Bulldogs finish strong to add another victory

If Wednesday night at Humphrey Coliseum proved anything, it's that it's not about how you start, but how you finish.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs added another win to its current streak with a 64-53 victory over the LSU Tigers.

MSU started the game fast by scoring the first 10 points of the night, but LSU responded by getting in the Bulldogs' faces and hitting big shots down the stretch. When it seemed the Tigers were going to go into halftime with the lead, MSU went on a 9-0 run to close out the first half with a 2522 lead.

The second half started similar to the first half when the Bulldogs started fast and led by as many as 15 points late in the game. MSU had six 3-point field goals go through the net as it pulled out its fourth-straight win and gained more NCAA Tournament steam.

Bulldog guard Shawn Jones, Jr. says that it's all about just staying the course and keep playing hard when shots aren't falling.

“It's really all about staying together and just playing hard,” Jones said. “Don't worry about shots not falling on offense. If you play defense every possession, we'll be fine. Just stick together and we'll get the job done.”

Jones had six points inside the paint on Wednesday night, which were big buckets for MSU. He talked about how much it helped his confidence by getting those big shots.

“It's really big to me that I can contribute to my team like that,” Jones said. “I don't really worry about scoring, I just stay focused defensively, listen to what the coaches say, and let the game come to me.”

Now that the Bulldogs have won four in a row, it makes head coach Chris Jans pleased with his team's progress over the last couple of weeks.

“I'm proud of their ability to stick together and handle some adversity and some games that didn't go the way we wanted them to or that our fans wanted them to,”jans said.“they're getting paid for continuing to work, continuing to believe in each other and believe what we're trying to sell them each and every game plan.”

Jans had nothing but good things to say about Jones' contributions.

“He looked good,” Jans said. “You know, he makes those plays where you go, ‘oh wow, that was a heck of a finish.' He's just so lanky and long, and he just moves so well out there. He had some great finishes. He played with

more confidence. He hasn't shot the ball well. He's had limited attempts, but he shoots and makes jumpers in practice. He's playing with a lot of confidence. He feels he belongs out there.”

Now MSU (16-8, 4-7) will look to stack yet another win when it travels to Fayetteville, Ark. to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks at 5 p.m. on Saturday.