Bulldogs' Losing Skid Continues Against Kentucky
* Official Statistics
* Postgame Quotes
* Postgame Notes
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) -- Patrick Sparks tied a season-high with 25 points and Kentucky made a season-best 13 3-pointers in an 81-66 victory over Mississippi State on Wednesday night.
The Wildcats (15-6, 5-2 Southeastern Conference) shot a season-high 52 percent from 3-point range and never trailed in extending their winning streak to a season-long five games after a 10-6 start to the season.
Joe Crawford added 14 points for Kentucky, which surpassed its previous season best of 12 3s - set in November against West Virginia and tied last month against South Carolina. The Wildcats' previous best 3-point shooting percentage of 50 percent (12-for-24) also came against the Gamecocks.
Sparks finished three points shy of his career high of 28 set two years ago against New Mexico. Still, he was 5-of-10 from 3-point range and consistently deflated Mississippi State's comeback attempts with 3s.
Perhaps Sparks' most important 3-pointer came early in the second half.
Kentucky led by 13 on a Joe Crawford layup in the opening moments of the half before the Bulldogs scored nine straight points, closing to 42-39 on Charles Rhodes' dunk with 16:39 to play.
That's when Sparks got open in the left corner, took a pass from Rajon Rondo and swished a 3-pointer to extend the lead to six. Joe Crawford hit a 3 from the same spot on Kentucky's next trip downcourt, making it 48-39 with 15 1/2 minutes remaining.
Mississippi State (11-10, 1-7) didn't get closer than five the rest of the way in losing its seventh straight for the first time since the Richard Williams-led Bulldogs lost nine straight in the 1986-87 season.
Rhodes led the Bulldogs with 21 points. Jamall Edmondson and Jamont Gordon had 15 apiece for Mississippi State, with 12 of Gordon's points coming in the first half.
Kentucky scored the first eight points of the game, and led by as many as nine in the first half. The Wildcats protected their lead with a tough defense which allowed State few open looks, overcame a 7-minute stretch in which it made one basket - a Sparks 3 - and led 38-29 at halftime.
The Bulldogs made just three baskets in the final 11 minutes of the half.
Postgame Quotes
Mississippi State Head Coach Rick Stansbury
Opening Comments ...
"Give Kentucky and Tubby Smith a lot of credit. When you go on the road and shoot 13-of-25 from the three-point line, I don't know if anyone will beat you. That was the difference in the basketball game right there (three-point shooting). I was proud of our effort. I thought we played extremely well, but it doesn't mean we always played extremely smart. I thought Charles Rhodes was absolutely a man on the inside. Jamall Edmondson was able to knock down some shots for us. The bottom line was when we cut it to three points, I think they had three straight possessions where they scored against our man defense. They went small and were really hard to defend there, so choose your poison. When they jump up and make shots tonight, (Patrick) Sparks and (Joe) Crawford in particular were 9-of-16, there is not much you can do."
On Kentucky making shots ...
" You have to ask Tubby (Smith) that one. I don't know why his kids make shots. Shooting gets contagious, and Kentucky has started getting contagious four games ago."
Positives from the game ...
"We played hard. Charles Rhodes was the best big man on the floor. Jamont Gordon makes a lot of good things happen, and many times we had four freshmen on the floor. We fought to make it a three-point game at one point, and that includes shooting very poorly from the free throw line. We go 15-of-23 and two or three of them were 1-and-1."
On confidence with a young team ...
" We're playing hard out there and that is the thing you have to do when things aren't going your way. You can't think about winning and losing. You have to think about playing hard. There are just some things that we have a deficiency in and all we can do is keep plugging away and getting better in those areas."
Charles Rhodes
On the game tonight ...
"They went 13 for 25; with a team shooting like that they can beat anybody."
On the return of momentum (MSU would score and they would return it to score) ...
"Breaking down the few points at the end, that just was hard, it just hurts sometimes. But that is how the game is, especially if you are playing Kentucky, a three point shooting team."
On the stats and the chance of winning ...
"It came down to turnovers and playing smart basketball. Once we start playing as a team and playing together, we get into a groove. Right now, we are in the groove so we just have to keep going and going and get us a win. I'm tired of losing."
On the blocks on Rondo ...
"It felt real good. Me and Rondo are good friends and we were talking all through the game, so he said he was going to try me. So when he tried me, I guess I blocked him so hard that he didn't try me again."
Jamall Edmondson
On the need of a win ...
"We need a win desperately to get back on the road, and the only way we are going to get out of this funk. We have a very winnable game coming up on Saturday, so we are looking forward to playing hard."
On what they were doing against MSU's defense ...
"They were screening away from the ball for Sparks. He had the choice to curl or fade away, so it was tough to guard him. That's all they did really."
