South Carolina goes on the road for its penultimate midweek game of the 2020-21 season, a 7pm tip against Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss.
This will be the second meeting between Gamecocks and Bulldogs, who met on February 6 in Columbia. MSU’s 75-59 victory was the first of Carolina’s five consecutive defeats since Florida’s February 3 defeat.
GAME INFORMATION
Arena: Humphrey Coliseum (10,575)
Streaming: SEC Network
Game by game: Roy Philpott
Analyst: Mark Wise
Radio: Gamecock Radio Network
In columbia: 107.5 The Game
Game by game: Derek Scott
Analyst: Casey Manning
Sirius: – | XM: 192 | Internet: 963
Watch: App WatchESPN / ESPN
Live Stats: GamecocksOnline.com
Series: State of Mississippi leads 24-16
In Starkville: MSU leads 13-4
Series Trend: Bulldogs have won three of the last five meetings and three in a row in Starkville
Last meeting: 75-59 Victory in the state of Mississippi on February 6, 2021, in Columbia
GAMECOCK NOTES
– Gamecocks hit only 31.1% of their attempts from the ground (19-61), and Bulldogs hit 46.4% (26-56) in their first encounter this season. Carolina was also defeated, with MSU having a 46-30 lead on the glass.
– Coach Frank Martin noted that Jermaine Couisnard (ankle) returned to the training ground on Monday and his status for Wednesday’s game would depend on how he could train on Tuesday before the team flew to Starkville.
– Junior guard AJ Lawson averages 3.12 has scored three points per game this season, which leads the SEC and is the 14th nationally. He reached five points against Alabama’s No. 11 on February 9.
– Striker Junior Keyshawn Bryant scored 15 points against Mizzou, marking his ninth double-digit score in the SEC game this season. He averages 16.1 points per league game and has hit 50.4% of his attempts on the ground.
– Gamecocks are back on the road on Saturday, traveling to face Georgia in a showdown at 1 pm ET at the Stegeman Coliseum in Athens. The contest between Gamecocks and Bulldogs is set to be broadcast on the SEC Network.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
– The state of Mississippi is 12-11 overall and holds a 6-8 mark in SEC games. Bulldogs are led by coach Ben Howland in his sixth season.
– In home games this season, MSU is 8-5, with a 2-5 mark in home conference games. More recently, the Bulldogs won a 66-56 victory on the road to Ole Miss led by Iverson Molinar’s 17 points.
– Molinar (16.9), DJ Stewart Jr. (16.7) and Tolu Smith (12.8) double digit midpoints for the Bulldogs this season, with 8.3 rebounds from Smith a high team. Forward Abdul Ado adds 6.2 rebounds per game. The 1.78 Ado blocks per game are fourth in the SEC and 46 nationwide. As a team, MSU is 37th in the country, with 4.5 blocks per game. Smith’s six doubles doubles in the year are a SEC record, and his 3.39 offensive rebounds per game surpass the SEC and rank 21st nationally.
TO QUOTE
“I hope that we can defend much better than we have lately. Based on our last game against the state of Mississippi, we made some fairly good plays in which we won 47-45 and then they went 14-0.
“We have to be a lot better defensively than we have been. … We had a really good time. It’s not like we can’t do that. In some of the games we play, this is done. At the moment, trying to find that resolution remains a daily challenge. I’m right in the middle of it now. It is the first time in my career as head coach at the end of the season that we continue to find the determination to deal with those tough times in the games. ”- Frank Martin