Oregon 69 - 76 Mississippi State
Final
  for this game

Varnado, Mississippi St. look to slow down Oregon

Mar 21, 2008 - 11:19 AM No. 9 Oregon (18-13) at No. 8 Mississippi St (22-10) 7:25 pm EDT

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (Ticker) - Jarvis Varnado and the Mississippi State defense will face a high-octane test against Oregon.

A clash in styles will happen when the eighth-seeded Bulldogs face off with the No. 9 Ducks in the first round of the NCAA Tournament South Regional on Friday.

Making a return to the NCAAs after a two-year absence, Mississippi State (22-10) will look to keep scoring at a reasonable level when it aims to advance out of the first round for a third straight time.

The top team from the Southeastern Conference's West Division, the Bulldogs reached the 20-win plateau for the sixth time in seven seasons under coach Rick Stansbury behind a defense that finished first in the league in scoring defense (65.0) and field-goal percentage (.369).

A big piece of that defensive effort is Varnado, who finished among the nation's leaders in blocks with 4.6 per game en route to being named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year. The sophomore's total of 148 blocks is a school record and has him just nine shy of match Shaquille O'Neal's all-time league mark of 157 set in 1991-92.

However, Varnado and his teammates will face a stiff challenge from Oregon (18-13), which likes to push the pace.

The Ducks average 76.8 points a game, and have surpassed 90 points five times this season. By contrast, the Bulldogs have allowed an opponent to score in the 80s just twice.

Oregon's attack is headed up by seniors Malik Hairston and Maarty Leunen, who combine for 31.3 points per game.

Not only do the Ducks like to run, but they love to shoot 3-pointers in bunches, leading the Pac-10 Conference with a 40.1 percentage from the arc and 8.7 made 3-pointers per game.

Last season, Oregon used its up-tempo style to advance to a regional final before losing to eventual champion Florida.

The winner will face either top seed Memphis or No. 16 Texas Arlington in the second round on Sunday.






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