Tulane University
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Mississippi State
Men's Basketball Outlasts Mississippi State, 59-54
Dec 6, 2014 | Men's Basketball
NEW ORLEANS - Jay Hook's fifth and final three-pointer of the game with 29 seconds remaining helped the Tulane men's basketball team secure a, 59-54, victory over visiting Mississippi State on Saturday afternoon in front of an energized crowd at Devlin Fieldhouse.
With the Green Wave (7-1) clinging to a, 56-54, Hook popped out at the top of the key, took the pass from Louis Dabney, and drained the three-pointer to all but ice the game and give Tulane its seventh straight win.
Seconds later MSU's (5-2) Trivante Bloodman had a lay-up attempt in the lane blocked by Jonathan Stark that deflated the Bulldogs comeback effort.
Hook finished with a game-high 17 points on six-of-nine shooting that included five-of-eight from three-point range. Stark added 13 points, while Dabney chipped in with nine.
"This was a really hard fought game," Tulane head coach Ed Conroy said. "Credit Mississippi State. Their defense is one of the best you'll see. They are very active and athletic. They made it tough on us early, but the one thing I will say about our team is that we've grown a lot mentally in the last couple weeks going back to our first game."
The game saw 10 lead changes and six ties, including four lead changes and two ties in the final six minutes. Tulane took the lead for good on a jumper by Stark with 5:11 left to give the Green Wave a, 52-51, advantage. MSU tied the score two more times after that, but was never able to regain the lead.
Neither team led by more than seven points and Tulane's margin at halftime was just two, 28-26. The Green Wave held a seven-point lead, 41-34, less than six minutes into the second half after rattling off a 10-4 run over a three minute span, but MSU was able to chip away.
The Bulldog defense held Tulane without a point over a five minute span in the second half, and MSU was only able to cut what was a seven-point deficit down to just one during that stretch.
"Down the stretch we had some empty possessions," Conroy said. "But, it was our defense and rebounding that kept the crowd energized. They (the crowd) were fantastic and stayed behind us. You just knew one play could turn the game for you and hopefully our guys will take the lessons of this game and realize we can play in a game like that and come out victorious."
Tulane shot 42.6 percent (23-54) from the floor and knocked down seven-of-19 three-pointers. The Green Wave also outrebounded the Bulldogs, 37-32. Tre Drye led the way with six rebounds, while Dylan Osetkowski pulled down five boards and Ryan Smith, Dabney and Hook all grabbed four.
Mississippi State shot just 38.2 percent (21-55) from the floor and was only able to connect on two-of-13 three-pointers.
Travis Daniels led MSU with 13 points and nine rebounds, while Gavin Ware added 11 points.
The Green Wave will have the next nine days off for final exams and will return to the court on Dec. 16 against Savannah State for a 7 p.m. CT tip in Devlin Fieldhouse.
Season ticket prices for Tulane's inaugural season in The American are $300 for premium chairback seating, $200 for bleacher seating, and $400 for the family zone (2 adult/2 youth for both men's and women's basketball seasons). In addition, men's basketball season ticket holders will have the exclusive opportunity to purchase half-priced women's season tickets.
For additional information, call the Tulane Ticket Office at (504) 861-WAVE (9283), reserve your seats on-line at www.TulaneGreenWave.com, or visit the Tulane Team Shop in person on the ground floor of the James W. Wilson, Jr. Center Monday thru Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
GAME NOTES
- Senior guard Jay Hook scored in double figures for the seventh time this season and the 30th game of his career with 17 points today.
- Sophomore guard Jonathan Stark scored in double figures for the sixth time this season and the 33rd game of his career with 13 points today.
- Tulane snapped a six-game losing skid to Mississippi State.
