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Bulldogs Continue Their NCAA Push

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By IRA KAUFMAN

ikaufman@tampatrib.com

Published: March 15, 2009

TAMPA - Jarvis Varnado threw another block party Saturday, but he and his Mississippi State teammates aren't quite ready for dancing in the streets.

The Bulldogs broke open a tight game with a 10-0 spurt down the stretch en route to a vengeful 67-57 victory against LSU as Varnado swatted away seven shots and led all scorers with 19 points.
Mississippi State (22-12) takes a five-game winning streak into today's SEC Tournament final against Tennessee, yet the Bulldogs are hardly assured of an NCAA bid unless they emerge victorious.

"We know what we're playing for," said Phil Turner, a 6-foot-3 sophomore guard who grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.

Unlike the Bulldogs, LSU (26-7) is already guaranteed a spot in the NCAA Tournament field. The Tigers had swept Mississippi State in the regular season, posting a 96-74 advantage on the boards, but stifling team defense led by Varnado forced LSU into 31 percent shooting from the field in Saturday's semifinal.

With 16 blocks in three games here, Varnado has surpassed Shaquille O'Neal as the SEC's single-season block leader with 159.

"He's a pretty good player - I'm glad he's on our team," Bulldogs coach Rick Stansbury said. "He attacks every rebound and he's really active."

Varnado stayed out of foul trouble and was well rested, with Brian Johnson adding six rebounds in 12 minutes off Stansbury's productive bench.

The Tigers were outscored 24-9 from the foul line as Varnado and Barry Stewart each attempted 12 free throws. Stewart dropped in six foul shots and added a layup during a 10-point run that stretched Mississippi State's lead to 63-47 with 2:37 to go.

"I think we kind of got unraveled at times ... the calls weren't going our way," said LSU guard Marcus Thornton, the SEC's Player of the Year who was hounded into a 5-for-19 afternoon by Stewart's tight defense. "They beat us to loose balls and they did everything they had to do to win."

Tasmin Mitchell, who burned the Bulldogs for 41 points in Starkville a month ago during LSU's double-OT triumph, shot 7-for-18 from the floor and the Tigers never led by more than two points.

With Varnado prowling the lane, LSU ventured into the paint with one eye on the rim and the other on Mississippi State's omnipresent 6-9 junior, who altered another half-dozen shots.

He also played aggressively on the offensive end, where the Tigers offered their big men little help inside.

"My eyes lit up, you know," Varnado said of LSU's single coverage. "I just had to make a quick move and score."

Today's task for the Tigers is to determine the details of their first-round NCAA Tournament game.

The Bulldogs don't have the same luxury of knowing they will make the 65-team field. They can end the suspense with a victory today, but their at-large chances remain precarious - unless LSU coach Trent Johnson gets to make the call.

"My feeling about Mississippi State is the same feeling I had about Auburn," he said. "We played this group double overtime in Starkville and they gave us as many problems as anybody."

The Bulldogs hadn't faced a ranked team all season until Saturday's matchup, but Mississippi State is peaking at the right time.

Is it enough to impress the NCAA Selection Committee?

"I know this," Stansbury said. "We're 7-1 against the East. We're 9-7 coming into this SEC Tournament and two of those games were double-overtime losses. We're 4-4 on the road in the SEC and you go to the finals of the SEC Tournament. So you start breaking that down. Who becomes the third and fourth team to get in? You guys media make your case ... as long as you make the right one."

Reporter Ira Kaufman can be reached at (813) 259-7833.

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