| Wednesday, January 15, 2020 |
| Events, volunteer efforts planned in honor of MLK | |
 | For the last seven or eight years, Christine Jackson has spent Martin Luther King Jr. Day -- traditionally a day off from work for many around the country -- out in the community serving as a volunteer. This year, Jackson -- along with dozens of other people around the Golden Triangle -- will spend the holiday Monday on another volunteer project in commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. Each of the three major municipalities in the Golden Triangle hold events -- an 8 a.m. breakfast at Trotter Convention Center in downtown Columbus, a 9 a.m. march in West Point from Martin Luther King Jr. Drive to Mary Holmes College Gymnasium, and a Unity Breakfast at The Mill at MSU and dedication of Civil Rights activists at Unity Park in Starkville. The breakfast begins at 8 a.m. at The Mill at MSU Conference Center on Russell Street with a message from keynote speaker Donald Shaffer, MSU's director for African-American studies. |
| Brandon Barton: What makes a scientist play AC/DC for ladybugs? | |
 | When his mom told him dandelions could grow anywhere, 5-year-old Brandon Barton wasn't about to take her word for it. So he sprinkled dandelion seeds across the hood of her car. Not surprisingly, they didn't grow. Now, all grown up and an ecologist at Mississippi State University, Dr. Barton continues to test out seemingly silly questions about how the biological world works. In the name of science, he has played rock music to insects, watched hog carcasses rot, and dug around in wolf excrement. But it isn't without rhyme or reason. Dr. Barton's research focuses on how one tweak in an ecosystem can trigger a whole cascade of changes. His approach marries simple curiosity and seemingly goofy questions with the scientific method in order to explore some of the most relevant environmental questions of the day. This kind of offbeat research offers a lens into how scientists drive new ways of thinking about the world. |
| Oktibbeha officials give update as dam failure remains 'imminent' | |
 | An early morning inspection of the Oktibbeha County Lake dam on Tuesday revealed potentially disastrous conditions as water has begun deteriorating the structure and threatening dozens of homes in the area. County Engineer Clyde Pritchard inspected the dam around 7 a.m. Tuesday and discovered the problem. Another inspection at 11 a.m. showed continued deterioration as a mud slide on the levee worsened, prompting the county to enact an emergency plan to prepare for the dam's "imminent" failure. At a 5 p.m. briefing, Oktibbeha County Emergency Management Agency Director Kristen Campanella said the area east of the dam would see severe damage by water should the structure fail. Campanella said emergency preparations have been made and crews from Mississippi State University and OCH Regional Medical Center are available to evacuate large numbers of people if mandatory evacuations become necessary. As of Tuesday night, Campanella said only one wheelchair-bound resident requested to be evacuated and was able to do so with assistance from Mississippi State University Parking and Transit Services. |
| Oktibbeha Lake dam holds overnight; Authorities warn breach still 'imminent' | |
| Recent storms have put the levee at the Oktibbeha County Lake dam in "imminent" danger of breaching and flooding 17,500 acres of nearby land, which would force about 250 people to evacuate at least 130 households, from area immediately around the lake northwest of Starkville all the way to parts of southwest Clay County. The county Emergency Management Agency and board of supervisors issued a warning in a press release Tuesday morning, encouraging area residents to evacuate to higher ground. OCH Regional Medical Center and MSU Parking and Transit Services are on standby to provide buses to help evacuate the inundation area, representatives from both said at the briefings. |
| Partnership School set for April completion | |
| The long-delayed Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District's Partnership School took a few more steps toward its anticipated August 2020 opening at Tuesday's SOCSD Board of Trustees meeting. Bruce Wood, principal architect with the Flowood-based firm JH&H, said construction under the current contract will be finished Feb. 19. The firm will allow 60 days for revisions and additions, meaning the entire site will be completely done April 19, but the interior should be done by the end of March, he said. Construction first ran into trouble in August 2017 when weather concerns, primarily Hurricane Harvey, drove up the cost of construction materials, causing an overall increase of about $2 million. The campus for grades 6-7 -- which will be located at MSU -- was originally scheduled to open in August 2018 before rain delays pushed it to November 2018, August 2019 and finally August 2020. |
| Jersey Mike's Subs prepares opening by partnering with charity | |
