Bulldogs look for win at Bud Walton
By By Tony Krausz / assistant sports editor
Feb. 13, 2004
Mississippi State University will try to slay one of the program's oldest demons on the basketball court this weekend.
The No. 6-ranked Bulldogs travel to Fayetteville, Ark., to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
MSU (20-1, 9-1 Southeastern Conference) has not emerged victorious from Fayetteville in over 30 years. The Bulldogs last win over the Razorbacks on Arkansas' homecourt came in the 1970-71 season.
The Bulldogs have never won in the Razorbacks' current home, Bud Walton Arena, since Arkansas opened their home building in 1994.
MSU's new team, which includes only one starter from last year's squad guard Timmy Bowers, has proven its mettle on the road this season.
The Bulldogs have posted a perfect 5-0 record for road games inside the conference, and they are 10-0 overall away from Humphrey Coliseum.
While the losing streak at Bud Walton, which has reached 10 games, doesn't concern Stansbury, the six-year Bulldog coach said he is a little worried about the quick turnaround between road games.
MSU enters the weekend contest fresh off a 79-75 overtime win on the road against No. 25 South Carolina on Wednesday.
Ole Miss will not have to worry about the perils of the road this weekend.
The Rebels (11-9, 3-6 SEC) stay at home on Saturday, following a week off since their 80-56 loss to MSU on Feb. 7, to take on the Auburn Tigers (12-8, 3-6 SEC).
Ole Miss has plenty of motivation coming into the 5 p.m. schedule game against Auburn, which will be televised on Fox Sports Net.
Aside from rebounding from a second double-digit loss to in-state rival MSU, the Rebels will be looking to avenge an 80-53 drumming the team suffered on the road against Auburn on Jan. 10.
Auburn coach Cliff Ellis said his team is not putting much stock into the result of its first game of the year with Ole Miss entering the contest at Tad Smith Coliseum.
The University of Southern Mississippi will try to bounce back from a 69-65 home loss to the University of Alabama at Birmingham in a road contest today.
The Golden Eagles (11-9, 4-5 Conference USA) travel to take on South Florida (6-14, 0-9 C-USA) at 6 p.m. today.
USM came with in one errant pass of sending its game against UAB into overtime on Wednesday.
With the Eagles trailing by two points in the final 10 seconds, Blazers forward Demario Eddins picked off an in-bounds pass by Donte Stiggers and sealed UAB's win with a dunk.
In Southwestern Athletic Conference action around the state, Mississippi Valley State (15-6, 9-2 SWAC) will try to keep its one-game conference lead in tact against in-state foe Alcorn State (7-13, 6-5 SWAC).
The Delta Devils, who have a one-game lead on Jackson State in the SWAC, travel to Lorman to take on the Braves at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Jackson State (10-10, 8-3 SWAC) will take on Prairie View A&M (4-15, 4-6 SWAC) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday on the road, as the Tigers try to stay close to the top spot in the conference.