On Sparks ...
"He is a real smart player. He knows when you are behind him and so he changes it up."
On maintaining composure after Sparks knocked down several big shots ...
"We came down and we knew that we had to get the ball into Charles (Rhodes) because coming into the game, Charles has scored on anybody that has guarded him. So we just have to keep feeding him the ball and try to win the game."
On the confidence for Saturday's game ...
"We know that that is a very winnable game. Auburn is a good team, but we are going to match up well because they play a four guard front like we do. So, we are looking forward to it."
Reginald Delk
On this being an extra big game ...
"Yes, this was a big game because my uncle played there. I wanted to go out there and prove something. They shot well and they played outstanding."
On preparing for Kentucky ...
"We just really tried to get out there and get a win. We are trying to get our confidence back and get a win."
On the small line-up ...
"It is a good line-up, because there is more emotion and everybody is getting involved in the game. So, I like it."
Kentucky Head Coach Tubby Smith
Opening Comments ...
"It was a good win for us. Anytime you come to Starkville and play at 'The Hump,' it can be a tough go-around. I know Coach Stansbury and his team are struggling right now. They've got some talent, so they need to keep their heads up. We knew coming into this game that we needed to be at our best. I thought tonight we were at the best we had been at in a while. We attacked properly. We really moved the ball up and down the court the right way. We really did a better job of screening tonight. I thought early on Joe (Crawford) hitting the three and Patrick (Sparks) making the shots showed they were energized. Our players were looking for them. Once again, we had some foul problems. I keep telling our guys that fouling negates hustle. We'd get them in a stop, make a trap or have them in a situation where we let them off the hook by fouling. When we have to play small-ball like we did, it creates problems for us because we're not as effective at rebounding the ball. We're getting some good play out of Sheray (Thomas) coming off the bench. We got good play out of Ramel Bradley tonight. He was very efficient in 13 minutes. He did a fantastic job of drawing the foul. Another thing we wanted to do tonight was get to the free-throw line more often in the second half. We did get to the line more and it was because they started fouling at the end. Getting to the free-throw line is something we've struggled with all season long. Rajon (Rondo) again had a good night. Patrick (Sparks) shot the ball well. The two of them are starting to play extremely well. That's what we need."
On going 13-of-25 from three-point range ...
"We shot the ball well tonight. We've been shooting the ball well in the last few games. It's about time we did because we've struggled all year long shooting the ball."
On Randolph Morris' presence ...
"He wasn't in there much tonight even though I think having an inside presence helps. Our think our ability to take people off the dribble, penetrate and pitch the ball to find guys open is where it's been key. Our guys are now leading one another and playing together. But you're right. When Randolph touched the ball, he forced double teams."
Postgame Notes
- MSU's current seven-game losing skid marks the team's longest such streak since incurring eight-game and nine-game losing streaks during the 1986-87 season (State was 7-21 overall and 3-15 in SEC play).
- Six of the seven losses during MSU's recent losing streak have come by double figures.
- State's 1-7 start in SEC play marks the team's slowest start in conference play since MSU's 1986-87 club managed but one league win through the year's first 14 conference games en route to posting a 3-15 SEC record and 7-21 overall mark.
- With 11 assists and 11 turnovers against Kentucky, tonight marked only the second time this season in which the Bulldogs didn't record more turnovers than assists in a game ... During the team's Dec. 3 home overtime (82-69) win over Santa Clara, MSU totaled 16 assists and 14 turnovers.
- MSU's 11 turnovers tonight are a season low for the Bulldogs ... MSU's previous season low for miscues was 12 turnovers against Southeastern Louisiana.
- With Kentucky hitting 13-of-25 (52.0%) three-point shots this evening, tonight marks the fourth opponent to hit 50 percent or better from three-point range against the Bulldogs ... Akron, Vanderbilt and Southeastern Louisiana were the other teams to do so previously this season.
- Now 7-5 at home this season, the Bulldogs have dropped at least five home decisions in a season for the first time since the 1997-98 State squad went 7-6 at Humphrey Coliseum ... Now with consecutive home league losses to Kentucky, Tennessee and LSU, the Bulldogs have dropped three straight SEC home decisions for the first time since the 1997-98 season (Tennessee, Ole Miss & Alabama).
- For the first time during their current seven-game losing streak, the Bulldogs did not fall behind by double digits in the opening period tonight ... MSU had trailed by at least 13 points in the first half during each of the previous six games.
- State sophomore forward Charles Rhodes tallied team-high totals of 21 points and 11 rebounds this evening to record the second double-double of his career ... Rhodes has now been the team's leading (or co-leading) scorer on 14 occasions this year ... He has also been MSU's leading (or co-leading) rebounder nine times this season.