'We’ve Got to Win the Conference Tournament': Ben Howland Sounds Off About the Road Ahead Following Loss
Mississippi State dropped another game on the road to South Carolina via a final score of 66-56 on Wednesday night.
Tolu Smith led all Bulldogs in scoring with a grand total of 21, while Garrison Brooks led the charge on the boards with 8. Iverson Molinar had one of his worst games of the season — possibly a side effect of playing four games in eight days — which resulted in DJ Jeffries leading the team in assists with 3.
This one hurt, to say the least. If MSU was to make the tournament via an at-large bid, they had to virtually win out. Coming into the game, MSU sat at No. 46 in the NET rankings, right along with most of the other bubble teams. The only difference? MSU wasn’t just on the outside looking in, they were on the other side of the street as the 13th team out.
There was no more room for error, but none of that mattered, because as Bulldog starting forward Tolu Smith said, the Gamecocks simply wanted it more.
“It was about who wanted it (more). We were both 7-7 coming into the game, and they just fought harder than us,” said Smith.
Smith knew he hadn’t had his best night on the floor. The MSU big man might have led the team in points, but the rebounding battle was ultimately one of the deciding factors in this matchup, of which Smith only had two.
After the game, head coach Ben Howland spoke to reporters about what he believes is the only legitimate shot this team has left to go dancing in March.
“I think we’ve got to win the conference tournament to get in. No doubt. This was a must-win to keep that hope alive of having an at-large bid. Even if we beat Auburn, beat Vanderbilt and beat Texas A&M,” said Howland.
The skipper has been around the game long enough to know what kind of situation this team is in, and he and his squad will have the chance to chance that sliver of hope again on Saturday, as the Bulldogs look to face off against the Vanderbilt Commodores for a noon tip-off at Humphrey Coliseum.
For those watching from home, that game will be found on the SEC Network’s main channel.
