Tide Basketball Falls to Mississippi State, 66-56
1/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By: Tyler Roberts
UA Media Relations
TUSCALOOSA- After two straight conference road games, the University of Alabama basketball team returned home but could not stop its losing streak, falling 66-56 to Mississippi State at Coleman Coliseum, Saturday afternoon.
The three-point shot played an important role in the outcome as the Bulldogs were able to knock down 12-26 from behind the arc compared to 2-14 for the Tide. Jamont Gordon led the three-point barrage for MSU hitting four shots from deep.
Richard Hendrix, once again, led the way for Alabama, scoring 21 points on 8-10 shooting from the field. The only other Tide player to finish in double figures was Alonzo Gee who contributed 10 points.
“It seems like every game we are right there knocking on the door to get the lead or tie the game, or even holding on to the lead,” Hendrix said. “We just aren’t finishing for some reason. We have to come together. When you are 0-4 you have to come together, and we have to do that.”
The Bulldogs led for the entire second half. The Tide cut the lead to four at 59-55 with 3:58 remaining after a Senario Hillman three-point-play, but managed only one more point down the stretch allowing MSU to secure the victory.
Gordon carried the load for the Bulldogs offensively. He finished with 24 points, five assists and four rebounds. Barry Stewart added 16 points for MSU, including three shots from behind the arc.
The first half was a back-and-forth affair, featuring five lead changes and four ties. Mississippi State closed out the first half on a 6-0 run to take a 33-28 lead into the break. The Tide did not have a field goal over the last 5:20 of the first stanza.
“It was hard, and we had a lot of turnovers, trouble passing and blocking out, but our effort was there,” head coach Mark Gottfried said after the game. “We had opportunities here and there, and we just couldn’t do it. It was just so many things that didn’t come together, but that’s just the way the ball bounces sometimes.”
The loss leaves the Tide at 11-8 overall and 0-4 in conference play. The Bulldogs currently sit atop the SEC West standings with a 4-0 conference record and a 13-5 record for the season.
Alabama's next contest comes on Saturday, January 26, when in-state rival Auburn pays a visit to Coleman Coliseum. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. CST, and the game will be televised by Raycom Sports.