| Rising tension and finishing touches are the only things on Bret Dunnaway's mind as he helps with the grand opening of his favorite sandwich shop on Highway 12. As part of his rigorous training methods to become a Jersey Mike's Subs' franchisee, Dunnaway is taking part in the grand opening for a new location opening in Dothan, Alabama. With Starkville's own Jersey Mike's Subs' tentative firm opening scheduled for Feb. 5, Dunnaway, a former Brandon resident with over 26 years of food industry experience, said Jersey Mike's Subs is a perfect fit for the town and its growing needs. Part of their business model is that every franchise partners with a local charity of their choice, with Dunnaway and his wife selecting the T.K Martin Center for Technology and Disability. "This is something close to my wife and I," Dunnaway said. "Working to help people with disabilities and further their advancement in life is a passion of ours." |
| 2020 Delta Ag Expo Exhibitors | |
 | The 2020 Delta Ag Expo will be held Wednesday and Thursday at the Bolivar County Expo Center in Cleveland. The Expo provides farmers and others interested in agriculture an opportunity to see the latest technology in agricultural products, services, and information. Attendees will have the opportunity to view agricultural exhibits and talk with extension and research personnel and get up-to-date information for planning your crop year. Educational seminars featuring outstanding extension, research, and industry professionals will provide the latest research-proven information aimed at assisting producers. Seminars are held in the meeting complex located adjacent to the exhibit hall. Over 100 commercial exhibits will represent every phase of agriculture and demonstrate innovative production practices. |
| New Gov. Tate Reeves pledges to work 'for all Mississippi' | |
 | Republican Tate Reeves was inaugurated Tuesday as Mississippi's new governor, pledging to provide economic opportunities for all people in the state and to defend a "loving culture that underpins our quality of life." Reeves, 45, is the 65th governor of Mississippi. He succeeds Republican Phil Bryant, who served two terms. "This will be an administration for all Mississippi," Reeves said during his inaugural speech. He said he will ensure that state government reflects "the love we have for each other," including taking care of foster children and special-needs children. Bryant said Tuesday that he will keep a low profile as he enters private life. "Old governors ought to stay quiet for a while," Bryant told reporters in the House chamber. |
| Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves strikes conciliatory tone in inauguration | |
 | Gov. Tate Reeves struck a conciliatory tone in his inauguration speech at the state Capitol on Tuesday, saying despite a divisive and "full-contact campaign" he was ready to bring Mississippians together. "Here is my promise: This will be an administration for all Mississippi," the Republican Reeves told a packed House chamber shortly after being sworn in. "For. All. Mississippi. That is our theme today and that will be our motto." Reeves, 45, succeeds Republican Gov. Phil Bryant who served the maximum two terms. He worked alongside Bryant as lieutenant governor and leader of the state Senate over the past eight years, prior to that working as state treasurer. In November he defeated Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood to win the Governor's Mansion after a bitterly-fought race. In a 14-minute speech, Reeves said his administration's top two priorities would be defending Mississippi's "loving culture" and "growing the economy." |
| Tate Reeves sworn in as governor | |
 | A delegation from Bogue Chitto -- with Tate Reeves' maternal grandmother leading the way -- converged on the Capitol Tuesday to watch the ginger politician become the 65th governor of Mississippi. "There was a good showing of friends and family from Lincoln County," said Denise Moak Kent, who is Reeves' second cousin on his mother's side. Kent lives in Bogue Chitto, where Reeves' parents Dianne Magee Peeples and Terry Reeves graduated high school. She brought Reeves' grandmother, Idelle Magee, to the daylong party in Jackson. They were joined for the inauguration by many other friends and family members from Lincoln County and Walthall County, where Reeves' wife, Elee, has her roots. During his inauguration, Reeves, a Republican, pledged to provide economic opportunities for all people in the state and to defend a "loving culture that underpins our quality of life." |
| Tate Reeves sworn in as 65th governor; promises unity after 'full contact campaign' | |
| On Tuesday, Gov. Tate Reeves delivered a brief, conciliatory inauguration speech where he promised to unify the state and to work to improve the beleaguered prisons and foster care system as he was sworn in as Mississippi's 65th governor. Reeves' swearing-in ceremony, like outgoing Gov. Phil Bryant's first inauguration in 2012, was moved from the south steps of the state Capitol to a crowded House chamber due to heavy rain. Weather affected the entire day, as it forced cancellation of the inaugural parade. Much like his Republican forebears, Reeves used his 13-minute speech before legislators, state office holders, family and friends to state a commitment to growing the state's economy, improving public education and adding more jobs to the workforce. He also said he would clean up the state's embattled corrections system, which this month has been subject to outbreaks of violence, inmate deaths and last-minute contracts to transfer inmates to safer facilities. |
