Final
Mississippi State upends Gators in SEC clash
Jan 29, 2011 - 10:55 PM Starkville, MS (Sports Network) - Kodi Augustus made clutch free throws in the final two-plus minutes and came up with a big block in the closing seconds, helping Mississippi State pull out a 71-64 decision over 24th-ranked Florida.Dee Bost scored a game-high 24 points while Augustus and Renardo Sidney each netted 16 for the Bulldogs (11-9, 3-3 SEC), who snapped a two-game slide.
"This game will help us build up momentum for our next few games," Best said. "We just want to keep playing hard and winning."
Neither team made a field goal in the final four minutes of a tightly-played game, and Augustus' free throw gave the hosts the lead for good, 65-64, with 2:06 remaining.
In the midst of the Gators missing their final eight shots from the floor and three attempts from the foul line, Augustus and Bost each added two more from the stripe, the latter's resulting in a 69-64 lead with 21 seconds on the clock.
Erving Walker, who finished with 18 points, couldn't pull Florida closer, as his driving layup was pinned to the backboard by Augustus with 16 seconds left to essentially seal the outcome.
Florida (16-5, 5-2) came in riding a three-game win streak and was a perfect 5-0 in true road games.
The Gators gutted out a double overtime win at Georgia on Tuesday but couldn't secure another close one thanks to a porous 9-of-19 effort from the foul line.
"Free throws were definitely a big part of the game," Florida head coach Billy Donovan said. "The game really was the free throw line for us."
The hosts never trailed in the first half and held a slim 40-38 edge at intermission.
Florida took its first lead, 53-52, on Walker's three-pointer seven minutes into the second half, and it stayed tight from there.
Game Notes
Bost was 4-of-8 from three-point range...Chandler Parsons had a game-high 10 rebounds to go with nine points for Florida, which won the battle on the glass, 43-37...Ravern Johnson netted 15 points for the Bulldogs, whose bench was held scoreless.
- FLORIDA: 64
MISSISSIPPI STATE: 71
Final
Jan 29 3:06 PM - 88
roots - 72
roots - 60
roots - 46
roots - 33
roots - FLORIDA: 38
MISSISSIPPI STATE: 40
Halftime
Jan 29 1:51 PM - FLORIDA: 0
MISSISSIPPI STATE: 0
1st Half - 20:00
Jan 29 1:06 PM
Related News
- Florida vs. UCF, Game Thread: Gators get in-state foe in 2023 NIT Mar 15
- 2023 NCAA Tournament Cinderella Teams Mar 15
- March Madness: Pittsburgh Defeats Mississippi State, Advance to Round of 64 Mar 15
- 2023 NCAA Tournament Midwest Region Betting Primer (March Madness) Mar 14
- Mississippi State vs. Pittsburgh: 2023 NCAA Tournament First Four Player Prop Bet Projections Mar 14
- 2023 NCAA Tournament First Four Picks & Predictions: Tuesday (3/14) Mar 14
- Mississippi State vs. Pittsburgh: 2023 NCAA Tournament Best Bets & Picks Mar 13
- College Basketball Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Friday (3/10) Mar 10
- Mississippi State 69, Florida 68: Gators go down scrapping at SEC Tournament Mar 9
- Florida vs. Mississippi State, Game Thread: Gators get bubbling Bulldogs at SEC Tournament Mar 9
- Florida 79, LSU 67: Gators, Riley Kugel rally back to rock Tigers Mar 4
- Florida vs. LSU, Game Thread: A winning finish on Senior Night? Mar 4