The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
9-6, 0-2SEC
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Mississippi State
14-2, 2-0SEC
Ole Miss Falls To No. 18 Mississippi State , 87-76
1/8/2005 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 8, 2005
Box Score
By JOEDY McCREARY
AP Sports Writer
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) - Lawrence Roberts had 23 points to lead No. 18 Mississippi State to an 87-76 victory over Mississippi on Saturday.
Gary Ervin added 15 points for the Bulldogs (14-2, 2-0 SEC), who shot nearly 57 percent from the field in winning their NCAA-best 16th straight road game.
Ontario Harper had 12 points and Marcus Campbell had 11 for the Bulldogs.
Mississippi State trailed for much of the first half and struggled at other times during its eighth straight victory. Ole Miss pulled to 52-49 on Tommie Eddie's layup with 15:47 left.
But Jamall Edmonson and Harper hit consecutive 3-pointers to key an 8-0 run which pushed the Bulldogs' lead to 11 with 14:27 remaining. Ole Miss didn't get closer than 8 the rest of the way.
Eddie had 17 points, Londrick Nolen scored 12 and Todd Abernethy and Kendrick Fox each added 11 for Ole Miss (9-6, 0-2).
Mississippi State also has eight straight wins this season and has beaten its cross-state rival seven consecutive times.
The Bulldogs haven't lost a road game since a 70-62 loss at Kentucky in February 2003.
For a while, it looked like those winning streaks were in jeopardy.
Three days after a lopsided loss at Arkansas, Ole Miss came out inspired. The Rebels hit 10 of their first 15 shots and outhustled Mississippi State in twice building 12-point leads.
But a 21-4 run by the Bulldogs helped them avoid the upset. Mississippi State took the lead for good when a 3-pointer by Edmonson made it 27-26 with 7:05 left in the first half.
Both teams regained their regular centers. Eddie returned to the Rebels' lineup after missing the Arkansas game for an unspecified academic-related matter.
Campbell was back in the Bulldogs' lineup after serving a one-game suspension for violating a team conduct rule.
Winsome Frazier, the Bulldogs' top 3-point shooter, left with an apparent injury to his left ankle midway through the first half and did not return.