| Tate Reeves Sworn-In as Governor, Says He'll Represent All the People | |
 | Republican Tate Reeves is now the 65th governor of the State of Mississippi. Legislators, dignitaries, family and friends filled the House Chamber for the ceremony yesterday. In Reeves' inaugural address he talked about putting his tough election campaign behind him. "Campaigns by necessity highlight differences, governing is about coming together. Here is my promise. This will be an administration for all Mississippi, for all Mississippi," said Reeves. The governor says Mississippi must compete in the global marketplace by elevating public education and workforce training. "While we rebuild the way we train our workforce, from kindergarten beyond high school, we will travel the world to find the job creators who want to be our partners. We will comb our state to find the companies that want to grow," said Reeves. |
| Mississippi Legislature: First bills filed include $1,000 teacher pay raise | |
| The first bills of the 2020 Mississippi legislative session have been filed and they include a Senate measure that would increase teacher salaries by $1,000. Other Senate bills posted this week include a wildlife trafficking ban, authorization for a second state song, a requirement universities display the state flag or have their funding pulled, and a reduction of the size of the Legislature starting in 2024. About 50 measures have been posted thus far, many perennial favorites that won't get far in the lawmaking process. But Senate Bill 2001, filed by Sen. Dennis DeBar, R-Leakesville, and Sen. David Blount, D-Jackson -- newly-named leaders of the Senate Education Committee -- should quickly gain traction. It would increase teacher salaries by $1,000 in the coming year. Starting teacher salaries would raise from 35,890 to $37,000. |
| Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann tours tornado damage | |
 | DeSoto County residents in the path of what has been officially determined to be two tornadoes in the county Saturday morning were spending the weekend cleaning up and starting the rebuilding process. Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann Monday, Jan. 13 toured the areas that in particular were struck by the tornadoes; the Lewisburg and Love community areas. Hosemann met with reporters in the Board of Supervisors board room Monday morning as part of his visit and gave the initial numbers on homes damaged by the storm. "In DeSoto County, we have 11 homes destroyed, 52 homes with major damage, and 97 homes with minor damage," said Hosemann. "Other homes affected by the storms total 50, so the total number of homes affected is about 200." Statewide, about $4.5 million in damage must be achieved for Mississippi to get a federal disaster declaration as a state. Hosemann said he expected that will be determined before the week is out. |
| Former Ocean Springs mayor says events leading to arrest 'a big misunderstanding' | |
 | Former Ocean Springs mayor Connie Moran was arrested late Monday night after an officer found her lying on her back on Washington Avenue. But Moran says the whole situation was "a big misunderstanding." According to the arresting officer, he spotted a woman in the road and got out to check on her. He didn't immediately recognize her. He said Moran had removed her shoes and was disoriented when he woke her and that she was clearly intoxicated and unable to stand. The officer said she initially didn't even try to stand up and just laid on her back smiling. She asked the officer repeatedly what he was doing, and the officer responded that she was lying in the road and he was checking on her well being. At this point, a second officer arrived to assist. Moran tried to stand but fell down, and the officers called Acadian Ambulance Service. When the medics arrived, they checked out Moran but she refused to be transported. Moran tells a very different side of the story. |
| Lee County Democratic chairman Jamie Franks arrested | |
 | The chairman of the Lee County Democratic Party was arrested early Tuesday morning at his house and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. According to Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson, deputies were dispatched to the County Road 1310 Mooreville residence of James "Jamie" Franks, 47, at 1:16 a.m. Jan, 14. The teen male who called 911 said three adults had been drinking and he was afraid what was going to happen. "Deputies made contact with the (woman and two men) and it was clear that all three were heavily intoxicated," Johnson said. While deputies were talking with the three, the two men got into a verbal altercation and refused orders to calm down. Johnson said Franks got in the face of a deputy, began cursing and chest bumped the deputy. While attempting to gain control of Franks, a deputy was injured. Franks, a former state representative and lieutenant governor candidate, continued to resist and was charged with failure to comply and resisting arrest, both misdemeanors. |
| Ole Miss law prof becomes Mississippi's first Democratic Socialist candidate to run for Congress | |
