Overlooked for most of the season, Mississippi State entered the Southeastern Conference tournament unranked. In the end, the Bulldogs were the only team standing.
Mario Austin scored 15 points and Michal Ignerski and Derrick Zimmerman added 13 apiece as Mississippi State held off eighth-ranked Alabama, 61-58, to claim just the second SEC tournament title in school history. Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury was asked why he thought his club was not ranked.
The Bulldogs (26-7) also tied a school record for wins, set in 1995-96, when they won their other SEC crown and reached the Final Four.
Mississippi State will take an eight-game winning streak into the NCAA Tournament. The key to the Bulldogs’ late surge has been defense as they are allowing an average of only 57 points per game during the winning streak.
Mississippi State took two of three from Alabama this season, but beat the Crimson Tide for only the second time in eight SEC Tournament meetings. Its previous tournament
win came in 1933, when the Bulldogs posted a 30-25 win, which happened to be Sunday’s halftime score.
Mississippi State squandered a 10-point first half advantage as Alabama (26-7) rallied to take a 52-50 lead on Terrance Meade’s two foul shots with 4:42remaining.
But after Ignerski hit 1-of-2 from the line, Timmy Bowers and Zimmerman drilled consecutive 3-pointers, giving the Bulldogs a 57-52 lead with 2:42 remaining.
After Zimmerman’s layup gave Mississippi State a 59-54 lead, Alabama suffered a blow when Dudley hit his head on the ground was driving to the basket with 1:26 left. The
game was briefly delayed as medical personnel attended to Dudley, who was able to walk off the court unassisted and later returned.
Meade, who scored 17 points, came off the bench to hit both free throws and Grizzard made two more, bringing Alabama within 59-58 with 49 seconds left.
The Crimson Tide had a golden chance after Zimmerman missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 24 seconds left. But Alabama ran a disorganized possession and was unable to get off good shot as freshman Maurice Williams launched a 5-footer that caromed off the front of the rim.
Mississippi State built a 30-20 lead on Austin’s two free throws with 4:28 left in the first half. But Grizzard scored the final five points of the half, bringing Alabama within
30-25 at the intermission.
The Crimson Tide tied the contest, 38-38, on Williams’ 3-pointer with 15:23 remaining. Neither team led by more than five thereafter.
The loss may have cost Alabama a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. It also prevented Gottfried, a member of the Crimson Tide’s 1987 SEC championship team, from
winning league titles as a player and coach.
