Mississippi State Bullies Oregon in Final Minutes

It wasn’t pretty, but it was a win nonetheless for Mississippi State. Trailing Oregon for most of the game, the Bulldogs turned on the heat at just the right time, beating the Ducks 76-69  in their NCAA tournament first round game tonight, reports the AP. Charles Rhodes scored a career-high 34 points for Mississippi State, which advanced to meet top-seeded Memphis in the second round on Sunday.

Barry Stewart and Jarvis Varnado were the only other two players in double-digits for the  Bulldogs scoring 16 and 11 points respectively. Seven of Oregon’s first nine shots were from beyond the arc, as they shot an astounding 38 from 3-point range. Unfortunately, only nine went in as they blew a 13-point second half lead. Malik Hairston led the Ducks with 22 points; Oregon finished the year at 18-14. (More Oregon Ducks stories.)