| Trent Kelly officially has an opponent for this fall. The incumbent U.S. representative for Mississippi's first congressional district learned on Monday that a law professor for the University of Mississippi will throw her name in the race. Antonia Eliason announced her candidacy and intentions to oppose Kelly in November's election. Running as the state's first Democratic Socialist candidate, Eliason is focusing her campaign on environmental justice, universal healthcare and workers' rights. Her campaign sent a press release out on Monday afternoon. "It's time to elect progressives in Mississippi," Eliason's statement read. "As a Democratic Socialist, I intend to bring new energy to the political landscape of Northeast Mississippi and to our Democratic Party." Mississippi's first congressional district covers Alcorn, Benton, Calhoun, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Claw, DeSoto, Itawamba, Lafayette, Lee, Lowndes, Marshall, Monroe, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Tate, Tippah, Tishomingo, Union, Webster and Winston Counties, as well as a portion of Oktibbeha County. |
| Mississippi U.S. Reps Face Challenges from the Left and the Right in 2020 | |
| A University of Mississippi law professor and self-described "Democratic socialist" is challenging her district's U.S. House representative, Republican Trent Kelly, in this year's election. Antonia Eliason, who is running as a Democrat, was the only candidate who filed to challenge the House District 1 congressman by the Jan. 10 deadline. Eliason, who has lived in Oxford, Miss., since 2013, pledged to focus her campaign on "environmental justice, universal health care, and workers' rights." "We must confront poverty, inequality and racial discrimination at their source. With the right policies at the national and state level and with the engagement of grassroots social movements, Mississippi could become a hub for sustainable development thanks to our abundant resources," she said. |
| Trump administration chose meatpacking giants over farmers in USDA proposal, critics say | |
 | Farmers who hoped President Donald Trump would side with them over meatpacking conglomerates were dealt a blow after the Agriculture Department proposed changing rules governing fair competition in the industry. The latest proposal omits an Obama-era effort that would have made it easier for livestock farmers to win lawsuits against meat processors like JBS or Tyson Foods. For at least a decade, farmers have said there is an impossibly high bar to prove in court that the companies treated them unfairly or discriminated against them. Critics worry that USDA's new proposal, unveiled on Friday, would allow certain abuses to continue, like retaliation against contract poultry growers who share complaints with the press or lawmakers. "Looks completely worthless to me," said Dudley Butler, a Mississippi lawyer who helped develop USDA's fair treatment rules during the Obama administration. "It has more holes than a shrimp strainer." |
| House panel set to examine federal marijuana policies | |
 | A House panel on Wednesday is set to examine some of the barriers to marijuana research amid a growing disconnect between federal and state policies. "There is a chasm between the federal laws and what over 30 states are doing," Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) told The Hill in an interview Tuesday. Eshoo, the chairwoman of the House Energy and Commerce health subcommittee, said she wants to hear officials at the Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Agency explain why the federal government is potentially blocking research into the effects of marijuana. A facility at the University of Mississippi has been the sole grower of federally approved marijuana since 1968. Researchers and lawmakers from both parties have said the single source is too limiting, but experts said officials across multiple administrations have not provided an adequate reason why marijuana research is so restricted. Eshoo said she hoped officials will provide answers. |
| Science and engineering report shows continued loss of U.S. dominance | |
 | The United States has continued to fall from its position as the uncontested world leader in science and engineering, according to a federal report on scientific investment and education released Wednesday. The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, a federal statistical agency within the National Science Foundation, took the pulse of American science by compiling research expenditures, journal articles, the scientific workforce and education data. The report identifies several obstacles and declines. "There's no denying that the U.S. science and engineering enterprise faces head winds," Diane Souvaine, the chair of the National Science Board, told reporters on Tuesday. The U.S. economy is tightly bound to science and technology. Since World War II, these advancements have driven 85 percent of economic growth, said Julia Phillips, chair of the National Science Board's science policy committee. |
| U. of Florida responds to faculty tied to foreign research meddling | |
