Official Game Statistics
South Alabama vs. Mississippi State Game Notes
MOBILE, Ala. -- Senior guard Demetric Bennett scored a career-high 39 points, including the Jaguars's first 20 of the game, to lead South Alabama to a 71-67 victory over Mississippi State in the Coors Classic Saturday night at the Mitchell Center. The win was the first in 11 tries for the Jaguars (7-3) against the Bulldogs and the first over a Southeastern Conference team since Dec. 1, 2000 at Auburn.
Bennett's scoring total was the fifth-highest in school history and set a record for the Coors Classic, now in its ninth year. The Albany, Ga., native connected on 14-of-17 shots from the field, including all six three-point tries, and hit five of seven free throws. He also grabbed eight rebounds and made three steals. Backcourt and classmate Daon Merritt was the only other Jaguar in double figures, tallying 14 points and dishing out four assists. DeAndre Coleman grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds to go along with nine points.
Ironically, it was a Ronald Douglas tip-in off a Bennett miss with 22 seconds remaining that broke a 67-67 tie. Bennett added a pair of free throws with nine seconds left for insurance.
Mississippi State (5-5) seemed to have the game under control midway through the second half, opening a 13-point lead, 57-44, with 10:25 remaining. But the dduo of Bennett and Merritt took control, leading an 18-1 run that included 13 straight points. The spurt gave South a four-point advantage with just under four minutes remaining. It started when Merritt made a layup and hit a three 15 seconds apart for the first five points. After a Bulldog free throw pushed the lead back to nine, 58-49, with 6:45 left, Merritt and Bennett hit back-to-back threes. A Bennett layup with 5:08 to play closed the gap to one before Merritt hit a three to put the Jaguares ahead for the first time since early in the second half.
The run closed with a three from Domonic Tilford as South Alabama took its biggest lead of the game, 67-61, with 2:16 remaining.
Mississippi State answered with six straight points to even the game at 67. Ben Hansborough knocked down a three with 1:57 left, then made a layup at the 1:18 mark. Jamont Gordon provided the last point, converting only the second of two free throws with 43 seconds remaining.
South Alabama finished the game shooting 49.1 percent, including 61.5 percent after intermission (the second-best of the season). The Jaguars' defense was the story as they held the Bulldogs to 37.7 percent, the fifth time in 10 games an opponent fell under 40 percent.
"The crowd propelled us to victory tonight," Head Coach Ronnie Arrow said. "Rick (Stansbury) and his bunch played a great game. It is a tribute to our team -- and theirs after a tough loss two nights ago -- to play that kind of game. We got some stops and limited them to one shot at a crucial time.
"We all know DB (Demetric Bennett) can shoot. The last three to four practices have been his best and this shows that when you work hard, good things happen," Arrow continued.
"We knew the press could get us back in the game," Bennett said. "In the second half, my teammates really turned it up. Daon Merritt sparked us."
The win snapped a 15-game losing streak against SEC opponents and improved South Alabama's record against that league to 9-32 all-time.
Phil Turner led Mississippi State with 17 points, while Hansbrough and Charles Rhodes chipped in 16 and 10 points, respectively.
South Alabama returns to action Thursday night when it opens Sun Belt Conference play against in-state rival Troy. The pre-Christmas slate concludes Saturday with another league matchup, this against Middle Tennessee.
