Mississippi State beats LSU, 84-75.
And how appropriate it was for Charles Rhodes to lead the Bulldogs with 27 points in his final game at the Hump.
And for good measure, he kissed the M-State logo at center court as he walked off the floor with just a few seconds remaining.
Sophomore forward Jarvis Varnado just hit a 3-pointer. It’s his career first, and probably his last.
Even Rick Stansbury smiled.
In all honesty, I’m not sure Jarvis meant to shoot it. Oh well.
With 5:24 to play, the Bulldogs lead 70-60.
It’s LSU leading MSU, 43-42.
No. That’s not a misprint. The Bulldogs have their hands full.
Some tidbits for you to chew on . . .
• MSU is 15 of 32 from the floor, 6 of 12 from beyond the arc.
• LSU is 15 of 33, 2 0f 7.
• The Bulldogs are a perfect 6 of 6 at the foul line, while LSU is 11 of 15.
• Charles Rhodes leads MSU with 10 points, while Hansbrough has nine.
• Marcus Thornton leads the Tigers with 17 points, while Anthony Randolph and Chris Johnson have 11 each.
• Each team has six turnovers.
Probable Starters
Mississippi State (20-9, 11-4)
G – Ben Hansbrough
G – Barry Stewart
G – Jamont Gordon
F – Charles Rhodes
F – Jarvis Varnado
Top reserves: F Brian Johnson, G Ravern Johnson, F Elgin Bailey
LSU (13-16, 6-9)
G – Marcus Thornton
G – Garrett Temple
G – Alex Farrer
C – Chris Johnson
F – Anthony Randolph
Top reserves: G Bo Spencer, G Terry Martin, F Quintin Thornton
Notes:
• MSU has won six out of the last 10 in this series, but LSU has won two of the last three in Starkville.
• With seven more blocks, MSU will tie the SEC single-season record set by Kentucky in 1997-98.
• As a ranked team, the Bulldogs are 0-3 this year.
• MSU is 19-3 this year when leading at the half.
