Alabama Defeats Mississippi State 67-50
By Nick Jones
Alabama defended Coleman Coliseum on Saturday night in a big way. The Crimson Tide defeated Mississippi State 67-50 to improve to 19-9 (8-6 SEC). The loss drops Mississippi State to 19-10 (6-8 SEC).
Both teams seem to be going in opposite directions, Alabama is on a hot streak of late and Mississippi State can’t pickup their 20th win. Saturday night’s loss gives the Bulldogs their fifth straight loss. Mississippi State forward, Arnett Moultrie, summed it up best, saying, “I can feel the season slipping away.”
Levi Randolph had a career day to lead Alabama over the Bulldogs. Randolph finished with a career-high 18 points. He also added seven rebounds and four assists. Levi Randolph is a very balanced player. He can shoot, rebound and share the ball. Great combination for a young guard, plus he is excellent on the defensive side of the ball.
JaMychal Green added nine points and three rebounds in his first game back from suspension. It was a powerful moment when JaMychal Green checked in early in the first half. Almost every fan was up on their feet cheering Green’s return.
Anthony Grant continued the constant rotation of big men tonight. Carl Engstrom and JaMychal Green got the most playing time, each with over 24 minutes of play. Moussa Gueye got the start, but drew an early foul and didn’t return. Nick Jacobs added six points in only seven minutes, but accumulated four fouls.
Alabama looked very good on offense tonight, especially from behind the arc. The Tide shot 54.5 percent from three point range and 53.2 percent from the floor. Levi Randolph and Rodney Cooper both added two three-pointers. Not to mention, Randolph was perfect from outside (2-2).
Rodney Cooper deserves a lot of credit. He has been playing forward over the past few games, a position that he is a bit undersized for. He was able to hold Arnett Moultrie to seven points and eight rebounds. Moultrie is an All-SEC style player and averages a double-double. Rodney Cooper’s defensive performance played a major role in Saturday’s win.
Dee Bost and Renardo Sidney led the Bulldogs with 14 points. Mississippi State took control mid-way through the second half, but their lead wouldn’t last long. Trevor Releford was fouled on Alabama’s final shot of the half on a three-point attempt. Releford would make all three free throw shots to tie the game at half. Alabama didn’t look back, ending the first half on a high note was easily a big momentum swing in Alabama’s favor.
Alabama’s bench outscored Mississippi State’s 32-4. It is safe to say every single Alabama player put it all on the line tonight and it showed. Depth is something you need for a deep tournament run, it’s nice to see a whole team effort as tournament time approaches.
The Crimson Tide’s next game is Wednesday against Auburn in Tuscaloosa. Let’s see if Alabama can keep this streak rolling into the SEC tournament. Alabama is still playing for a first round bye in the tournament, every win counts at this point in the season!