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Mississippi State Advances, Defeating Vanderbilt, 62-52

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NASHVILLE, Tenn.(AP) -- Barry Stewart scored 14 points and Mississippi State advanced to its second consecutive Southeastern Conference tournament championship game with a 62-52 win over No. 20 Vanderbilt on Saturday.

The Bulldogs (23-10) face a Kentucky team returning to the championship game for the first time since 2004.

Dee Bost, Phil Turner and Jarvis Varnado each added 11 for Mississippi State, which won four straight games in the 2009 tournament for its first title in seven seasons. The Bulldogs received a first-round bye this time after sharing the SEC West Division crown with Mississippi, a team they beat twice this season.

Jermaine Beal scored 11 for Vanderbilt (24-8), which was hoping to reach the SEC tournament championship game for only the second time.

SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament Notes
Mississippi State (#1 Seed-West) vs. Vanderbilt (#2 Seed-East)
Game 10, SEC Semifinals, Saturday, March 13, 2010, Tipoff: 2:30 pm CT

Mississippi State 62 – Vanderbilt 52  

With the win, Mississippi State moves to 23-10. The Bulldogs will advance to the finals of the SEC tourney, and face Kentucky (#1-East). Tipoff for the SEC tourney finals is Sunday at 12 noon, CT

The Bulldogs will attempt to repeat as the SEC tourney champions. They also will make their sixth appearance in the tournament finals. They were 3-2 in previous SEC tourney championship games.

With the loss, Vanderbilt falls to 24-8 overall.

Mississippi State Notes

Mississippi State will make its fourth SEC tournament championship appearance during the Rick Stansbury Era.

Mississippi State moves to 27-46 all-time in SEC tournament play. The Bulldogs are now 5-7 all-time against Vanderbilt in SEC tourney play. Mississippi State is now 2-2 in SEC tourney games played in Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

With SEC tourney wins over Florida and Vanderbilt, Mississippi State is now 4-4 this season against SEC East opponents. The Bulldogs even their season record against the Commodores at 1-1. They were defeated in Nashville 75-72 on Feb. 3.

    • Varnado was stellar in the Bulldog victory, both on the offensive and defensive ends. He also contributed six blocked shots and     did a     tremendous job on A.J. Ogilvy. The Commodore center was held without a field goal for the first time in his career, and scored just two points.     Varnado also added 11 points.
    • Mississippi State held Vanderbilt to just 34.6% shooting (18-of-52).
    • Barry Stewart topped the Bulldog scoring attack with 14 points and eight rebounds.
    • The Bulldogs featured four players in double figures – Stewart (14), Dee Bost (11), Phil Turner (11) and Varnado (11)
    • Mississippi State had eight blocked shots (six by Varnado) and forced 11 Vanderbilt turnovers.
    • A 7-0 Mississippi State run gives the Bulldogs a 7-5 edge at the 16:09 mark.
    • Eight straight points by Barry Turner, including a pair of 3-pointers, allows MSU to take a 16-11 lead at the 11:52 mark.
    • In the first 10 minutes, the Bulldogs are 4-of-9 from 3-point range, helping MSU to a 19-13 lead with 11:19 left.
    • The Bulldogs opened their biggest lead at 31-22 on a basket and free throw by Dee Bost with 2:05 left in the first half.
    • After shooting a 57.1% in its semifinal win over Florida, Miss. State went to the half hitting just 37.5% (12-ofo-32) of its shots.
    • MSU scored five points off six Vanderbilt turnovers in the first half. Vanderbilt did not score off a Bulldog turnover in the half.
    • Nine straight Bulldog points – two baskets by both Kodi Augustus and Bost – gave MSU its biggest lead (44-29) with 17:13 left.
    • Ravern Johnson’s driving layup with 3:40 left upped the Bulldog lead to 55-49.
    • Varnado’s interior presence continues to cause the Commodore problems. The center had two blocks and forced a Vanderbilt turnover in a :37     span inside the 3:00 mark.

Vanderbilt Notes:
The Commodores move to 30-48 all-time in SEC tournament play with the loss. The Commodores are now 7-5 against the Bulldogs in SEC tourney play. The loss moves Vanderbilt to 2-3 all-time in SEC tourney action played in Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

The loss also evens the Vanderbilt-Miss. State series record at 1-1 this year. The Commodores defeated MSU 75-72 on Feb. 3.

    • The Commodores were paced by Jermaine Beal’s 11 points. He was the only Commodore in double digits.
    • Jeffery Taylor had nine points and eight rebounds for the Commodores.
    • The Commodores struggled from the field, hitting just 18-of-52 (34.6%).
    • Jermaine Beal’s 3-pointer at 18:16 mark gives Commodores early 5-0 advantage.
    • Festus Ezeli sets a new season high in points (6) in the first five minutes of action.
    • After closing to three (25-22), Vanderbilt went scoreless for 4:27 until a John Jenkins’ basket with 1:58 left in the half.
    • The Commodores were cold from the field in the first half, hitting on just 35.7% (10-of-28).
    • Trailing by 31-22, the Commodores closed to 31-27 with 1:32 left before halftime on baskets by Beal and John Jenkins.
    • A.J. Ogilvy was held scoreless in the first half for just the second time this season; the other being vs. St. Mary’s (11/20/09). Ogilvy, who     played just six minutes in the first half, made two foul shots at the 19:26 mark.
    • Vanderbilt didn’t make its first basket in the second half until Jenkins’ 3-pointer at the 15:17 mark.
    • Nine consecutive points by the Commodores, including jumpers by Jenkins and Brad Tinsley, cut the MSU margin to 49-45, the closest     Vanderbilt has been since the 19:26 mark.
    • A second 3-pointer by Tinsley narrowed the MSU lead to 51-48 with 5:37 left.