Field Level Media
Jan 26, 2019
Quinndary Weatherspoon scored 27 points as No. 22 and host Mississippi State held off No. 16 Auburn 92-84 in an SEC game Saturday night.
Lamar Peters added 16 points and 10 assists, Nick Weatherspoon scored 12 points and Reggie Perry came off the bench to collect 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulldogs (15-4, 3-3).
Bryce Brown scored 18, Chuma Okeke added 16, Jared Harper had 15 and Anfernee McLemore had 10 for the Tigers (13-6, 2-4), who lost their third straight.
State, which scored a season-low 55 points in a 21-point loss at No. 8 Kentucky on Tuesday, fell just eight points short of that total in the first half Saturday.
But Auburn kept pace until Quinndary Weatherspoon led the way as the Bulldogs pulled away in a game that was tied with eight minutes remaining.
State led 47-45 at halftime, but Okeke scored five points as Auburn started the second half on a 10-1 run.
Quinndary Weatherspoon made back-to-back 3-pointers to start a 10-0 run for the Bulldogs before Brown's 3-pointer tied the score at 58.
The score was tied three more times before Quinndary Weatherspoon's 3-pointer, Perry's dunk and Quinndary Weatherspoon's two free throws gave State a 77-70 lead.
Okeke converted a three-point play, but Quinndary Weatherspoon had back-to-back dunks in a 6-0 run that gave the Bulldogs an 83-73 lead with less than five minutes remaining.
The lead grew to 15 before a 7-0 run pulled the Tigers within 90-82 with 1:18 left, but they didn't get any closer.
The first half also featured a series of spurts by both teams.
State led 16-14 before Tyson Carter, Robert Woodard and Peters each made a 3-pointer to push the lead to 25-14.
Auburn responded with a 7-0 run to get within 25-21.
The Bulldogs rebuilt the lead as Perry's two free throws gave them a 38-29 lead.
The Tigers closed within 38-35 before State pushed the lead to seven.
Auburn came back again and Harper's jumper with six seconds left cut the Bulldogs' lead to two points at halftime.
--Field Level Media