MSU to defend perfect record
By By Tony Krausz / assistant sports editor
Jan. 9, 2004
The Mississippi State University men's basketball team will try to keep its record perfect when the Bulldogs open home conference play on Saturday.
The No. 22-ranked Bulldogs, who have started the season 12-0 for the first time in school history, host Southeastern Conference foe Arkansas at 2 p.m.
MSU survived a scare in the team's SEC opener against Ole Miss last Wednesday pulling out a 61-54 win at Tad Smith Coliseum.
Bulldogs guard Timmy Bowers scored 11 of the team's final 22 points to erase a 10-point deficit with eight minutes left in the game to secure the win.
Bowers and the rest of the squad will need to be on its game against when the Bulldogs meet the Razorbacks (8-4, 1-0 SEC). Arkansas lost its conference opener to LSU last Tuesday at home.
Jonathon Modica is pacing the Razorbacks' offense with 18.9 points per game, and Ronnie Brewer is contributing at a 12.2 clip.
Arkansas leads the all-time series against MSU 22-12, but the Bulldogs have won two of the last three meetings between the two squads.
The Lady Bulldogs will take on perineal SEC women's basketball powerhouse Tennessee at 2 p.m. Sunday. The Lady Vols enter the contest ranked No. 5.
The Ole Miss Rebels (8-4, 0-1 SEC) will look to rebound from having their six-game winning streak snapped against the Auburn Tigers.
Ole Miss will travel to Auburn for a 3 p.m. showdown with the SEC opponent on Saturday. The Tigers (9-3, 0-1 SEC) dropped their conference opener 59-53 last Wednesday to No. 20 Vanderbilt.
Saturday is Charles Barkley Bobblehead and Kid's Day. The first 2,000 fans receive a bobblehead featuring Barkley in an Auburn uniform. All youth 17 and under will receive free admission with the purchase of an adult ticket at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum.
The Lady Rebels travel to Arkansas for their second conference match up of the year for a 2 p.m. contest on Sunday.
Ole Miss won its last four games entering Thursday night's home game against Florida, and Arkansas took a seven-game winning streak into its contest with Tennessee on Thursday.
The University of Southern Mississippi men's basketball team (7-5, 0-1 Conference USA) hosts Memphis (9-2,) in a 4 p.m. contest on Saturday.
The Golden Eagles will look to rebound from the 76-42 drumming they suffered at the hands of 10th-ranked Louisville last Wednesday in the team's conference opener. The contest will be Memphis' first C-USA game of the year.
The Lady Eagles (12-1) open C-USA play against Tulane on Saturday, following the men's contest against Memphis.
