Stansbury takes early departure
By By Tony Krausz/assistant sports editor
February 8, 2004
STARKVILLE Mississippi State University coach Rick Stansbury didn't last long in his team's second meeting with Ole Miss.
The MSU coach picked up his second technical foul five minutes and eight seconds into the contest, leading to his early departure from the game.
Stansbury picked up his game-ejecting technical following a traveling call on guard Timmy Bowers.
Bowers, who was trapped by a pair of Rebels at midcourt, tried to fight through the defenders and ended up falling to the ground.
Stansbury walked out to the center circle after Bowers was called for the travel, and he slapped his right forearm with his left hand towards official Karl Hess.
Hess, who called a technical on Stansbury three minutes into the game, called the second technical against the Bulldogs' coach, throwing him out of the game with 14:52 left in the first half.
Physical first
MSU and Ole Miss combined for 24 fouls in the first half, with Ole Miss being whistled for 16.
The Bulldogs were able to hit 17-of-24 free throws to show for their bumps and bruises, and the Rebels went 6-for-12 at the line in the rough-and-tumble opening half.
MSU took a 31-29 win at halftime.
Big wins
In all of the Bulldogs' wins at home against SEC opponents, MSU has outscored its opponents by double digits.
MSU, which has gone 4-1 at home against in-conference foes, defeated Ole Miss by 24 points on Saturday.
The Bulldogs defeated Arkansas 80-62 on Jan. 10, Georgia 71-58 on Jan. 24 and Tennessee 82-60 on Jan. 28.
MSU's only loss at home came on Jan. 13 to Kentucky. The Wildcats won the game 67-66.
Bulldogs' streaks
Mississippi State University (19-1, 8-1 Southeastern Conference) entered Saturday's contest against in-state rival Ole Miss (11-9, 3-6 SEC) working on three separate winning streaks.
The No. 7-ranked Bulldogs had not lost to the Rebels in the two Mississippi teams last five meetings. MSU had not lost a game in its last five tries, and the squad from Starkville had not fallen to a SEC Western Division foe this season entering the game.
The Bulldogs extended all of their streaks taking an 80-56 win over the Rebels.
MSU leads the all-time series against Ole Miss 128-101.
Channeling Favre
MSU reserve center Marcus Campbell arrived at Humphrey Coliseum wearing the jersey of one of Mississippi's most famous athletes.
The 7-footer was decked out in Brett Favre's No. 4 Green Bay Packers jersey.
Meeting in the polls
Saturday's contest marked the 12th time MSU and Ole Miss have met while of the two teams has been ranked in the national polls, since the 1995-96 season.
The Bulldogs' No. 7-ranking is the highest either one of the two teams have been ranked during the span.
Ole Miss previously held the highest ranking in the meeting, when the Rebels were No. 13 in the nation in the two teams' first meeting in the 1997-98 season.
