Tolu Smith leads Mississippi State basketball to breakthrough win vs No. 11 TCU in overtime
STARKVILLE — It's a common theme for Mississippi State basketball and its first-year coach Chris Jans. The Bulldogs battle a ranked team. They play better than expected, sometimes owning a double-digit lead.
Against No. 11 TCU (16-5, 5-3 Big 12) on Saturday, the narrative changed. Mississippi State (13-8, 1-7 SEC), with an overtime final score of 81-74, has its first noteworthy win since November.
Fueled by a legacy-type performance from forward Tolu Smith, a barrage of 3-pointers from guard Shakeel Moore in overtime and clutch plays by guard Dashawn Davis, the Bulldogs got the breakthrough they’ve been seeking since SEC play started in December.
Mississippi State secured the second win of the day for its conference in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge, with Missouri’s win against No. 13 Iowa State as the first victory.
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Tolu Smith returns to form
With TCU center Eddie Lampkin Jr. out, it was evident Tolu Smith would be the driving force of Jans’ offense. However, Smith’s last few outings weren’t promising.
Smith, who led the SEC in shooting percentage a couple weeks ago, has slipped to third in the conference after going 15-of-35 in his last three games. He returned to form against the Horned Frogs.
Smith finished with 27 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and four blocks.
Shorthanded Horned Frogs
The TCU squad that walked into Humphrey Coliseum wasn’t the same one that won by 23 at No. 9 Kansas a week ago. The Horned Frogs were without Lampkin, their leading rebounder. Role guard Rondel Walker was also absent.
However, the biggest blow for TCU came before Saturday’s first media timeout. Mike Miles Jr. – who leads TCU and is second in the Big 12 with 19.1 points per game – went down with a hyperextended knee.
He tried to walk off the court but went to the ground around halfcourt. He was helped to the locker room. Miles walked back to the bench gingerly toward the end of the first half, but he did not return to the game.
He finished with no points, assists or rebounds in his four minutes on the court.
What’s next?
Mississippi State returns to SEC play with a trip to South Carolina (8-12, 1-6 SEC) on Tuesday. The Gamecocks play Georgia on Saturday night.
Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @skrajisnik3.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State basketball, Tolu Smith beats No. 11 TCU in overtime
