By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com
The Ole Miss Rebels basketball team returns to the Pavilion on Saturday as they host No. 21 Mississippi State Bulldogs. Tip off is set for 2:30 p.m. on the SEC Network.
Ole Miss (14-6, 4-3) comes to the court looking to rebound from a heartbreaking loss to Florida 90-86 on Wednesday night.
Senior Terence Davis lead the way in scoring for the Rebels with a double-double 26 points and 12 rebounds against the Gators.
Freshman Blake Hinson scored a career-high 26 points in his first meeting with the Bulldogs last month.
Junior Breein Tyree is averaging 11.0 ppg; in five career games against MSU, he is averaging 16.2 ppg.
MSU enters Saturday’s rivalry contest with a 15-5 record following a midweek road loss at Alabama.
Four Bulldogs average double figures led by Quinndary Weatherspoon at 17.2 ppg. Lamar Peters averages 13.1 ppg as a dangerous shooter from long range, making 2.8 three-pointers per game at a 38.9 percent clip. Along with averaging 11.5 ppg, Aric Holman has 2.2 blocks per game to rank 24th nationally.
As a team, MSU ranks 15th in the country with 5.2 blocks per game.
Ben Howland is in his fourth season as MSU’s head coach. His 23rd season as a head coach, Howland’s previous stops include Northern Arizona (1995-99), Pittsburgh (2000-03) and UCLA (2004-13).
The Bulldogs are Ole Miss’ most-played opponent, having met 259 times on the hardwood, which is also the SEC’s most-played rivalry. Mississippi State holds a 143-116 lead in the series, which began in 1914, but the Rebels have won nine of the last 11 matchups, the best streak against the Bulldogs since winning nine of 11 from 1978-83. Included in that stretch were eight straight wins from 1980-83. Ole Miss holds an 84-43 advantage in Oxford, winning the past seven at home that includes a perfect 3-0 mark in The Pavilion (opened 2016).
In the first meeting this season, Ole Miss outlasted No. 14 Mississippi State at Humphrey Coliseum (Jan. 12). The Rebels clawed back into the game towards the end of the first half and controlled the game late against the Bulldogs en route to an 81-77 victory.
Fans that are not able to make it to the Pavilion can watch all the action on the SEC Network or listen to the call on the Ole Miss Radio Network.