| A letter from the National Institutes of Health named four UF faculty members and contained information about "questionable foreign meddling in grant research and funding," according to UF spokesperson Steve Orlando and the Tampa Bay Times. UF is one of at least 60 universities that received letters from the medical research center, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Orlando said. UF was the top National Institutes of Health-awarded school in Florida, receiving more than $190 million in grants last year, according to The Times. Since receiving the letter, four faculty members have left the university. The university's investigation revealed activity by two researchers, and the medical research center's probe connected the other two to the inquiry, according to the Times. The center issued another letter in August 2018 expressing "serious concerns regarding efforts by foreign entities to exert inappropriate influence on research in the U.S.," Orlando wrote. The letter did not specify any one university. |
| Georgia Commitment Scholarships reach major milestone of 500 | |
 | The University of Georgia has established more than 500 endowed, need-based scholarships, creating new, permanent pathways to higher education for Georgia residents from low-income backgrounds. "This achievement is a testament to the desire of so many individuals, families and organizations to make a positive difference in the lives of our students," said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. "I am deeply grateful to our donors for their incredible generosity and their commitment to our great university." Announced in January 2017 and catalyzed by a $30 million gift from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, the Georgia Commitment Scholarship Program doubles donors' impact with a match from the UGA Foundation. To date, more than 320 donors have committed their resources to the program. In addition, several donors, inspired by the GCS Program, have committed more than the maximum $500,000 match, creating 32 endowed scholarships outside of the program as well as additional programming support for students. |
| Hundreds turn out for annual MLK Breakfast at Texas A&M | |
 | About 700 people packed the Texas A&M University Bethancourt Ballroom on Tuesday morning to celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and hear from author and Temple University professor Marc Lamont Hill. Hill, the event's keynote speaker, also is a host at HuffPost Live and BET News. Attendees rose to sing along with the Voices of Praise gospel choir at the start of the 13th annual MLK Breakfast, hosted by A&M's Memorial Student Center Carter G. Woodson Black Awareness Committee. MLK Breakfast director and sociology junior Tiara Kinnebrew said she was pleased with the turnout and energy at the event. Kinnebrew said she is especially happy people had the chance to learn about issues surrounding this year's theme of "Black Faces in White Spaces." As a black college student at a predominantly white university, Kinnebrew said in her opening remarks that the subject was personal to her. |
| Report: U. of Missouri faculty member died after diving | |
 | The death of a University of Missouri faculty member in Thailand on a winter-break study program was "likely to be diving-related," the Bangkok Post reported Tuesday. Wayne McDaniel died after diving in water 55 to 60 feet deep near Koh Pida Nok in the Thai province of Krabi, the Post reported. The death occurred about 5:30 p.m. Friday, Lt. Col. Thongchai Matitham, deputy superintendent of the Koh Phi Phi police station told the newspaper. The university was unable Tuesday to confirm the details, spokesman Christian Basi said. The diving trip to study coral reefs, including participation in a conservation research project, was the last part of the trip. McDaniel has participated in 10 previous trips to Thailand and all participants in the trip must be dive-certified before leaving the United States. |
| Senator Warren Has a Plan to Cancel Student-Loan Debt -- Without Congressional Approval | |
 | For the first time in any presidential-election campaign, mass student-debt cancellation has emerged as a major policy proposal. It's easy to understand why. Student debt has exploded over the last decade, and Americans now hold more than $1.6 trillion of it. Critics of any mass debt-cancellation plan are widespread. It would be difficult unless Democrats controlled both chambers of Congress, some argue. It would be difficult even if they did, as the idea splits Democrats. But on Tuesday, Sen. Elizabeth A. Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat running for president, released a plan to accomplish that goal. Hours ahead of the last presidential debate before primary voting starts, she said she could eliminate federal student debt "on Day 1" without congressional approval. "I have consulted with leading experts on student-debt cancellation who are confident that this plan is permissible under current law," she said. |
| Study Finds Imposter Syndrome Higher Among First Generation Students | |
