Severe weather delays SEC tournament

Mar 15, 2008 - 2:52 AM ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Heavy winds battered the Georgia Dome on Friday evening, delaying the Southeastern Conference tournament contest between Mississippi State and Alabama.

With Mississippi State holding a 64-61 lead with 2:11 remaining in overtime, the roof of the Georgia Dome reportedly rippled like waves on the ocean as a storm with winds of upward of 60 miles an hour rocked downtown Atlanta.

The teams were sent back to their respective locker rooms as engineers reviewed the building for any potential damage. According to unconfirmed reports, two panels in the roof of the Georgia Dome were damaged.

The Georgia Dome was not the only building affected. So were Philips Arena, the home of the NBA's Hawks and NHL's Thrashers, as well as the CNN Center and the Omni Hotel.

Play resumed at about 10:42 p.m. EDT after about a stoppage for about an hour.

Friday's fourth and final quarterfinal matchup between Kentucky and Georgia is still expected to be played following the contest between the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide.