Bulldogs miss chance at UK

By By Austin Bishop / EMG Regional Sports Director
Feb. 24, 2003
LEXINGTON, Ky. Opportunities.
In order for Mississippi State to knock off No. 2-ranked Kentucky at Rupp Arena on Sunday afternoon the Bulldogs needed to do two things get opportunities and then take advantage of them.
Despite trailing by 19 points in the first half and by 16 with just over 10 minutes to play in the game, MSU now 17-6 overall and 7-5 in SEC play cut the Wildcat lead to 60-55 with 5:13 left on the clock.
MSU then had four straight opportunities to cut into UK's precarious five-point lead, but came away with nothing.
First came a three-point miss by Bowers. That was followed by a miss on a drive to the goal by senior point guard Derrick Zimmerman.
On trip three Mario Austin missed the front end of a one-plus-one, and then on the fourth time down the floor Zimmerman bounced the ball into the post, but nobody was there.
The importance of those four trips weren't lost on Austin, the junior post from York, Ala.
The Wildcats then responded on the offensive end and moved their lead to nine points at 67-58 with 1:07 to play in the game.
The Bulldogs did manage to cut the UK lead to five at 67-62 on a tip-in by Bowers, but the Wildcats made three free throws at the end for the final eight-point spread.
Despite being the first team to be beaten by less than 10 points by the Wildcats since UK beat South Carolina 62-55 on Jan. 11, the Bulldogs weren't looking for moral victories.
The Bulldogs said they were also looking for the opportunity to take on UK again.
That match-up could take place in the SEC Tournament in New Orleans March 13-16 or in the NCAA Tournament.
But for now the Bulldogs, tied for first in the SEC West with Auburn at 7-5, must focus on the University of Alabama, which visits Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville on Wednesday.
The first half of Sunday's game was all Kentucky. The Wildcats held just a 9-6 lead with 15:04 left in the half, but then went on a 23-7 run to jump out to a 32-13 lead on a three-pointer by Keith Bogans with 6:24 to go until intermission.
The Bulldogs did begin to whittle away at the lead and amazingly enough cut it within 10 at the half when Timmy Bowers knocked down a running 20-footer at the buzzer.
UK had a 38-25 lead and the ball with 28 seconds left, but turned the ball over with 3.9 seconds left on a shot violation. Bowers then took the throw-in at the free-throw line extended on his own end of the floor and managed to dribble through the Kentucky defense and get off the desperation three-pointer to make it 38-28 at the break.
There was only one free throw taken in the first half by the two teams combined a miss by Austin with 2:06 left in the half. The two defensive-minded teams only had eight fouls between them over the first 20 minutes, with the Bulldogs having just two.
Free throw shooting was a problem for both teams. Although UK finished at 7-of-14 from the line, the Wildcats missed six of their first seven attempts.
State also struggled at the line. MSU finished 8-of-14, but started out just 3-of-8 from the line before Austin hit 5-of-6 down the stretch. Austin led the Bulldogs with 20 points and eight rebounds, while Bowers had 13 points, including a trio of three-pointers and Michael Ignerski had 11.
Bogans led Kentucky, now 22-3 overall and 12-0 in SEC play, with 18 points, while Cliff Hawkins scored 14 points off the bench, hitting 5-of-6 from the floor. Marquis Estill scored 10 points and had eight rebounds for the Wildcats.