A Much Needed Bounce Back; Bulldogs Thump South Carolina
The MSU men's squad managed to best the South Carolina Gamecocks via a final score of 78-64 this past Tuesday night.
At one point in the game, the Bulldogs led by as much as 27 points, enabling them to secure a much-needed win after their two previous losses to Kentucky and Texas Tech, both of which were on the road.
MSU had four different players reach double figures in the affair, chiefly of which was Iverson Molinar, who turned in yet another 20 point performance. Garrison Brooks took on more of a scoring role against the Gamecocks himself, turning in an 18 point gem.
The best development from this game, though? That honor belongs to reserve point guard Rocket Watts. The Michigan State transfer turned in 11 points in just 19 minutes of action and had his "best game" as a Bulldog according to head coach Ben Howland.
Watts shot 3-6 from beyond the arc - a much-needed boost to a Bulldog offense that is currently 12th in the SEC in terms of three-point percentage.
Howland attributed most of his team's success to the intensity the guys brought from the opening tip.
"I thought we came out very focused - laser-focused - on both ends of the floor. We did a great job on our transition defense and our half-court defense," said Howland, "I was disappointed we didn't finish the game the proper way. (We had) too many turnovers over the last 10 minutes of the game. But overall this was a huge win for us to get back on a win after two tough defeats on the road last week."
MSU is still without a true road win during the campaign, but they'll have another chance in their next bout, as they'll travel to Arkansas for an attempt to secure their second win of the season over the Razorbacks.
That game tips off at 7:30 p.m. CT and will be aired on the SEC Network.
