The game unraveled for Georgia midway through the second half. Winsome Frazier hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key, then picked off an errant pass for an easy layup and Jamall Edmondson added another quick 3 off a turnover for an abrupt 8-0 run that effectively put the game away.
Frazier finished with 13 points while Roberts had 10 points and nine rebounds despite playing just eight minutes in the second half due to foul trouble and a big lead. Roberts did some damage outside, too, with two first-half 3-pointers after making just 10 in the previous 30 games.
Center Marcus Campbell played only two minutes with a strained left calf muscle, sitting out the second half. Mississippi State managed a 43-34 rebounding edge anyway.
Dave Bliss led Georgia with 14 points and eight rebounds. Sundiata Gaines and Channing Toney all but disappeared after fast starts. Gaines was held scoreless after getting 14 first-half points. Toney hit three consecutive 3-pointers and scored 11 of Georgia's first 18 points but was shut out after that.
Leading scorer Levi Stukes had eight of his 10 points after halftime before fouling out.
Georgia opened the second half with just three field goals in the first 13 minutes and hit just 27 percent in the half.
Mississippi State had beaten Georgia only once in eight previous SEC tournament meetings, and went to the NCAA tourney's Final Four after that victory in 1996.