| Imposter syndrome describes the unfounded belief that one is unworthy of his or her accomplishments, and according to new research, first-generation college students are more likely to suffer from it. The study, published in Social Psychological and Personality Science, focused on a group of 818 freshmen and sophomore students pursuing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. The students completed surveys, which included questions surrounding imposter syndrome, immediately after their STEM classes for a two-week period and at the end of the semester. "We found that when students think their class is competitive, they feel more like an imposter on a day-to-day basis and this is most problematic for first-generation college students," said assistant professor of psychology at Washington State University and author of the study, Dr. Elizabeth Canning, to the PsyPost. |
| College Pays Off, College Board Finds | |
 | The median annual earnings for bachelor's degree holders (with no advanced degree) who worked full-time in 2018 was $24,900 more than wages of their peers who held only high school credentials. Those were among the findings of a report from the College Board, the nonprofit testing giant, which every three years examines earning and employment patterns among adults in the U.S. The report includes variations by characteristics such as gender, race/ethnicity, occupation, college major and sector. The unemployment rate for people age 25 and older who hold at least a bachelor's degree has consistently been about half the unemployment rate for high school graduates, according to the College Board. |
| National Endowment for the Humanities Announces New Grants | |
 | An on-site augmented reality tour addressing the 1970 Kent State University shootings, a database that will allow users to search a painting collection by pigment, digital course modules on Florida's African-American history and a digital anthology of almost 300 hymn melodies published in the United States before 1861 are among the 188 recipients of new grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The grants, which total $30.9 million, are the first of three rounds that will be awarded this year. "These new N.E.H. grants will expand access to the country's wealth of historical, literary and artistic resources by helping archivists and curators care for important heritage collections, and using new media to inspire examination of significant texts and ideas," Jon Parrish Peede, the chairman of the endowment, said. |
| Phil Bryant never strayed far from his deputy sheriff roots in governing | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: Tuesday's inauguration of newly-minted Republican Gov. Tate Reeves ends a 33-year career in public service in Mississippi by his predecessor, former Gov. Phil Bryant. Or does it? Reeves, 45, has logged 16 years in public office himself since winning election to his first term as state treasurer in 2003. If Reeves' fortunes track those of the other three Republicans who have held Mississippi's governor's office since Kirk Fordice broke through for the GOP in 1991, he'll call the Governor's Mansion home for two terms. Since Mississippi voters amended the 1890 Constitution to allow gubernatorial succession in 1987, two Democrats won the Mississippi governorship -- Ray Mabus in 1987 and Ronnie Musgrove in 1999. Both were one-termers and both were unseated by Republican challengers. Fordice served two terms from 1992-2000. Haley Barbour, who defeated incumbent Democrat Musgrove, served two terms from 2004-2012. Bryant served two terms from 2012-2020. Unless Mississippi undergoes a massive political sea change, odds are Reeves will follow that trend. But Phil Bryant's service to Mississippi is worthy of remembering. |
SPORTS
| 'We have time': Playoff overseers are in no rush to turn expansion chatter into change | |
| It's been exactly one year since college football's key stakeholders first met to discuss the possibility of College Football Playoff expansion. What's changed? Well... "Nothing," said Mississippi State president Mark Keenum, the chairman of the CFP's Board of Managers, on Monday. "Last year, we made a commitment as a board to continue to have dialogue and discussion about possibilities for expansion. That's our position today." Keenum spoke with a small group of reporters Monday after the Board of Managers, made up of 11 university presidents and chancellors, and the CFP Management Committee, made up of the 10 Football Bowl Subdivision commissioners plus Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, met as they do annually on the morning of the championship game. "We have time," Keenum said. "We have six years left on our current contract (with ESPN). We have time to be forthright and diligent in how (we make changes) and if we want to make changes. And, do we want to make changes? We're very pleased with the current system we have in place." |
| Mississippi State cruises to 27-point win over Missouri | |
| Reggie Perry had 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead Mississippi State to an easy 72-45 victory over Missouri on Tuesday. Perry has now collected nine double-doubles this season and has 18 for his career. Tyson Carter had 15 points while Nick Weatherspoon added 11 for Mississippi State (10-6 overall, 1-3 in SEC), who snapped a three-game losing streak. "Obviously a great win for us and we needed it desperately," said Mississippi State head coach Ben Howland. "Our defense actually improved off our last game and it was our best defensive game of the year," he said. The Bulldogs continue their three-game homestand on Saturday and play host to Georgia. |
