Fred Thomas netted 18 points to lead the Mississippi State Bulldogs to a 73-67 decision over the LSU Tigers in an SEC matchup at Humphrey Coliseum.
Craig Sword contributed 14 points, five rebounds and five assists for the Bulldogs (10-11, 3-5 SEC), who entered the contest on a two-game losing slide. I.J. Ready tallied 12 points and four assists, while Gavin Ware registered a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards. Roquez Johnson posted nine points and 10 rebounds for MSU.
LSU (16-5, 5-3) had its three-game winning streak snapped despite a stellar showing by Jordan Mickey, who compiled 25 points and 10 rebounds. Keith Hornsby scored 15 points on 5-of-17 shooting from the floor, while Josh Gray chipped in 13 points before fouling out.
MSU took a 31-28 lead into the intermission after it knocked down 4-of-9 tries from 3-point range in the opening stanza. The Tigers were limited to 29.4 percent efficiency from the floor in the first half.
The Bulldogs failed to convert an attempt from behind the arc after the break, but made good on 50 percent of their shots from the field and 18-of-25 tries at the free-throw line over the final 20 minutes of the tilt. LSU hit on only 5-of-13 shots at the charity stripe in the second stanza.
LSU finished with a 43-40 advantage in total rebounds and also, a 36-28 edge in points in the paint.
[SportsNetwork.com]
