Bulldogs top Mountaineers to open season
Aric Holman's versatility was on display for the Mississippi State Bulldogs Friday night's against Alabama State.
Holman was scoring beyond the 3-point line and inside converting 3-point plays as the Bulldogs defeated the Hornets 96-68 at Humphrey Coliseum.
After hitting 6-of-11 shots from the field, including two from 3-point, Holman finished with 18 points to lead MSU. He pulled down 11 rebounds for the Bulldogs to complete a double-double. It was his third career double-double.
“It was exciting for him,” MSU coach Ben Howland said of Holman. “He ends up playing 21 minutes. He gets tired when he has to push himself, but h.e did a great job passing the ball, stretching the floor and blocking shots. He ends up changing some shots.”
as the Bulldogs took a 58-31 lead at halftime and they didn't look back.
It was the kind of start that Holman wanted for himself and the team.
“At the end of the day, I've got to owe it all to my teammates,” Holman said. “They are constantly telling me to score the ball and they help me build my confidence. I need to be more aggressive so I can fit in.”
Nick Weatherspoon hit a 3-point field goal for MSU's first points of the season and gave the home team a 3-1 lead.
A successful 3-point shot by Holman put the Bulldogs up 11-4, then E.J. Datcher and Holman went back-to-back and earned three points the hard way with a basket and free
the 12:21 mark of the first half.
Holman had another made 3-pointer and a 3-point play and the rout was on as State increased its advantage to 30-9 with 9:23 remaining in the first half.
The Bulldogs put an exclamation mark on the first half when Holman threw down a dunk.
the second half to record the 28-point victory.
“It was important to get the first win of the year and get off to a good start,” Howland said.
There were six Bulldogs who scored in double figures during the game. Quinndary Weatherspoon was second in scoring with
Former Starkville High School player Tyson Carter, Datcher and Nick Weatherspoon finished with 11 points each.
The Weatherspoon brothers combined for 28 points in their first regular season outing together.
Ealier on Friday, Quinndary Weatherspoon was selected first team All-Southeastern Conference by league coaches.
MSU will host Florida A&M on November 18. Victoria Vivians scored 22 points, Roshunda
beat Virginia 68-53 on Friday night.
Virginia kept things close for a while, tying the game at 18 midway through the second quarter, but Mississippi State methodically pulled away from that point, pushing ahead 33-23 at
Vivians shot 8 of 15 from the field while Johnson made four 3-pointers. Freshman forward Chloe Bibby added 13 points.
“That felt like an NCAA Tournament game,” MSU head coach Vic Schaefer said. “Virginia is going to have a great year. This was a heck of a game to play for the opener. I have been sick preparing for what all they like to do.
“We had to play a lot of young players a lot of minutes. We leaned on some veteran players (Morgan William, Roshunda Johnson, Victoria Vivians and Jazzmun Holmes). The only reason we won the game is because we defended.”
It was an emotional night for Mississippi State, which raised its national finalist banner to the Humphrey Coliseum rafters during a pregame ceremony. The Bulldogs made the NCAA Tournament Final Four for the first time in school history last year and went on to upset No. 1 UConn in the semifinals before losing to South Carolina in the national championship game.
Virginia was led by Dominique Tous-
had 23 turnovers.
Even though the Bulldogs had their moments of hiccup, Schaefer was pleased with the result.
“We have a long way to go,” Schaefer said. “When we made our run, it was on defense. If it wasn't for transition, it would have been a long night. The kids played hard (Friday night). The crowd was great. This was a special night for this university.”