STARKVILLE, Miss. ? Jarvis Varnado needed just 26 minutes Saturday to record 21 points, eight rebounds and six blocked shots to lead Mississippi State to a 79-60 non-conference basketball victory over the University of South Alabama at Humphrey Coliseum.
Varnado connected on 9-of-11 shots from the field as the Bulldogs (7-3) shot 64.3 percent in the second half to pull away after leading by three at the break.
The Jaguars (6-4) trailed the entire first half, but Ronald Douglas completed a three-point play and Brandon Davis added a jumper in the lane in the first minute after the break to give USA a 34-32 advantage. The lead would change hands three more times, the last when Douglas’ basket with 17:43 to go gave the Jags their final lead, 38-37, before the Bulldogs broke open the game.
MSU would go on a 15-0 run over the next three-and-a-half minutes, keyed by Phil Turner. Dee Bost put the Bulldogs ahead for good with a layup at 17:22 and Varnado followed with a dunk. Turner then made a pair of foul shots, and following a steal he hit two more free throws after the USA bench was charged with a technical foul. Another Turner basket made the score 47-38 with just under 16 minutes left, and after a Ravern Johnson three-point play he ended the spurt with a layup at 13:54.
Turner scored all 10 of his points in the second half, adding four assists without a turnover. Johnson was the only other Bulldog in double figures with 12 points after making 3-of-4 from beyond the three-point arc.
Douglas would draw the Jags within 10 points, 56-46, with 11-and-a-half minutes left with a dunk, and Tilford would do the same three minutes later when his three made the score 60-50. That would be as close as USA would get as the Bulldogs would answer the second score with a 7-2 run capped by a Jacquiese Holcombe trey from the corner with six-and-a-half minutes remaining.
MSU shot 53.7 percent from the field for the contest, and it made 17-of-24 at the foul line.
Davis recorded 19 points and a game-high nine rebounds to pace the Jaguars, while Domonic Tilford added 11 points and five rebounds. He shot 3-of-6 from three-point range. Douglas finished with eight points, five rebounds and three blocked shots, and Bryan Sherrer collected seven points as well.
Although outrebounding the Bulldogs 39-33, USA was limited to 35.6 percent shooting from the field while committing 15 turnovers.
The Bulldogs led the entire first half, getting the first five points of the contest from Varnado on a free-throw and two dunks in the opening minute and 38 seconds. They would match that lead twice before a Johnson three-pointer with 4:25 to go put MSU up 24-17. Johnson added another trey, as did Barry Stewart, but the Jags closed the period on a 7-3 run over the final two-plus minutes to go to the locker room trailing 32-29.
Tilford and DeAndré Coleman got USA back into the contest with a pair of threes, with the second from the latter making the score 7-6 with just under 17 minutes left. Sherrer hit a layup and two free throws midway through the half as the Jaguars still trailed by just two.
Davis started the rally at the end of the half with his third layup of the half with 2:11 remaining, Tilford connected on a trey 15 seconds later and LaShun Watson drove for a jumper in the lane to make it a three-point contest.
USA will open Sun Belt Conference action Thursday when Western Kentucky visits the Mitchell Center for a 7:05 p.m. tip.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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