With 4:04 left in the first half, South Carolina was all over Mississippi State, up 16 points and holding the Bulldogs under 30% shooting. With 3:56 left in the second half, true freshman forward Reggie Perry hit two free throws to put MSU up 11, and from there State would add on, taking a 76-61 win over the Gamecocks off the heels of a nearly improbable comeback. MSU has been in that situation so many times this year, only to find themselves a bucket or two short in the end. This time, State roared all the way back, sparked by Perry, Quinndary Weatherspoon, and a solid night from Lamar Peters.
PETERS FINDS HIS WAY
G E T B U C K E T S 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/jqj4quE55k
— Mississippi State Basketball (@HailStateMBK) February 24, 2019
Lamar Peters has been in a bit of a funk lately, but Saturday night, he was the leader State needed from the point guard position. He started the Bulldog comeback with a four point play that cut the Gamecock lead from 13 to 9, and from there he would score 7 more points to go with 9 assists, including the beauty you see up above. When Peters is playing well, Mississippi State is incredibly difficult to beat, as his ability to break down defenders off the dribble consistently frees up his teammates for easy buckets. Peters also delivered three steals on the defensive end. State will need these kind of performances the rest of the way if they want to make a run in the NCAA Tournament.
PERRY PROVES HE’S NO ORDINARY FRESHMAN
High-low action as Aric Holman finds Reggie Perry for the two-handed rim rock
Dawgs up 60-52 at the 6:48 mark #HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/BWt8IzhlAw
— Mississippi State Basketball (@HailStateMBK) February 24, 2019
It’s reached a point with Reggie Perry that you are starting to expect big games from him, which is quite a statement considering he’s only a freshman. Perry led the Bulldogs with 21 points, including 7-7 from the free throw line. His move into the starting lineup has had Mississippi State playing its best basketball, with the Bulldogs 5-2 in that time frame, Perry getting double figures in 6 of those games. Perry is going to be a strong candidate for SEC Freshman of the Year if he continues to put together games like this one, and the Bulldogs can go a long way if he continues to get better.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Tough one on the road.
Florida 64, Mizzou 60 pic.twitter.com/ddGSy1K5HO
— Mizzou Basketball (@MizzouHoops) February 23, 2019
Missouri heads to the Humphrey Coliseum for a Tuesday tip-off. State will once again be a big favorite, as the Tigers are getting close to that sub-100 mark in the NET Rankings. A win will all but seal up an NCAA Tournament berth for the Bulldogs, a loss would put a tough black mark on their resume.
We’ll discuss this and everything else that’s gone on this weekend in Starkville on the Thunder & Lightning Podcast, and on Monday’s SportsTalk Mississippi.
Photo courtesy of Mississippi State athletics
