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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) -- Ranked and on the road is a bad
combination for LSU (No. 25 ESPN/USA Today, No. 22 AP). Playing in Starkville just seems to make
matters worse for the Tigers.
Derrick Zimmerman hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 24 seconds
left and Mississippi State overcame a 12-point deficit in the final
5½ minutes to beat LSU 68-66 Wednesday night.
LSU, coming of an 86-60 win over Arizona at home on Saturday
that got the Tigers back into the Top 25, lost its 16th straight
Southeastern Conference road game. LSU has lost seven in a row at
Starkville.
Tigers coach John Brady said that until his team can win away
from home it has a long way to go.
"Coming off a great win and to have a disappointing loss is
tough for us," Brady said. "But until this basketball program can
prove that it can win on the road and win in hostile environments
and have the composure necessary, we're not where we need to be."
LSU hasn't won an SEC road game since beating Florida in overtime 66-63 in 1998.
Tang Hamilton had 13 of his 17 points in the second half for the
Bulldogs. Robert Jackson scored 14, all after halftime.
"Our team in the last eight minutes of that basketball game
played with as much toughness and as much heart as you can ever ask
a team to play with," Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury said.
"They (the Bulldogs) turned up the intensity defensively. We
had some great individual efforts."
Torris Bright led LSU (16-4, 3-4 Southeastern Conference) with
17. Stromile Swift had 14, but just two in the second half.
Swift said that he would prefer the pollsters to ignore the
Tigers.
"I believe we play better we aren't ranked. When we are the
underdog," said Swift, who had just four shots in the second half
after taking 12 in the first. "When we get ranked we get
relaxed."
LSU looked to be in control, up 63-51 with 5:30 left, but
Mississippi State went on a 14-0 run. The Bulldogs (12-8, 3-4) took
the lead when Hamilton slashed to the basket for a slam with 1:16
remaining.
"I felt we had the game if kept playing hard," Swift said.
Jabari Smith tied it for LSU with two free throws.
LSU nearly forced a turnover on Mississippi State's next
possession, but the Bulldogs retrieved a loose ball and Marckell
Patterson alertly called timeout with three seconds left on the
shot clock.
Zimmerman was just the third option on the inbounds play. The
first was a lob to Hamilton, the second was a jump shot by guard
Antonio Jackson.
But Todd Myles inbounded the ball to Zimmerman, who let it fly
from about 26 feet with the 6-11 Smith rushing towards him, arms
extended. The shot swished to give Mississippi State a 68-65 lead
and cap the comeback.
"I knew I had to just get the shot up quick and high enough to
get over the 6-11 guy," Zimmerman said. "As soon as I released
it, I knew it was good."
Zimmerman called the win the biggest of the season for the
Bulldogs.
"They have two NBA players on their team," said Zimmerman,
referring to Smith and Swift.
Swift looked like a future NBA lottery pick when he made a
windmill slam that gave LSU a 47-36 lead and prompted a timeout by
Mississippi State with 15:49 left. Hamilton kept the Bulldogs in
the game by scoring nine straight points.
Hamilton's 3-pointer with 11:29 left got the LSU lead down to
52-43 and started an 8-0 MSU run.
Smith momentarily restored order for LSU with a hoop that
started an 11-3 run that built the lead back to 63-51, but the
Tigers went cold offensively after the spurt.
"Our team didn't do what was necessary to win. Mississippi
State played harder the last four minutes then we did," Brady
said.
"It was a game we had under control. Had we responded to
Mississippi State in the last four minutes LSU could have won the
game, but we did not."
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ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
LSU Clubhouse
Mississippi State Clubhouse
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