Vols' Buzz Peterson impressed by Bulldogs
By By Tony Krausz / assistant sports editor
Jan. 30, 2004
STARKVILLE Tennessee came into Humphrey Coliseum wrapping up one of the toughest six-game spans of any team's season.
The Volunteers (10-6, 2-4 Southeastern Conference) faced their fifth ranked team in six games when they tipped off against No. 11 Mississippi State University on Wednesday.
Tennessee played No. 14 Florida, No. 23 Vanderbilt, No. 9 Kentucky and No. 5 Louisville during its last six-game stretch.
The only team the Volunteers have played in the last two weeks that has not been ranked was South Carolina. Tennessee played South Carolina on Jan. 17, before the Gamecocks earned their No. 24 ranking at the start of this week.
MSU didn't make life any easier for Tennessee, as the Bulldogs (17-1, 7-1 SEC) handed the Volunteers an 82-60 loss.
Off the bench
MSU center Wesley Morgan made a rare appearance in the opening half against Tennessee.
The 7-foot-2 sophomore from Gattatin, Tenn., entered Wednesday night's contest with 3:33 left in the first half.
Morgan, who had played only 13 minutes this season, recorded three rebounds and broke up a pass before returning to the bench with 33 seconds left in the half.
But the reserve player's highlight came with 1:05 left in the first. Morgan fed a pass to forward Lawrence Roberts from the top of the key. Roberts slammed the ball home for two points and was fouled on the play.
Morgan finished the game with seven points and seven rebounds in nine minutes of play.
Afoul at the line
After starting 6-for-6 at the free-throw line, Tennessee hit a dry spell with 7:51 to play in the first half. The Volunteers missed four straight free throws in a four-minute span.
Tennessee guard Stanley Asumnu, who was fouled by Winsome Frazier with 7:51 to play, began the troubles at the line. The sophomore guard airballed his second free throw attempt, as MSU held a 25-15 lead.
Volunteers forward Brandon Crump also missed a pair of free throws with 3:47 left in the first half.
Power factor
After MSU's loss to Kentucky, head coach Rick Stansbury decided the time was right to reconstruct his starting lineup.
The cosmetic change to the Bulldogs' starting five was the lifting of Marcus Campbell from the lineup and inserting Shane Power.
Stansbury's shuffling has paid dividends for MSU. The team has rattled off four straight wins, including Wednesday night's victory against Tennessee, since the change was made in the 64-54 win over LSU on Jan.17.
Power has averaged 10.3 points and five rebounds since being named a starter, and Campbell has averaged six points and four rebounds in the last four games. Campbell was averaging 8.9 points and 5.6 rebounds as a starter.
