Mississippi State looking to maintain momentum against Long Island

The Bulldogs got a much-needed win Saturday night against Utah and will try to keep the win streak going in the final games before SEC play.

Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Dellquan Warren (left) and forward Sergej MacUra (right) celebrate a win over the Utah Utes after the game at Delta Center. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Sometimes all a struggling team needs is an emotional, hard-fought win to set them on the path to success.

For Mississippi State men’s basketball team, that game might’ve come last Saturday night all the way out west in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Bulldogs orchestrated the largest comeback under coach Chris Jans, rallying from two separate, 17-point deficits to win 82-74 against the Runnin’ Utes of Utah.

“It felt like a lot more than it probably was, but it felt like a lot,” Jans said in his post-game radio interview. “We had some spirited timeouts and then for whatever reason we got a break or two and the ball bounced our way and then their confidence kind of came back and you could see it from where I stood. They felt they were playing better.”

The Bulldogs will need to keep playing better with only three games left before their first SEC game of the season. That three-game stretch begins Tuesday against Long Island.

How to watch and other information about the game is below, but Tuesday should be a warmup game for a big contest Saturday against Memphis.

Luckily, Mississippi State has some momentum to start the week with.

“We needed it,” Jans said about Saturday’s win. “If I’m being honest, I feel I say that too much, but it didn’t feel great for the first half and a lot of the second.

“Hopefully, this is something like you get a big win on the road and its of the comeback variety, if can find you a little bit better. We’re looking forward to playing at home.”

The Foe: Long Island

The Sharks sit two games about .500 and have won three of their last four games, most recently a 10-point win against La Salle on Saturday. They’re led by Malachi Davis who has scored 10 or more points in nine-straight games including a 30-point performance against Lehigh last week. Davis leads the Sharks with 15.8 ppg, followed by Greg Gordon with 15.5 ppg and 4.7 rebounds per game.

How to Watch: Long Island at Mississippi State

• Who: Long Island Sharks (6-4) at Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-5)
• When: 6:30 p.m., Tuesday
• Where: Humphrey Coliseum, Starkville, Miss.
• TV: SECN+
• Radio: Live Radio
• Stats: Live Stats
• Series History: Mississippi State leads the all-time series 1-0
• Last Meeting: Mississippi State 61, Long Island 52
• Last time out, Bulldogs: def. Utah, 82-74
• Last time out, Sharks: def. La Salle, 70-60