| Bulldogs blow out Missouri for first SEC win | |
| Having started 0-3 in Southeastern Conference play, Tuesday's game against Missouri was about as must-win as a game can get in January for Mississippi State. And the Bulldogs played that way. MSU jumped out to a 20-point cushion in the first half and cruised for a wire-to-wire 72-45 victory, its seventh in the last eight contests against the Tigers. "It was obviously a great win for us, I thought we needed it desperately," said MSU coach Ben Howland. "I thought our defense was actually the best that it's been all year. We improved upon the last game and really dominated. To get 18 points in the first half off of their turnovers was really key to having a 40-20 advantage at the half. The defense was unbelievable." The 20 points that the Bulldogs held Missouri to in the opening half matched the fewest of any SEC opponent during Howland's five seasons at State. The Tigers were coming off a 51-point first half from their 91-75 win over Florida last Saturday. |
| Mississippi State records first SEC win of season with rout of Missouri | |
| If there's such a thing as a must-win game in mid-January, Mississippi State had one Tuesday night at Humphrey Coliseum. The fans might not have acted as if that was the case. The Hump was less than half full. Only the student sections in the lower bowl filled up, and even those had a few spare seats. Some sections in the upper bowl had one or two spectators. Only one or two. But it doesn't matter what the fans do. Basketball is played on a 94-by-50 foot hardwood court. Not in the bleachers. And against Missouri on Tuesday, the Bulldogs played one of their best games of the season on that surface in a 72-45 victory over the Missouri Tigers. "I thought it was great leadership throughout our team," MSU head coach Ben Howland said. |
| Mizzou falters in 72-45 loss at Mississippi State | |
| Not much went right for Missouri men's basketball as it returned to Southeastern Conference action Tuesday night. The Tigers never found an offensive rhythm or defensive presence in a 72-45 loss to Mississippi State at the Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville. The loss drops Missouri to 9-7 overall and 1-3 in the SEC. The Bulldogs picked up their first conference victory with the 27-point win. "From start to finish, just didn't play well," Missouri head coach Cuonzo Martin said. "We allowed them to have comfort offensively. ... Just a lot of things that weren't characteristic of us." Kobe Brown was the only MU player to reach double figures, scoring 14 points. Javon Pickett posted nine for the Tigers, while Mark Smith finished with eight. Mississippi State's Reggie Perry led all scorers with 23 points and collected 10 rebounds. |
| Mizzou has miserable night at Mississippi State in lowest-scoring game of the year | |
 | Just as Missouri men's basketball had a game unlike any other against Florida Saturday, there was another case of the same Tuesday at Mississippi State. But unlike the 91-75 win over the Gators, this was no exciting statement win full of posterizing dunks and 3-pointers on command. Tuesday was a brutal 72-45 loss for Missouri -- and a full-fledged nightmare. The Tigers went down 40-20 in the first half and never recovered as the Bulldogs -- without a Southeastern Conference win entering the game -- played like a team desperate for one. Meanwhile, with more turnovers (13) than field goals (8) in the first 20 minutes, Missouri was playing like a team still hungover from the highs of the Florida win. The loss drops Missouri to 9-7 overall and 1-3 in SEC. It's the Tigers' lowest score on the season by a sizeable margin: The previous low was 52 points against Butler at the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City on Nov. 25. |
| Leaving a legacy: Tyson Carter surpasses his father, Greg, on Mississippi State's all-time scoring list | |
| Greg and Tyson Carter's one-on-one basketball matches have persisted throughout the years. When exactly they ceased depends on whom you ask. Tyson, Greg's son, spins the tale of the family scrimmages ending after his middle school days. "He got sick of me whooping him," Tyson said in reference to his father, who has long served as his basketball mentor. Meanwhile, Greg, who has coached the Starkville High boys basketball team since 2002, let out a hearty laugh when told of his son's boast. That's not how he remembers it. The father-son showdowns didn't end until Tyson's junior year of high school, if the elder Carter is to be believed. But even if Tyson exaggerated how the last hardwood meeting went, it's the younger Carter that walks away with the last set of basketball bragging rights. On his 22nd birthday, no less. Tuesday night against Missouri, the senior guard gave himself a nice birthday present by passing Greg on the all-time Mississippi State men's basketball scoring list after converting a midrange jump shot six minutes into the contest. |
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