Bulldogs, Raiders Collide At Humphrey Coliseum

Riding the momentum of a four-game winning streak after dismantling UCLA last Saturday, Mississippi State returns to Humphrey Coliseum for the first time in nearly two weeks tonight to face Wright State in a nationally-televised ESPN2 game set to begin at 6:02 p.m.

It will be the first meeting between the two schools.

The Bulldogs, whose last four wins have come by an average margin of 28.75 points, are 7-2 on the year and face a Raiders squad that’s 6-3 following a heartbreaking 56-55 setback at Miami (OH) on Sunday.

Tonight marks the sixth time MSU has face a Horizon League foe and is just 1-4 in the previous five outings. Mississippi State last faced a team from the conference in the 2003 NCAA Tournament in Birmingham, Ala., dropping a 47-46 decision to Butler on a last-second shot.

The Bulldogs enter the contest led in scoring by junior guard Ravern Johnson’s 14.4 clip. The Lyon, Miss., native has been unstoppable in the last two games, averaging 21.5 points in the lopsided victories against DePaul (76-45) and UCLA (72-54). In those two games, he was 17-of-23 shooting overall and made 9 of his 14 3-point attempts to SEC’s player of the week honors.

“I just think I’ve been more relaxed, haven’t really been trying to force any shots, just taking good shots,” said Johnson, who has connected on a team-high 27 3-pointers after pacing the way with 83 a year ago. “My shot’s been feeling right in rhythm. I just felt like I couldn’t miss.”

Wright State comes to Starkville with four players averaging double-digits, led by Todd Brown and Troy Tabler at 15.1 and 12.1, respectively. Against Miami on Sunday, Tabler, a junior guard, had a game-high 23 points and drained four shots beyond the arc.

“They’re one of the better teams we’ve played all season,” 12th-year coach Rick Stansbury said. “They’re experienced, they have nine seniors and juniors. They’ve lost three games by a total of eight points, and two of them were without their best player.”

After tonight, the Bulldogs travel to Houston to face the Cougars at 1 p.m. on Saturday before battling Centenary in Jackson on Dec. 22 at 7 p.m. The Bulldogs’ next game at Humphrey Coliseum isn’t until Dec. 28 when Mississippi Valley State makes a visit for a 7 p.m. showdown.