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Mississippi State will not have a losing season for the first time since 2011-2012.
Mississippi State’s postseason begin with a team they faced two earlier times this season - once as recent as Saturday.
The result stayed the same.
The Bulldogs defeated the LSU Tigers 79-52 Wednesday night in Nashville.
Game Recap
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Wednesday night began similar to many games this season for Mississippi State’s young team: a slow start, trouble to find rhythm, and some highly frustrating scoring droughts. LSU got out on a quick 8-0 run and State looked to be out of sorts early.
And then Tyson Carter happened.
The true-freshman local product exploded towards the end of the first half with steals, layups, and his deadly corner three point shot. His burst off the bench jump-started a 13-0 run to close the second half to give State a 37-25 heading into the break. Carter had 13 points in the first half.
The second half began similar to the first.
LSU got back into the game by hitting five of their first six shots after halftime, but Lamar Peters’ deep three and Quinndary Weatherspoon’s and-1 pushed it to 47-37 with 15:07 left in the half to give the Bulldogs some breathing room.
It was all Mississippi State the rest of the way.
The Bulldogs ended the game on a 32-15 run led by Tyson Carter, Quinndary Weatherspoon, and Xavian Stapelton, giving the Bulldogs momentum heading into the Second Round on Thursday.
Player of the Game
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Tyson Carter; 18 points (7- 14), 2 steals
Who else could it be?
The legacy out of Starkville High School exploded in his first ever postseason game. His shot was falling, he was having fun, and he showed how deadly he can be from three point range. The freshman proved he can make big shots in big games, a great sign for the Bulldogs going forward. Carter absolutely took over this game towards the end of the first half, and it carried over to the second. His impressive night earns our Player of the Game
With Tyson Carter’s shot falling, Mississippi State has a chance to make some noise in Nashville.
What’s Next
12th-seeded Mississippi State advances to the Second Round of the SEC Tournament to take on 5th-seeded Alabama tomorrow afternoon.
Mississippi State has played the Tide twice this season, but they have a chance to erase their earlier losses by winning tomorrow in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals.