Bulldogs look to even things up with LSU

By By Danny P. Smith/special to The Star
January 25, 2003
STARKVILLE The Mississippi State Bulldogs don't have to think back very far to recall their worse loss of the basketball season.
It was only two weeks ago when the 22nd-ranked Bulldogs lost to the LSU Tigers 85-72 in Baton Rouge, La.
The two teams meet again Saturday. Only this time, the stage is the Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville at 2 p.m.
It will be a game between two teams trying to establish something positive in the Southeastern Conference Western Division. Both stand at 1-3 in the league.
The Bulldogs won their first SEC game against South Carolina Wednesday and improved to 11-4 overall, while the Tigers have dropped two straight conference games and fell to 12-4 overall.
Mississippi State head coach Rick Stansbury said it doesn't matter what LSU has done in the last two games. He knows the task at hand will be difficult for his team.
In falling to the Tigers at the Maravich Assembly Center, the Bulldogs gave up the most points of the season at 85 and allowed LSU to shoot 63 percent (32 of 51) from the field.
Four Tigers were able to score in double digits against the Bulldogs in the recent meeting and Biloxi native Ronald Dupree was one of those. Dupree had a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Jamie Lloreda added 19 points and nine rebounds for LSU.
In order to beat the Tigers this time, Vincent said it will be very important for Mississippi State to defend and rebound.
Vincent has proven to be effective on defense during his limited time on the court for the Bulldogs. He leads Mississippi State in blocked shots with 12 and is fourth in rebounds with 62 boards.
Junior center Mario Austin paces the Bulldogs in scoring at 18.2 points per game and rebounding at 8.1 boards per outing.
Austin managed to score 17 points and grab seven rebounds at LSU despite being hampered by a bruised knee which almost kept him from playing.
special to The Star
STARKVILLE The Mississippi State Bulldogs don't have to think back very far to recall their worse loss of the basketball season.
It was only two weeks ago when the 22nd-ranked Bulldogs lost to the LSU Tigers 85-72 in Baton Rouge, La.
The two teams meet again Saturday. Only this time, the stage is the Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville at 2 p.m.
It will be a game between two teams trying to establish something positive in the Southeastern Conference Western Division. Both stand at 1-3 in the league.
The Bulldogs won their first SEC game against South Carolina Wednesday and improved to 11-4 overall, while the Tigers have dropped two straight conference games and fell to 12-4 overall.
Mississippi State head coach Rick Stansbury said it doesn't matter what LSU has done in the last two games. He knows the task at hand will be difficult for his team.
In falling to the Tigers at the Maravich Assembly Center, the Bulldogs gave up the most points of the season at 85 and allowed LSU to shoot 63 percent (32 of 51) from the field.
Four Tigers were able to score in double digits against the Bulldogs in the recent meeting and Biloxi native Ronald Dupree was one of those. Dupree had a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Jamie Lloreda added 19 points and nine rebounds for LSU.
In order to beat the Tigers this time, Vincent said it will be very important for Mississippi State to defend and rebound.
Vincent has proven to be effective on defense during his limited time on the court for the Bulldogs. He leads Mississippi State in blocked shots with 12 and is fourth in rebounds with 62 boards.
Junior center Mario Austin paces the Bulldogs in scoring at 18.2 points per game and rebounding at 8.1 boards per outing.
Austin managed to score 17 points and grab seven rebounds at LSU despite being hampered by a bruised knee which almost kept him from playing.