Mississippi State
5-2
North Carolina A&T
5-4
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina A&T | 21 | 37 | 58 |
| Mississippi State | 41 | 33 | 74 |
State Cruises Past North Carolina A&T
December 12, 2010 | Men's Basketball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State hit a season-best 15 3-point baskets on the way to a 74-58 win over North Carolina A&T in a men's basketball game played Sunday afternoon in the Humphrey Coliseum.
The Bulldogs (5-2) spotted the visiting Aggies the game's opening basket but never trailed after answering on the other end. MSU hit 15-of-30 shots from 3-point range, including nine in the opening half.
With the victory, the Bulldogs snapped a modest two-game losing streak. The spirited effort was much needed for a team, which lost to East Tennessee State 63-62 less than 16 hours earlier.
“The response by the team was really good,” MSU head coach Rick Stansbury said. “After a disappointing loss, you are worried about the effort level. However, I thought we played with a lot of energy and a lot of focus. It was a much better effort from start to finish.”
The Aggies (5-4) hung tough through the initial stages of the contest. Leading by a slim 13-10 count, the Bulldogs found overdrive, reeling off a 22-9 run. Riley Benock and Ravern Johnson started things with back-to-back 3's. A monster dunk by Johnson on an alley-oop pass sparked the crowd and kept the Bulldogs headed in the right direction.
MSU shot 46.9 percent from the field while scoring a season-best 41 points in the opening half. The Maroon and White led comfortably 41-21 at the intermission.
In the final 20 minutes, the Bulldogs were able to weather a pair of mini-runs by the Aggies. The Bulldogs held two different 20-point advantages - Johnson hit a trey making it 49-29, while about eight minutes later Benock did the same, making it 63-43. The Bulldogs led by as many as 23 in the closing minutes.
“It was good to be able to get different players some many minutes,” Stansbury said. “Really, we haven't been able to play the bench because every game has been a nail-biter, even the exhibition game. So it was good to get a lot of players in the lineup.”
For the contest, the Bulldogs hit 25 of 59 shots from the field (42.4 percent), 15 of 30 shots from 3-point range (50.0 percent) and 9 of 13 shots from the foul line (69.2 percent). The Aggies hit 23 of 65 shots from the field (35.4 percent), 7 of 25 shots from 3-point range (28.0 percent) and 5 of 11 shots from 3-point range (45.5 percent).
The Bulldogs held a 45-37 rebounding advantage. MSU had 18 assists and 18 turnovers, while NC A&T had 12 assists and 13 turnovers.
Johnson paced the Bulldogs with 17 points, including a 5-for-10 night from 3-point range. Benock added 15 points, including a 5-of-7 night from 3-point range. Benock also added a team-high eight rebounds and five assists. John Riek played 11 minutes, energizing the crowd, while forcing a held ball, pulling down two rebounds and scoring four points.
Nic Simpson paced NC A&T with 16 points. Thomas Coleman had a double-double, with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
The Bulldogs host Nicholls at 7 p.m. Monday and Alabama State at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
